15 replies to this topic

[The1930sRust]

I found out that CJ, aka Brickyard, took a large hit from Mother Natures Thompson recently, a hornets nest. I think he may be off and on line sporadically. Haven't heard from him in a few days. CJ, I hope you are back and around soon! Me, I'd rather take my chances with the real thing.....

[full auto 45]

For God's sake is he still whining about a few hundred hornet stings!?
Better watch it Chris he'll milk this one for all it's worth.
I talked to CJ just a few days ago and he was hurtin' pretty good.But I think he just wants a little sympathy from the Mrs!
I'll call him, or once he sees this he'll call me, soon. We're only about 20 minutes away from each other.

[hawksnest]

Hornet Thompsons are similar to Hollwood Thompsons - they never run out of bullets! Get well soon Brickyard

[mp40]

CJ, hope you recover soon! But... what in the world were you doing? playing catch with the hive or what? I try to stay as far away as possible from those guys as possible!!! as i have had some close calls with them myself! take care!

[Brickyard]

Wow! Didn't see this little post until just now. Many thanks to Rust, MP, Hawk and, I think, Mike ... still waiting for that wife thing

It was my own little 9-11. On that date I was trying to be a good neighbor and was cutting a section of his yard. Hive of hornets had made camp in a rotted stump (and an empty mole run Chris). Big dumb dad shaves off a section of this mole run and then the party began.

Started off slow: one, maybe two, what's happening? then up the shirt they go. And did they go ... guessing 25-30 +/-? total. Back, left arm and leg pretty bad and the worst was the left side of head after probably catching one under my hat.

I invented many new words in a short period of time - you can be sure.

No doctor. Figured I'd walk it off - NOT. Finally got on to the Benadryl a few days ago and feel much better.

DO NOT EVER mess with those little bastards.

Honestly appreciate the comments and thoughts. Nice to have the friends. PK's been trying keep honest for a week or so. Thanks Paul.

CJR

PS1 - mark 9-13-03 down. 70%diesel/30%gas ... works like a charm !!!
PS2 - Do I have to change my picture to a bee?

[The1930sRust]

CJ:

Good to hear from you! I wonder what kind of lil' bastards they were? There was an article just Saturday in our local rag about hornets and how they get particularly testy this time of year. Chopping at their nest with a lawn mower no withstanding, they get very agressive as the fall approaches. This article profiled the very docile but Thompson-looking Cicada killer, and the ipitome of nastiness European hornet. Obviously, you picked on the latter (big tree hive makers) or yellow jackets maybe?

You have my sympathies. As I said in my private email, they are my greatest fear--I would have gone into shock and likely died. Glad you made it!

Revenge is sweet, eh?

[Brickyard]

CA:

Love the Beechnut sig. Very good. YES SIR, never get back, get even! Little shits.

Honestly - to anyone who reads: The little critters on the golf course that crave your beer this time of year ... hug 'em, love 'em they pose no significant threat. But, my friends, I WILL FOREVER MORE be very careful of the hornet/yellow jacket issue. UK (that's U of K for you Chris) posts a very good and informative web site. Sorry, no link. Altavista search, it'll come up. These little darlings will ruin your week. I'd take a f'reaking car crash any day. At least there's an insurance agent you can shoot ...

Again, thanks to those of you that have communicated for your thoughts and considerations. Much appreciated.

CJR

PS - I'll find a bee pic, it'll confuse folks for a while

[Walter63a]

Brickyard, I can totally relate. A few years ago, while mowing my mothers front lawn, near dusk, I hit what I thought was a tree root, or a rut. I know, not smart. As I turned to see what happened, I noticed that the ground to my immediate rear-left was moving!! I said, "Oh shit!" I knew almost immediately that the dark moving mass on the ground was what I would now estimate to be 200-300 yellowjackets! I was horrified. So, I shut the lawn mower engine and ran as fast as I could to the front door. I was only stung three times from the nest to the front door. More recently (two weeks ago), I was bitten by a spider, while in bed. I was bitten on the ankle, but my whole leg swelled. It was, by far, more painful than the bee stings. I thought, "So this is what it is like to be old and suffering with Sciatica." It had to be a neurotoxin affecting the Sciatic nerve. The only poisonous spiders that have been encountered in Western New York are Brown Recluses. So that must have been what it was. It took a good week and a half before I was feeling near normal. I still have the marks where I was bitten. I didn't go to a doctor for either incident, but it really helps me to have more empathy for the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan (dealing with scorpions and snakes). Get well soon! Best regards, Walter

P.S. Speaking of revenge, a flamethrower would have done nicely on those yellowjackets.

[The1930sRust]

Well, I'll take this really off topic. I don't have any good swarm stories, but this may ook you out. I did witness a mass underground bat migration in a cave in Alabama this year. Walked into a chamber as over 250,000 bats were waking up. Their wings stirred up a gale force wind, which only served to send their poopies flying in all directions! Had the little suckers crawling up my legs, landing on my back, and hitting me in the face. Really kind of neat! Totally harmless, of course, save for the very slight risk of some airborne illnesses (not from the bats but from fungi). Was there to help determine if their numbers were in decline. Let me tell you, I don't think so!

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[Grey Crow]

I kept Honey Bees for 10 years, I can certainly attest at to how nasty at times the little critters can be. Sometimes you can't even see them coming.

Once I was shooting in a field in the kneeling position, after letting off a few 06 rounds I found out the hard way that a nest of White faced wasps were living underground about 2 inches from my pant leg. It's amazing at how fast one can gather up the shooting gear.

I can sympathize with you CJ!

Awesome photo Rust! It's been a long time since I've caved. We never had quite that many bats to deal with.
Just a little tid bit: Bats outside and in caves are protected by Federal law. If you cave in the winter just the heat from your bodies, can be enough to disturb them and cause them to loose body fat and die. Caves have a very delicate ecosystem.

[Brickyard]

Walter: You could have taken the movie!! Point for point on the money ... except you ran. On that spider thing ... I know nothing much but those brown's are real bad and lime desease pops into mind. Not trying to be critical but ya might want to look into that. I have a good friend that got VERY sick from one. I'm gald you are feeling better. I'm 2 weeks today and feel fairly good.

Chris: ALL YOURS BIG FELLA. NOT my cup of tea. Really cool but I'll wait in the truck. Cool pic. Thanks.

Grey: (Sorry forgot to look at your name but think it's Jack) Thanks for the comments. You know, these just aren't the one's you swat away. They swat back.

Everyone be well. Have a nice weekend.

CJR

[The1930sRust]

That reminds me of another amusing anecdote. A caver pal of mine once spied a big bald faced hornets nest hanging over a lake. You know the kind, beach ball sized paper nest. Anyway, he thought it would be kind of neat to shoot it with a 30-30 rifle. Obvious firearm safety issues aside, he cracked off a round, and planned on hopping straight into his truck. The nest, as I recall, was about 200 feet away. Before he could even get the door opened he was attacked! To hear him tell the story it ws an almost immediate strike. Duh. You know I think it was probably about that time that a little ditty started going through his head...."arrrrrrrgggghhhh ahha hh ahhhhh!" Hehe....

Crow: Yup. Very protected and very light sleepers. We woke them all up, but had a federal stamp to be there. Bat count you know. Odd to go from dead calm to 200k wide awake packets of energy! Hard to count after they wake up too!

[full auto 45]

I was kind of thinking the same CJ.I could clean that cave out with a mix of diesel and gas mix in a high pressure tank, add a light(aka; flamethrower) and wooooooffff, no more critters flying in your face!

[Brickyard]

Got to go with Mike on the flame thrower thing… they give me the creeps! I know they’re cool and neat and all that stuff but just give me the Lab on the sofa.

CA: The irony here is that JUST, not a month ago, helped a good friend take out one of those paper nests from his front yard and didn’t think a thing about being 10 feet from it with the hornet spray. Well, this old portly boy’s gonna think a lot differently in the future. Guess we’re never too old to learn.

Just went into the kitchen (I work at home) and what should I find on the counter … du …du… du… du … A YELLOW JACKET !!!

A few moments of composure and he’s history. No, I didn’t burn it. But, it still freaked me out!

Later,

CJR

[The1930sRust]

A severe case of yellow-jacket anxiety!

And, don't be talkin' 'bout killin' my bats, ya'll. They eat a ton-o-bugs you know!

[Brickyard]

OK, I'll go with the bug eating thing. Do they eat bees? Could they be trained to?

Have a great evening.