Emergency officials evacuated a Baltimore County elementary school after many children were stung by a group of yellow jackets.
A Baltimore County Fire Department spokesman said a group of students were in the woods near Deep Creek Elementary School shortly after noon when they stumbled on a yellow jackets' nest in a log. He said the angered insects began swarming around the children
Teachers and school officials whisked the children away to the school building.
Several children were stung and two children experienced an allergic reaction to the sting. Emergency officials said 44 children were being transported to area hospitals for treatment.
Fire officials ordered the school evacuated and shut down.
Difference Between Yellow Jackets, Bees
Information from doyourownpestcontrol.com
All wasps will defend their nests, but the yellow jackets and hornets are the most aggressive. They can be distinguished from bees by their thin "waists." Bees are thick-waisted. They fold their wings lengthwise when at rest.
Like all wasps, yellow jackets prey on a variety of insects and other arthropods. Yellow jackets will also forage on foods that people eat, especially sweets and meats.
They are considered beneficial insects, eating other insects. The yellow jacket colony will remain active for only one summer, after which the queens will fly away to start more colonies. The remaining ones, die at the end of the summer, the nest is not reused.
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