[TowerTalk] Bees

[David Fouchey]

At 01:34 AM 7/20/98 -0700, Stephen Vinson wrote:
>
>> A 5 year old boy was playing in a field next to some apartments
>> in which some friends of mine lived.  They became aware of the
>> situation when the 5-year old came by their apartment, screaming
>> at the top of his lungs "Please save me.  Please don't let me die".
>> He was covered by 300 or so Yellowjacket wasps that had attacked
>> him when he fell into a hole in the ground 3 feet deep and in
>> which Yellowjackets had made a nest, apparently, for many, many
>> years.  The boy died.  My friends could not relate the story to
>> me and my wife without tears coming to their eyes.

I was 10 years old picking wild raspberries when I stepped on an old piece
of tin wiuth them under it, wearing shorts and a thin t-shirt. they stopped
counting at 40plus stings. Hurt like the dickens but I was fortunate NOT to
be alergic to Bees and Wasps. Sulfa on the other hand stops me cold.
>> 
>
>Not as uncommon an event as one might think.  Farming or rural areas
>have this happen almost every year.  Thankfully most are not as tragic
>... but the young (or small in statue) and elderly are very much in
>danger in such attacks.
>
>
>A gallon of gasoline on a warm day in low to no wind can form a flash
>over for 50' to 100' in just minutes.  A small amount (pint to quart) of
>10 to 1 kerosene and gasoline will burn longer and with less
>vaporization 
>spread.  Not as much lost yard and less danger to exposure.  Be careful
>and have adequate water supply available.  Also a small road flare can
>be used from farther away and safer as an ignition source.

Agree Fusees work best for long distance ignition.
>
>Also after flames have died I always powder the ground white with
>insecticide.  Two commonly used ones are Sevin Dust (spelling) or
>Malathion (spelling).  What the flames don't get the poison will as they
>return to the hive depths. 

Sevin or Malathion work well, even against Fire Ants...

>> As for the stings themselves, I've found nothing as quick to stop
>> the pain as plain old household ammonia.  It neutralizes the
>> formic acid which is what stings so badly.  It is virtually
>> immediate relief.  Meat tenderizers and other potions suck by
>> comparison.

We all also carry an emergency source of Ammonia....just take a leak, nasty
sounding but it works. Works well on Jellyfish stings too.
>>
>GREAT treatment ... mope on for at least 5 - 10 minutes and keep skin
>wet 
>as possible.  You can also use spirits of ammonia and it is eash to
>carry on tower climbs.  As we all know towers attract bees and wasp more
>than they do lightning.   
>
>Steve
>KD4WIW


IT's warm in cool weather and they tend to congregate there. And all those
nifty hidey holes for Mud daubers and Paper wasps to build in.

Dave 
WA4EMR
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