Rosary Army #82: It’s Poison! Poison I Tell You!
Registration Rigamarole, Upcoming Century Mark, Podcast Awards Nominations!, Early Retirement, Debt-Based Monopoly, US Catechism for Adults, and the winner of the Cashew Contest.
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thank you Father Roderick and Beshoner for contacting me immediately about that strange ant we talked about in this show. That female Velvet Ant is EXACTLY correct. I’m a little creeped out by the fact that we were toying with it because of how “wild” it looked. The boys were fascinated. Now I will teach them to stay far away from that wingless wasp with the intensely painful sting. The fact that it has a street name of Cow Killer also sends chills down my Mommy spine. I hope my little ones don’t try to pick one up for fun! It’s a big relief to know that they won’t die though. But not comforting to know that they might experience intense pain that I wouldn’t even begin to know how to alleviate. Has anyone been stung by this Velvet Ant before? ..shudder…
I bet you didn’t know that priests had required courses in entomology as part of their seminary training along with systematics and scripture studies.
One of the best treatments I have found for stings is ice for about an hour, followed by raw honey under a bandage. Granted, not everyone has raw honey in the cupboard, but find a local bee keeper and pick up a jar. It is the only thing I use for a sweetner anymore.
Hi Jennifer,
I found this info at http://www.medterms.com I hope this helps — aparently, you treat this like any other wasp or bee sting - but look for signs of alergic reaction - and if that happens you head for the ER!
Velvet ant sting: Common in most parts of the world including the Southern and Southwestern United States, velvet ants are not true ants but rather parasitic wasps. Their sting-like that of other wasps, fire ants, bees, yellow jackets, and hornets — can trigger allergic reactions varying greatly in severity. Avoidance and prompt treatment are essential. In selected cases, allergy injection therapy is highly effective. (The three “A’s” of insect allergy are Adrenaline, Avoidance and Allergist.)
From one Mom to another… I hope you never have to deal with this ’stingy-thingy’ [what my kids used to call bees]
God Bless,
Kathy