I hate yellow jackets.

I hate yellow jackets. Of course I do. I grew up in a Georgia family, immersed in all things UGA. My mother's family is actually full of Georgia Tech grads and one of my best friends is a Tech grad, and I must say they are all wonderful folks...but they instill no love in me for the yellow jacket.

Now I have a reason to hate the varmints even more. Thursday morning, I went out to the hive to feed the bees. Smoker in hand, all went well until I pulled out the empty feeder and...noticed a rogue yellow jacket in the midst of my sweet honey bees. (Aren't the bees supposed to get rid of nasty intruders? Guess they hadn't had a chance yet.) Smoke works well on honey bees, but not on yellow jackets. Smoke makes yellow jackets mad... not that they need much encouragement.

The yellow jacket made a beeline (ha ha) for my leg and stung me. Repeatedly. By the time I disengaged him from my pants leg and hobbled into the house, I could tell this was no ordinary sting. I applied some anti-sting stuff and hoped for the best. I barely slept that night.

By Friday morning the side of my thigh, from hip to knee, was red, swollen and firm to the touch. It looked similar to the bad reaction I had a few years ago when a jellyfish wrapped its tentacles around both my arms in the ocean at St. Simons. I called my doctor's office and she was able to work me in that afternoon. "Ohhhhh, that doesn't look so good," were the first words out of her mouth. I got a shot of prednisone and left with three prescriptions for other medicines to cure me of the evil jellow jacket venom.

So, just a reminder. Honey bees are defensive creatures — they only attack when they perceive their hive is under siege from an outsider. They respond well to smoke. Other winged insects not so much. Yellow jackets, along with hornets and wasps, are aggressive and will sting with very little provocation.

Oh, and Mom? Glad you turned away from the dark side. You chose well. Dawgs are good; jackets are BAD.