My right hand is still swolen enough that I can't see my knuckles and my left ear too. I was dumping a pot that had a dead rosemary topiary in it yesterday morning and found a massive yellowjacket nest the hard way. I ran accross my yard stripping off clothes and waving my arms like a mad man. I got about 20 stings and they followed me on my clothes for 100 yards
Yellowjackets have not a single redeeming quality. Not one. Glad you came out of it without the little bastards getting you in the eyes.
Yellow jackets are bad assed, very easy to irritate bees!
That's probably because they aren't bees. They are wasps. Here's a handy guide to telling the difference:
Bees, and honeybees in particular, really don't want to sting you. They are overall pretty mellow unless they perceive a threat. If you come across a honeybee hive, don't panic. If you start to run, they are more likely to attack. Rapid movements appear threatening to them. If they DO sting you, DON'T PANIC. I realize that's pretty easy to say when there are not a bunch of buzzy little bastards trying to incapacitate you, but it is sage advice. They are inclined to attack darker areas of your clothes, because they are trying to sting your eyes. If they are attacking you, be mindful of that. This is one of the reasons beekeeper suits are white.
Wasps, on the other hand, seem not to have nearly as bubbly a personality. Yellowjackets in particular simply do not like people. And pretty much anything else that wasn't born in their hive. Hornets are pretty much assholes, too. There are videos out there of just a handful of hornets slaughtering an entire honeybee hive, just to steal the larvae for food.
That all said, this is the time of year in the northern hemisphere where honeybees can really use a little help. They depend on honey stores to keep them through the winter. If you have a reasonably large plot of land, set up some kind of honeybee feeder if you can. Something as simple this: Take a quart mason jar and fill it with a pretty concentrated sugarwater solution. Screw the lid on and poke some teeny holes in the lid with a nail. You want the holes small enough so the liquid doesn't pour out when inverted, but big enough so the bees can get to the goodies in the jar. Hang the jar upside down from a tree branch or some other overhanging structure. Any bees within a mile will find it sooner or later. Being suspended above the ground will help keep the ants from finding it.
Check it a week later. If it's not already empty, you'll probably see bees dining on your generous gift. If it is empty, refill it
One of the coolest parts of this is that while bees from many hives may find your jar, they won't fight over the food. They'll just drink as much as they can carry and bring it back to the hive before coming back for more.
It's easy to do, and it really helps.
PS - Ever been told that a bumblebee does not have a stinger? They do. If you've never been stung by one, it's because you probably never stumbled upon a nest (presenting a threat). And even if you did, they are still very reluctant to attack. They prefer to just chill.
and cant figure how to get product picture on my review 
..we have just started raining too....
..but I was hoping it did...coz it saves me watering the peas in...
..20.37...
