re: Stung by a Yellow Jacket

Everybody is aware that you have to die to get the Darwin award? If you luck up and survive you are the story after the redneck joke punch line, "Hold my beer and watch this....". And I am so glad we didn't lose one the two Yellow Cab crusaders.

classic!

quote:

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I put on sweat pants and a long sleeved shirt. Pulled the socks over the pants and put on gloves with tape around the area where the gloves met the sleeves. But I did not have a mask so I got a pillowcase and cut two eye holes and had my 13 year old daughter tape it around my neck. Literally looked like a horror film killer and I was actually concerned that my neighbors might think I was a lunatic killer and call the cops.

I walked out with some toilet tissue , a lighter and a gallon of gas into the midst of the swarm. They were all over me but it didn't matter as I was protected head to toe. I soaked the tissue with gas and stuffed it in the hole and set it on fire. Well, that only lasted about 20 seconds until the paper burned up. So I stuffed some more in the hole and lit the paper. This time I was going to douse it with gas after the fact hoping it would fill the hole with gas and burn much longer.

What happened was one of those Darwin Award moments you only see on YouTube. As soon as the gas I was pouring hit the flame, the flame burned up the gas flow to the tank. Suddenly, I had a flaming gas bomb in my hand and as I jerked back, some gas spilled on my hand. My glove was on fire as I slung the newfound bomb across my yard. I went down to the ground in a panic , beating and rubbing my hand across the grass. Altogether, it was only a few seconds and I only suffered 1st degree burn on the hand. The gas can bomb went out before it hit the ground. To this day, I wish it would have been videotaped. The sweatpants, tape and pillow mask and the fire would have won a Darwin Award for sure.

But hey, I went out there later that day and dug up the nest. I killed over 200 yellow jackets and at least that many larvae.

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Sorry for the bump but that's too funny to fade away.

Also, PSA: Use the foaming spray, it immobilizes them and kills them. In that instance I'd probably use 3-4 cans and try to seal the hole.

Also, a tobacco poultice works wonders on wasp/YJ stings.