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MADISON TWP. — A swarm of yellow jackets attacked a 22-pound beagle as the dog frolicked in the yard of her Mosiman Road home Tuesday, Aug. 26. The animal was euthanized shortly afterward due to an allergic reaction to the stings, its caretaker said a day later.

Chuck Cope, a next door neighbor, said his wife discovered the dog, named Susie, laying in the yard, covered with dead yellow jackets and riddled with nearly 150 stingers around her head, neck and ears.

Conrad Roberts, Susie's caretaker, said he has no idea what happened, but speculated the dog must have aggravated some of the insects, which had built a nest inside a log sitting on a pile of firewood in his yard.

"We don't know why they decided to attack her," Roberts said, adding he didn't even know the nest was there. "She had been stung so many times that her internal organs were failing. They (veterinarians) pulled about 140 stingers off her."

Experts say yellow jacket populations peak in late summer and early fall, which is why they are more visible right now. The insects can usually be found hovering around picnics, trash cans and other places where they can scavenge food rich in sugars and carbohydrates.

Yellow jackets typically build their nests underground, in hollow trees, wood or wall voids of homes. They aggressively defend their nests, and unlike the honey bee, can sting multiple times with potential life-threatening results, especially if a person is allergic to their venom.

Darin Dennis, co-owner of Affordable Pest Control in Middletown, said he gets two or three calls a day around this time of year from homeowners who have discovered nests on their property. Dennis said people should hire a trained professional to eliminate the nest and not try to get rid of it themselves.

"If you don't get the queen, you aren't going to kill the nest," Dennis said.

Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2584 or kaldridge@coxohio.com.