A "black ball" of angry wasps attacked Ruakākā woman Elke Radewald last Monday, leaving her with about 50 stings. Photo / Elke Radewald
A "black ball" of angry wasps attacked Ruakākā woman Elke Radewald last Monday, leaving her with about 50 stings. Photo / Elke Radewald
A Northland woman is warning people to be wary of wasps after she was stung about 50 times during an “utterly frightening” attack.
Elke Radewald had been walking with her dog along the Ruakākā Beach path near the end of Bream Bay Drive about 11am on July 21 when sheheard a buzzing noise behind her.
“I turned around and there is this big black ball coming towards me. It was like in a really bad movie,” she said.
The first wasps attacked Radewald’s head, managing to get under her hair.
“I covered my face with the poncho I had worn, but my hands and everything they could get to ... they were stinging and biting.”
At home, Radewald had a cold shower and tried to calm herself down.
“I felt itchy and in pain all over,” she said.
Radewald was amazed the wasps had managed to sting her through two layers of clothing.
Radewald used vinegar and other natural ointments to treat the sores, which had since started to heal.
“I got away. I feel okay,” she said.
Radewald was unsure what species of wasp had attacked her. The most commonly encountered wasps in Northland are the German wasp and the common wasp. The Asian paper wasp is also widespread in the upper North Island.
The German European Wasp is one of the common wasp varieties seen in Northland. Elke Radewald was unsure what species of wasp attacked her. Photo / 123rf
She reported the wasps to the Whangārei District Council, which reportedly told her they would follow up.
Radewald said a member of the public instead dealt with the wasps themselves.
She also posted online to warn others, especially those with children, to take care.
Whangārei District Council senior technical officer Spencer Jellyman said the council decided the wasps had most likely been bees as wasps do not usually swarm but bees do.
“Bee swarms move about, so rather than going to the location to find them we decided to monitor for further incidents before investigating further.“
Jellyman said council did not receive any more reports about the swarm in the days after the incident, which they usually would if there was an aggressive swarm of bees or wasps near a path.
Department of Conservation (DoC) science adviser Eric Edwards said the incident sounded consistent with the behaviour of a disturbed wasps’ nest that was possibly concealed.
“These species can become very aggressive when they feel threatened, particularly in late summer and autumn when nest sizes peak.
“However, aggressive behaviour can also occur during warmer winter days if nests are still active.”
Phil Tunstall, owner and manager of pest management company Enviropro, said it was possible Radewald’s dog may have stood on a wasp nest or disturbed one higher up.
Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora information states that calling an exterminator is the best practice for wasps found at home.
It also states to take care when eating food outdoors, especially sugary drinks and fish sandwiches, which can attract bees and wasps.
Other tips include:
Avoid bright-coloured or dark-coloured clothing
Avoid perfumes
If you’re hiking in bush and forest areas, wear hats, long-sleeved shirts and long pants, and light colours.
For advice on first aid and treatment of stings, call the National Poisons Centre on 0800 764 766.
Brodie Stone covers crime and emergency for the Northern Advocate. She has spent most of her life in Whangārei and is passionate about delving into issues that matter to Northlanders and beyond.
