Post by stumppuller on Nov 19, 2009 23:40:26 GMT -5
I've been developing a homestead in the Santa Cruz Mts (Calif.) for the past 3 years. The other day I was chainsawing a dead Madrone when I felt a "pinch" on my arm, & then another & another. Sure enough, I stirred up a yellow jacket nest in the root of the tree. I took off running & swatting & fortunately was not pursued because the chainsaw was stuck idling in the tree stump & the noise & vibration focused their attacks on the saw, not me. They attacked the saw for the 2 hours until the saw ran out of gas and kept at it the rest of the day.
I planned an midnite attack by dressing in a hooded poncho, goggles, gloves, gas mask, boots, flashlight, hornet spray, etc, but when I got to the site I could not see any activity or hint as to where the nest entrance was as my glasses & goggles fogged up too much from my heavy breathing. The next day I visited the site & saw that the monsters were still thickly swarming the poor saw. At the end of the day I went home resolved to plan a duplicate attack the next day, this time in full day light so I could determine the nest opening.
The next day I suited up again in my space alien outfit & headed out to the tree only to find not a single Y/J. A hole was dug out at the base of the tree and an empty nest was lying on the ground. Some brave critter dug in there to eat whatever he could & left no a single wasp or larve to be seen. I'm guessing a skunk since the hole was a bit too small for a raccoon.
Sometimes nature has a way of cooperating.
I planned an midnite attack by dressing in a hooded poncho, goggles, gloves, gas mask, boots, flashlight, hornet spray, etc, but when I got to the site I could not see any activity or hint as to where the nest entrance was as my glasses & goggles fogged up too much from my heavy breathing. The next day I visited the site & saw that the monsters were still thickly swarming the poor saw. At the end of the day I went home resolved to plan a duplicate attack the next day, this time in full day light so I could determine the nest opening.
The next day I suited up again in my space alien outfit & headed out to the tree only to find not a single Y/J. A hole was dug out at the base of the tree and an empty nest was lying on the ground. Some brave critter dug in there to eat whatever he could & left no a single wasp or larve to be seen. I'm guessing a skunk since the hole was a bit too small for a raccoon.
Sometimes nature has a way of cooperating.
