Tarantula hawk wasp stung me yesterday - it took vengeance for my supporting Lounge tarantula killer
I encroached on this type wasp's territory of killing tarantulas. A month or two ago I posted about seeing a few of these in the yard, this year unlike before. I only knew of them from a childhood viewing of a Disney nature film. But in my puttering around these menacing looking things weren't aggressive, were fairly close by but just going about their business, and I only saw one at a time such that silly me thought it was the only one. Yes, when one was in the porch I Raid-ed it. Maybe another one - maybe TWO.
But yesterday I was dragging out something from a shed, and suddenly a *MOB* of a dozen swarmed out and one of them *HIT* me on the hand in a kamikaze attack. I hadn't been stung since being a kid and ever since I imagined such a thing as being like a prolonged, latching-on event. Well, this was the briefest of a HIT and run and left the tiniest puncture, like not even enough for a drop of blood. Still there was immediate but slight swelling and then itching.
Google said scary things about (regular?) wasp stings - some condition that can be lethal (if allergic?). Also said baking soda or apple cider vinegar can counter the *POISON*. But that the lethal type takes effect in 5 minutes or an hour. So by that time it was over an hour later and I wasn't dead. But the swelling was bigger but not humongous, felt TIGHT like balloon swelling inside and with irritating itching.
Just a couple of days ago I was supporting a Loungeteer about killing a tarantula, so sometimes karma is FAST. Ran out of Raid so just stocked up.
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snake that I at first mistook for a prairie rattler, but on closer observation, it was a harmless (and useful) bullsnake--most often mistaken for rattlesnakes in my area. It was in my garden so the hoe was right there, but fortunately, I hesitated long enough to see its head clearly, which was NOT triangular and thus a bullsnake, not a rattlesnake. Live and let live. These guys are not aggressive and actually can kill the venomous snakes. So, I let it hang out a few hours before I saw it head for the neighbors who I knew to be waiting to capture it for release into the wetland area nearby.
I relocate all non-venomous spiders, but will occasionally let a wolf spider remain in the basement because they eat the nasty ones. And as I mentioned, tarantulas are not a thing in my area, but I know full well they are not venomous nor particularly aggressive, so I'd likewise relocate them to "live and let live."
Maybe they communicate among themselves...LOL. But I'm not taking any chances! 
Wasps and scorpions are not among those I relocate, however, nor black widow spiders or the brown recluse. But for those that don't hurt me, I'll go the extra mile.
