Hornet attack hospitalizes Wintersville man
WINTERSVILLE -- Cutting his lawn Wednesday evening, John Schmidt didn't expect to be stung multiple times by hornets, nor did he expect those stings to trigger a severe allergic reaction that would nearly take his life.
The emergency was a "close call," Schmidt said at his home Thursday, managing humor amid some lingering effects from the anaphylaxis.
He and his wife, Judy Schmidt, have been living in their Wintersville residence for more than 30 years. Throughout that time, they've had some run-ins with wildlife, but have never had stinging insects pose a serious problem for them.
Between 4:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. Wednesday, John Schmidt took out his riding lawnmower to get at least some of the grass cut before the night's Pittsburgh Pirates game at 7:45 p.m. He hadn't noticed the large hornet nest -- roughly the size of a basketball -- hanging from the front yard buckeye tree, and as soon as he began cutting around the tree's base, the stringing erupted.
"I knew I'd just been stung several times, and then I got off the tractor, shut it off and proceeded to the house," Schmidt recalled.
Schmidt called for his wife, who noticed his voice seemed slurred, and told her he'd been stung. While she went to retrieve some medicine, Schmidt went to the bathroom, where he passed out at the sink.
Judy Schmidt yelled for her husband, but he wasn't responding. Furthermore, he'd fallen in such a way that his body jammed the door shut. Unable to enter the room, Judy Schmidt called 911.
Two Wintersville Fire and Rescue ambulances would soon arrive, Judy Schmidt recalled. First responders were somehow able to open the door enough to get John Schmidt out. His pulse was weak, his face was discolored and his tongue and lips were heavily swollen, Judy Schmidt said, adding that a manual resuscitator was used to pump oxygen into his lungs.
Taken to Trinity Medical Center West for treatment, John Schmidt had multiple individuals working on him prior to when Judy Schmidt arrived. By then, he was awake and recovering, with the help of several emergency medications.
Discharged at roughly 9 p.m., John Schmidt still had time to catch some of the Pirates game, though he said he wishes he hadn't, considering they'd go on to lose 12-0 to the Chicago Cubs.
The next day, the Schmidts called JC Pest Control Co. in Wintersville to take care of the hornets and their nest.
A veteran-owned and family business, JC Pest Control has been called to the Schmidt's home previously for raccoons in the chimney. Responding Thursday was co-owner Jeff Caniff Sr., who has 38 years of experience in pest control. He works alongside his son and co-owner, Justin Caniff, as well as general manager Jawon Bishop.
Caniff Sr. deduced that the Schmidts were afflicted with bald-faced hornets. Also known as white hornets, the insects are capable of stinging multiple times and are known for causing human fatalities, Caniff said.
Bald hornets tend to be active in the summer, Caniff said, and JC Pest Control deals with about 10 cases of them per week around this time of the year. He added that nests typically have one queen and between 400 and 600 workers.
Caniff donned a protective suit and sprayed the Schmidt's nest with wettable powder. The chemical solution will kill most of the hornets immediately, Caniff said, but before he can knock the nest down, he needs to wait several days until all of the workers have returned and died.
While at the Schmidt's house, Caniff located a colony of honey bees nesting in a gap in the brick. Caniff returned Friday with backup to treat that nest, which he said contained thousands of bees. Because it was embedded in brick, the nest couldn't be moved, meaning it had to be treated where it lay.
Although large, the buckeye tree nest could have grown as large as an exercise ball, Caniff said, adding that he's glad it didn't reach that point. In his opinion, the best thing for individuals with a nest on their property to do is call pest control sooner rather than later.
"Call us right away. Don't mess with the hornets," Caniff said.
Getting stung is no joke, Caniff noted. His first time getting stung on the job reportedly landed him in the hospital for three days, and he suffered from 12 total stings.
In the Schmidts' case, the lawnmower's vibrations likely stirred up the hornets, which were attracted to the buckeye's fruit in the first place, Caniff said. Hornets are also attracted to sweet smells, which could pose a risk to passersby wearing cologne or perfume.
Judy Schmidt added that individuals use the sidewalk near the nest, and children like to pick the buckeyes, so it's good that the nest has been taken care of.
John Schmidt, who didn't know he was allergic to insect stings prior to this incident, was still a bit off balance and itchy Thursday. He was stung as many as seven times, on the arms, the ear and possibly the face. But having a few side effects is much better than the way things could've gone.
"The paramedics said if I'd been out shopping or something, he'd be dead," Judy Schmidt said, adding later that this is a lesson for individuals to be aware of hornet nests.