This may sound kiddish! but we all do kiddy stuff even when we grow up :)
I am sharing here an interesting account from my journal. I was never in my life ever stung by a wasp or a bee...*wait*..till sometime back. Well, last week this myth was demystified by two yellow wasps. How? Read on to know about my encounter with the genus Vespula who have built a nest in our mail box.
Imagine! out of everything else- a mailbox *unbelievable*
But after telling a few people about my plight (yes, I had to tell a few friends about my situation with this tiny,powerful,yellow life form) I came to know that they usually build their nests in mailboxes....and I had been so oblivious of this fact *surprising* Anyways, that day, me and my friend had just come home from the market when I saw my prized possession (my colourful postcards) peeping through the mailbox. Like every other day, they seemed inviting enough to put my hand inside the mail box and read them on.
Suddenly my friend jumped & warned me not to touch the mailbox as she had seen a "tattaiya" in it. ('Tattaiya' is the convenient hindi word for bees/ wasps etc in her lingo) I stooped and twisted my body a bit to come to my investigative & exploratory mode only to find a yellow wasp coming out of this bright red coloured container of my new postcards. (postcards that have travelled from different countries bearing beautiful stamps on them)* More about my postcards some other time*
Out of sheer stupidity or call it whatever you may like! I made fun of my friend and stood there like one almighty being who felt superior and was all powerful in comparison to that little yellow dot like flying creature. So, in all my superiority I announced to my friend that I am taking my postcards and the wasp cannot harm me.( After all, what it could do to me as it was already busy sitting on it's nest) But I was wrong and what happened after that became the famous Wasp Attack Dance and the rest they say is history!
While taking out the postcards I touched their tiny nest (by mistake! believe me it wasn't intentional at all) and before I could understand anything, I heard a 'bzzzzzzzz' sound, saw two Ninja wasps coming out of the letter box in SLOW MOTION *although they were coming out at an incredible speed, something like 100 km/hr but that very time it seemed to me exactly the same 'slow -motion' as they show it in movies.* After that I felt a very excruciating pinprick on my chin and my right hand(yes, the hand that went inside the mailbox). Before I could be at my guard their job was already done.Everything was over in a fraction of a second. All I was left with, after that was -a numbness followed by a knife-like pain in my hand and my beautiful face.(chin to be precise;))
Like I said earlier,what happened after that was- history! clubbed with a funny Wasp Attack Dance that my friend and my mother had the honour to enjoy and laugh at* Grrrr*
*Just out of curiosity* -I am curious to know what happens to the wasp after you are stung by it? I mean does it die like a bee? Does it have to recover? or can it keep stinging?
Just out of sheer curiosity I ask this! *wink*
Just out of sheer curiosity I ask this! *wink*
Image courtesy: Google Images
No wonder your friend call it Tattaiya (dance steps?)!
ReplyDeleteHehe... Well said magiceye :) it was ta- ttaiya indeed!
Delete@Deepak Sir - That's a funny comment :)
DeleteThere's nothing like a wasp attack dance. It's free of all inhibitions. I'm sure you discovered that.
ReplyDeleteI did:)but this learning came at a cost which was a bit painful :D
Deletehehe..thank you! glad that you liked it :)
ReplyDeleteYou can apply lime in Hindi it is chunna, white paste that u eat with paan. It is very soothing. I got one sting recently in my foot.
ReplyDeleteThank you Indrani for suggesting... Appreciate it:)
ReplyDeletePoor you! I'm scared of wasps. They don't die after stinging you, whereas bees do.
ReplyDeleteThank you Layfi for answering y question:)
DeleteAh, that must have hurt! Wasps and bees are best left alone and untouched in their zones, their sting is definitely painful.
ReplyDeleteI know.. I mean Now i know!!! :D
DeleteAsk me, we had, God knows how many big homes in our garden, specially on the guava tree. But mail box is new for me. Hope it didn't hurt much.
ReplyDeleteYeah! mail box was new to me as well. Nature has its own way of coming up with new surprizes everyday...hehe... Naah! didn't hurt much and thanks for asking Saru:)
DeleteYour work is incredible.
ReplyDeleteFortunately, I have eluded the sting of a wasp. As a kid, I was stung a few times by bees and the experience has been painful enough to avoid bees, wasps or any of their other cousins.
ReplyDeleteHey, thanks for stopping by y blog. Nice to read about your travels!. As with the wasps, I too do that crazy attack dance. Luckily, I haven't been stung yet! Hope you are fine!
ReplyDeleteYes I am fine Amelia. Thank you for asking. Glad to know that someone else can also do my crazy wasp attack dance;) Thank you for visiting my space.
DeleteAlas! bt pretty interesting read :) Will learn the dance so that at the moment might perform skillfully...hehehe...
ReplyDeleteThank you Anupam. Yes, you should try it sometime:)
DeleteWasp and Bee stings can be painful. It was lucky that only two of them came after you.
ReplyDeletehehe..yes, I consider my self lucky indeed!
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