MARIN COUNTY, Calif. (KRON) — Last week, we told you about an increase in yellowjackets in Contra Costa County. Now, officials in Marin and Sonoma counties are sounding the alarm.
KRON4 spoke with a resident in San Anselmo about his stings from a yellowjacket.
The Marin/Sonoma County Mosquito Vector Control has had more calls for yellowjackets than ever before, and these yellowjackets are extremely aggressive.
“Standing just here watching here and then a buzz comes right from this side, right into my head,” said San Anselmo resident Ash Cheriyan.
Cheriyan spent his Monday morning like any other, taking his dog outside for a morning walk. However, this time, a yellowjacket put a sting into things.
Multiple stings at that — until Cheriyan’s wife took matters into her own hands.
“Trying to find it in my hair and this thing keeps stinging me, and her first reaction, which I think is the right one, was to grab a kitchen towel and start smacking me in my head with it,” Cheriyan said.
He’s not the only one being attacked by yellowjackets. It’s been a busy summer for the Marin/Sonoma Mosquito and Vector Control District.
Nizza Sequeira, public information officer of the Marin/Sonoma Mosquito & Vector Control District, says that’s because of a mild winter.
“This year so far we’ve had about 5,400 from the public to control in-ground yellowjacket nests,” Sequeria said.
Sequira says yellowjackets nest in the ground in holes like this — feeling the vibrations of footsteps above and coming out with full force.
“They are going to start stinging you, biting you,” Sequeira said. “They even tend to mark you and that is like an alarm bell to all the other yellow jackets and they will begin to come out and attack you as well.”
Towards the end of summer, yellowjackets are on the hunt for carbs. Sequeira recommends keeping tight lids on garbage cans to keep them away.
If you’re eating outside, keep an eye on your food for the unwanted guest.
If you find a ground nest of yellowjackets in Marin or Sonoma, county technicians will come take care of it for free.
“Haven’t seen too many others for the rest of the day, but if there’s a nest, I’ll take it up with the county for sure,” Cheriyan said.
If you’re allergic to yellow jackets and you get stung, you could notice anaphylactic symptoms such as shortness of breath. If that happens, you should call 911 right away.
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