Where's a big stick when you need it? [:)]

Jesus H. Christ!!! Just reading that gave me the screaming heebeejeebies!!!

Back when I was in college, my brother and I spent our summers painting houses and doing light carpentry with a good friend of my dad's. We called him "Raider Bob".(Long story) One of my greatest fears was disturbing a yellow-jacket nest while waaaay up high on a ladder someplace.... Anyway, one day we were painting an old farmhouse, and waaaaay up in the eaves my brother spotted a crack in the siding where yellow-jackets were buzzing in and out. Not one to let much of anything stand in the way of a day's work, 'ol Raider Bob leaned a 40' ladder up against the house, and crawled right to the top, a can of wasp killer in his hand. He stuck his face and hand right up to the crack, and let loose with the spray. Instantly a veritable waterfall of liquid insecticide mixed with a bazillion dead and dying yellow-jackets came streaming out of the hole. He didn't let up until the can was empty. He then climbed calmly back down, having gotten nary a sting, tossed the empty can in the truck, and said, "Ok, boys. You can paint now."

Ballsy-est thing I have ever seen.

DocH

Ex-house painter

I'm with BeeKeeper on this one.  I'm looking out at my two Italian hives right now.  When those damn things swarm like in the photo, you can pick'em up with your hands, and unless you squish'em, they won't sting a bit.  Find the queen, she's big like a roach, and the other bees will follow her into hell. She'll be nice and docile as well, mostly because she's just been laid for the first (and only) time in her life.  Even when you open a hive, if you do it on a nice sunny day, they don't get peeved.  Now, try that shit on an overcast day or open up the brood hive, and you damn well better have a suit on.


Say, BeeKeeper:  I need a Buckfast Queen, got one lazy hive.  Where can I get one?

Every summer it never fails I'll be out riding the Harley and I'll get a wasp blown into my shirt.  You just can't get stopped fast enough to get the bugger out.  It's a real bitch getting stung and not even being able to swat at the little creeps.

And just why in the hell do those welts last so long?  I've had blotches that persisted for I know a good 3 to 4 months.

I am reminded of a movie... can't remember which one.... Couple of guys in a car going down the road, they're drunk as a skunk(all over the road) and the cops pull out to get 'em. so these guys ditch the car in a corn field and they jump out rolling around screaming and ... Bees bees beeeezzzzzz
What movie was that???? LMAO
-Bricklayer

The movie was "Tommy Boy"

Staring the late great Chris Farley and David Spade(who is still alive).

Funny movie if you like Farley Humor.

Hey, Gus (and others):

Don't destroy those hornet and wasp nests if they aren't bothering anything.  They might be handy to have around if you ever have a day-time home invasion attempt, and the intruders are outside.  One shot into the hornets' nest should unleash some chaos, and possibly give you a significant tactical advantage while the intruders break cover and run for their vehicles!

At least it will give them something else to think about for a while.

Think you need to buy a shop vac!

The movie was Tommie boy,
with Chris Farley and David Spade.
God that was funny!

Hey Beekeeper,

How goes the fight against varroa mites, anyway?  My father used to keep bees until the mites killed 'em.

At a garden store yesterday, they were selling little carpenter-bee "starter homes".  The guy there told me that people were trying to encourage carpenter bees to take up residence for pollinating things, because the mites have pretty much destroyed the hives around here.