- I'm Coyote Peterson, and I'm about to enter the sting zone
with the paper wasp and the bald-faced hornet.
Here we go.
(Coyote grunts)
(Coyote screams)
Geez, the stinger stuck into my arm.
(tense music)
(rock cracking)
Hi, I'm Coyote Peterson, and welcome to another episode
of Backyard Bites and Stings.
Today's educational dose of entertainment
is proudly brought to you by our sponsor Sting-Kill.
And today we're going to compare the sting
of a paper wasp versus a hornet.
Now it's important to know that both of these insects
are capable of stinging multiple times.
Ya-ouch!
And they're always gonna show up at your backyard picnic
or barbecue to crash the party.
Now they're after the exact same things that we love:
sweet summer treats, like ketchup, barbecue sauce,
soda pop, and even sweet tea.
If it's brightly colored like a flower,
smells sweet, delicious, it's almost guaranteed
that they're going to crash your good time.
On your right is a paper wasp.
A single sting is definitely gonna hurt,
but if you run into an entire nest of them, ooh-wee!
Forget about it. It's gonna be a really bad day.
On your left is a bald-faced hornet.
Now this is one of the larger, more robust species
that can be found here in the United States.
I've never been stung by this insect before
and I'm told that the venom is pretty potent.
And this experiment is gonna be a little unique,
because I don't oftentimes take two stings in one sitting.
And what I've done is creatively shaved all the hair
off of my forearm so that we can better see the sting.
I've also drawn two big target squares,
one for the hornet and one for the wasp.
And what we're gonna do is compare
Sting-Kill's two most popular products,
the Sting-Kill wipes and the Sting-Kill Neon Green Serum.
Now, I know exactly what it is that you guys want to see.
Before we dive into the stings
and all of the grandiose entertainment
I have to know this is not something you ever want to try.
Allergic reactions can happen with both wasp
and hornet stings,
which is why we have an epinephrine pen on site.
All right, first up we're going to take a sting
from the wasp.
So I'm gonna slide the hornet out of the way.
And we're gonna go through the typical process.
You guys know how this works.
I'm going to take the entomology net.
I'm going to put the capsule inside of the net.
I'm gonna let the bug out of the capsule.
I'm gonna get it in the forceps,
and then we're gonna place it right onto my forearm
and see what it feels like to be stung.
I'm Coyote Peterson, and I'm about to enter the sting zone
with the paper wasp.
1, 2, 3.
(uneasy music)
(Coyote grunts)
Woo. Okay.
Took one sting.
I'm just gonna go ahead and take a couple stings
while I'm at it.
Ah! There you go.
You can see the stinger going in there.
That's two.
Let's get a full on dose here.
(Coyote grunts)
Oh yeah, wow. There's a bit of fire going on right there.
Okay, now I'm gonna get the insect back into the capsule.
Thanks, buddy. Appreciate it.
Okay, now it's important to note
that these insects can't just continue producing venom
after venom after venom in an immediate sync.
You're gonna get the biggest dose of venom
right from the initial impact.
And you can see that red mark.
You know, I didn't get it right in the middle
of the square W, but (exhales)
I'm gonna let it sit in for a couple seconds.
Yauzers. Yeah, it burns.
Ooh, and it has like a secondary wave
that's now beginning to set in.
Now a single sting, like I said, is never gonna be that bad.
But if you disturb a nest of paper wasps
and a bunch of them get you especially in an area
like your face or on your neck,
this is going to have a massive effect on your body.
This point, I'm rushing into the house,
getting into the medicine cabinet,
reaching in for my Sting-Kill wipes.
This is for external use only.
One use individual packet.
And it has Benzocaine and a little bit of menthol.
Okay, here we go.
It's cold right to the touch.
Oh, oh yes. That is fantastic.
Instant cooling sensation.
Now remember, the venom from a paper wasp
is not overly potent, and they use this sting as a defense
to ward off any invading predator.
So if you bump into a paper wasp nest this summer,
whether it's underneath the eaves of your house,
stored underneath your grill, or it's just a wasp showing up
to share some of your sweet tea, don't swat at it.
Don't try to bat it away with a broom.
Leave it alone and you will be completely safe.
Okay, paper wasp. Couple stings and we're done.
Now it's time to move on to the bald-faced hornet.
Oh, that is an intimidating little insect right there,
I'm not gonna joke with you guys.
Having never been stung by this insect before,
I question just how bad this sting is really going to be.
Now on Justin Schmidt's Insect Sting Pain Index,
this only ranks at around a two.
But remember, everybody's body reacts differently to venom
and everybody's perception of pain can be slightly different
based on the venom yield that they receive.
With any luck, I'll get a full yield of venom
right out of the gate.
You guys know how this is about to go down.
Let's get the bug out of the jar and onto my forearm.
You guys might think
that taking the stings is the hardest part.
The hardest part is really getting the insect
into the entomology forceps.
You have to be so gentle
so you don't damage their legs or their wings.
You gotta get 'em right into the perfect position.
So you just squeeze right onto the thorax
without causing any injury.
(Coyote exhales)
I'm Coyote Peterson, and I'm about to enter this sting zone
with the bald-faced hornet.
Here we go.
1, (exhales) 2, 3.
(Coyote screams)
Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness.
That is actually really, really painful.
(Coyote grunts)
Smack dab right in the center of the target.
(Coyote grunts)
I'm gonna take one more for good measure.
(tense music)
(Coyote screams)
Okay, yeah, that's probably good enough.
(Coyote grunts)
Wow. Not...
Yeah, no, that is a lot worse than the paper wasp.
Holy geez. Yeah, okay.
Oh man, that one drew blood. Can you see that?
I did take three stings from the paper wasp.
So I'm gonna take three stings from the hornet.
Why not? You guys are like, "Come on, Coyote, one more!"
Wow. Oh my goodness.
This one's really... Holy macro.
Okay, one more. Here we go.
Third time's the charm.
(tense music)
(Coyote grunts)
Yeah, you can see the stinger go right into the skin there.
You see that?
(Coyote grunts)
Okay, okay, okay, okay.
Geez, geez, stinger stuck into my arm.
Come on, come on. (grunts)
Okay. That's enough.
That's enough. Okay.
Back in your jar. Yikes.
(Coyote grunts)
Okay, yeah.
Well, that one is a lot worse than the paper wasp.
Geez.
(Coyote grunts and chuckles)
Wow, bald-faced hornet done punched the bald-headed man
right in the forearm.
Okay, I'm gonna let this just sit in for a second.
Wow, there is definitely a noticeable difference
between the bald-faced hornet and the paper wasp.
I mean, there is no comparison.
That felt like somebody tickling your forearm
as compared to the sting
that you take from the bald-faced hornet.
Now keep in mind, that is a much more robust species.
Wow, it is firing on all 12 cylinders right now.
(Coyote exhales)
That is without question a full yield
of bald-faced hornet venom.
So three solid stings.
There is the initial one second one drew blood.
And strangely enough, I'm not seeing as much effect
from the third sting
where the stinger actually got lodged into my forearm.
But I think what I experienced with that third sting
is maybe not as much of a venom yield.
I can promise you, (chuckles) that first sting felt
like it was just injecting hot lava into my arm.
(Coyote grunts)
Oh man, it's a sting that just keeps on giving.
Goodness. All right.
That's a kind of sting that makes your knee bounce,
that's for sure.
Man, look at the welt that's forming.
I'm already got a tight shot on that.
Okay.
I'm gonna let it set in just a bit longer
before we apply the Sting-Kill
I really want that venom to soak in.
Remember, you may not always have Sting-Kill
right there at your backyard barbecue.
You may have to run inside,
you may have to go underneath the sink,
you may have to go up in the cupboard,
but you want to get this as quickly as you possibly can.
Okay.
Serum comes out.
What's cool is that it's right in these little capsules
and all you need to do is tear one off.
What's so much fun about these is it's glass
inside of a little plastic capsule,
and to get the serum to work
and go into this little cotton swab up front,
you squeeze it and it breaks open.
And it's going to come down to the tip.
(Coyote grunts)
Oh yeah. That's good stuff right there.
(Coyote chuckles)
Instant cooling sensation on the skin.
And I'm just gonna go ahead and let that soak in.
Wow. Instantaneous.
Literally, that spot on my arm has gone numb.
It feels cool. And I went from agony to instant relief.
Now there is some swelling that's beginning to form
on the edge of my arm.
But as far as the pain's concerned,
it's pretty much gone at this point.
Well, I'd say that today
was both entertaining and educational.
And when it comes to comparing the paper wasp
to the bald-faced hornet sting,
the hornet definitely packs a more painful punch.
And if you find yourself
in the worst case scenario this summer
at your backyard barbecue,
rest assured that's Sting-Kill will save the day.
Real medicine, real relief, real fast.
I'm Coyote Peterson.
Be brave, stay wild.
We'll see you on the next adventure.
- Wait.
- What?
- You forgot about the grand finale.
- The grand finale?
Oh my goodness.
The European giant hornet?
Well, the backyard barbecues people sure do love dessert.
So they might as well take a sting
from this intimidating looking creature.
Wow. That is an absolute giant.
Holy cow.
Keep your summer fun.
And if you find yourself accidentally taking a sting,
make sure to remain calm, keep an eye on the impact zone,
and definitely apply Sting-Kill
to ensure your painful journey
comes to a quick and soothing end.
For more information on Sting-Kill's products,
make sure to visit their website.
(insect buzzing)
Geez, sounds like a tarantula hawk.
1, 2, 3.
(Coyote screams)