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killer bees/wasps and lamp post caches


lth2h

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I was travelling and stopped at a McD's. There was a cache in the parking lot behind it. It turned out to be a lamp post cache. Needing to further stretch my legs, I walk over to it. I go to lift the skirt up and a 100 angry waspy-bee-like things swarmed out. Fortunately I dropped the skirt before any got out and fled the area before I got stung.

 

Searching the forums I see this is not exactly an uncommon experience. However there seems to be no advice for avoiding this problem except to just not do lamp post caches.

 

While I can certainly appreciate and understand the anti- lamp post faction's view, lets just agree that I'm one of those nutcases that wants to keep doing them. Other than carrying a can of wasp and bee killer and spraying each lamp post before lifting the skirt is there some good way to detect a nest under the skirt. If there was a way to detect the nest, I'd rather just skip the cache alert the owner. Any thoughts?

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I go to lift the skirt up and a 100 angry waspy-bee-like things swarmed out.

Fortunately I dropped the skirt before any got out and fled the area before I got stung.

Which was it?

And how did you count them?

 

And was the cache a dangerous mini-ammo case, or the much safer plastic type?

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Regarding LPC's and guardrails I have found more black widow spiders than bees . A local hider hid a mini series on guardrails and on 6 straight hides the cache was guarded by a nice big female black widow. I have lost count of how many black widows I've seen on guardrails......on LPC's about 4.

Don't put your fingers where you can't see.....its a good job for the extension mirror and flashlight.

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I don't profess to know anything about Women's fashion, but wouldn't that be a Sun Dress, and not a Skirt? :huh:

 

I guess I have nothing more to add, as I'm apparently part of the "anti-lampost faction" (thanks I'm going to start using that one), and would advise to just never do an LPC. :lol:

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How do you know that it was an LPC? It seems that they would typically get too much traffic for 100 bees to decide to move into the same skirt. Further, if 100 bees did share the skirt with the cache, it seems that it would be noted in some of the logs.

 

If there really were 100 bees under there, that would have to be one BIG lamp post skirt.

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I was travelling and stopped at a McD's. There was a cache in the parking lot behind it. It turned out to be a lamp post cache. Needing to further stretch my legs, I walk over to it. I go to lift the skirt up and a 100 angry waspy-bee-like things swarmed out. Fortunately I dropped the skirt before any got out and fled the area before I got stung.

 

Searching the forums I see this is not exactly an uncommon experience. However there seems to be no advice for avoiding this problem except to just not do lamp post caches.

 

While I can certainly appreciate and understand the anti- lamp post faction's view, lets just agree that I'm one of those nutcases that wants to keep doing them. Other than carrying a can of wasp and bee killer and spraying each lamp post before lifting the skirt is there some good way to detect a nest under the skirt. If there was a way to detect the nest, I'd rather just skip the cache alert the owner. Any thoughts?

Enough of this Drama Queen stuff!

A municipal worker who got stung by an estimated 1,000 bees while mowing a park lawn on Thursday (July 24) was in stable condition. So how did he survive the buzzing attack?Turns out, the man's attackers probably Africanized honeybees, according to the local fire department are not as deadly as their name may suggest. To be lethal, the bees would likely have had to sting the man several hundred more times, experts say. In addition, the victim seems not to have been allergic to the bees. (The bees also stung two other workers who tried to help the man, according to Wichita Falls' News Channel 6.)

]
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Please don't remove the wasps from my difficulty 5.0 lamppost cache.

 

^This made me :laughing:

 

To reply to the OP:

take a stick or something and give the skirt and/or pole a sharp rap or two, then step back. That's what I do with old cable boxes and satellite dishes.

 

Also, wasps/bees like to build nests everywhere. I personally have not seen any near a LPM, but I have ran into my fair share of red wasp, guinea wasp, yellow jacket, and bee nests/hives in trees, bushes, or abandoned structures in the woods near regular size hides.

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Regarding LPC's and guardrails I have found more black widow spiders than bees . A local hider hid a mini series on guardrails and on 6 straight hides the cache was guarded by a nice big female black widow. I have lost count of how many black widows I've seen on guardrails......on LPC's about 4.

Don't put your fingers where you can't see.....its a good job for the extension mirror and flashlight.

 

I'm of the anti LPC faction :P as well but i have found some of these while out with the Gang. We've come upon wasps and yellow jackets underneath a few but have definitely seen more spiders. Figure most were not a threat but there were a few black widows spotted in our travels. Not sure what a brown recluse even looks like but i wouldn't be surprised if they don't get under em too.

 

LPCs are dangerous,, THEY SHOULD BE BANNED! :laughing:

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How about an infrared sensor camera! FLIR has one that works with your smartphone.

 

Jay

 

Either that or you can cache with a shopvac.

To go along with your chainsaw for T5.0 tree caches.

 

Also, how about bringing along a small portable generator in your car. Electrify the metal pole. 220 volts at 30 amps will turn the insects into ash in one second.

 

Of course the "girly men" mentioned in that ammo can thread will raise "environmental concerns."

Edited by wmpastor
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I have DNF'd two tanks near me I do not know how many times. Most I don't bother to log (one is only 7 miles from me, I don't think a daily kick-and-curse is worth a log). Each warm-weather-dnf involves hornets or wasps or some sort of stinging evil. The majority of the time I shove my bare hand in there.

Eventually I will develop super powers and become Hornet Woman.

 

Seriously, bees, wasps, hornets, nettles are all becoming less-sting-y to me. I'm not really sure what Super Power applications are other than geocaching, but it's pretty good considering my former response was "omg am I going to die?!?!?"

100 angry waspy-bee-like things swarmed out

 

Searching the forums I see this is not exactly an uncommon experience. However there seems to be no advice for avoiding this problem except to just not do lamp post caches.

 

So, in conclusion, stinging insects and arachnids will make their lair in any convenient hole (lamp posts, tanks, my porch). It doesn't have to be a lamp skirt. If this is the first time you've encountered bugs then ... I don't know how to end this..

Bugs happen in the nature.

 

If you want to avoid bugs, I'd say avoid going outside. And make sure you never have any jelly left out on the counter. And don't have kids. Or pets. Shave your head for good measure.

 

I'm not trying to be a giant jerk or discourage you from caching with your kids (which it looks like you do... YAY). There's bugs. Some are annoying, some are painful, some can cause infections. Some can cause death. Use caution, not paranoia.

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I was at a puzzle cache final last week and since I hadn't updated my GPSr in a few weeks, didn't see the last log that there were wasps near the cache. Lifted the skirt up and here they come. Avoided being stung but I'm always very wary of stinging insects.

 

Best way to make sure they're not around is to check the recent logs. If the cache has been found within, I'll say at the most a week, then you should be good to go. In the case a few stragglers are just starting to build their nest, listen for buzzing or like others have said tap on the skirt a few times and then step back.

 

Sadly on these wasp caches someone has to discover them, that's one kind of FTF that you don't want lol.

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I would rather run into a lamp post with wasps then one with a muggle car parked in front of it. I would just tell them to GET! Get away from here and sign the log. Muggles seem to get upset if you do that! I get along with bees and wasps though so it might be different for you.

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Listen for buzzing. It's either bees or an improperly ground wire...

 

In which case neither one should be messed with. :)

Unless perhaps you are a licenced electrician wearing beekeepers' mesh. :ph34r:

With that bee-keeper smoke pot thingy.

 

New this week in TOT (Tools Of the Trade) Bee Keeper's Smoke Pot Thingy

 

Bet it would sell.

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I would rather run into a lamp post with wasps then one with a muggle car parked in front of it. I would just tell them to GET! Get away from here and sign the log. Muggles seem to get upset if you do that! I get along with bees and wasps though so it might be different for you.

Especially when you start to slap them to the ground! :laughing:

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Listen for buzzing. It's either bees or an improperly ground wire...

 

In which case neither one should be messed with. :)

Unless perhaps you are a licenced electrician wearing beekeepers' mesh. :ph34r:

With that bee-keeper smoke pot thingy.

 

New this week in TOT (Tools Of the Trade) Bee Keeper's Smoke Pot Thingy

 

Bet it would sell.

Regular smoke slows bees down. If there's pot in the smoke pot, offer the lethargic bees snack food to keep them busy.

 

One more thing for the cachemobile.

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... Not sure what a brown recluse even looks like but i wouldn't be surprised if they don't get under em too.

brown-recluse-spider-service-in-tn.jpg

Note the violin on it's back.

 

Also, DO NOT google up pics of brown recluse if you have a sensitive tummy. I've been bit twice while caching and have two ugly scars to show for it (and I was lucky).

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I'm a better-safe-than-sorry geocacher most of the time, I can relate to the issue here. I've never had it happen, but this would be a nightmare for an LPC. I always, always, always tap my knuckle against the outside of a lamppost skirt a few times before lifting. It doesn't take more than about 2-3 seconds for me to have a pretty good idea that it's safe to open. But I'm significantly more cautious than your average geocacher, so take it or leave it. :)

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About 8 years ago there was a cacher I knew who was trying to get as many finds as possible to get on a leaderboard, and he was being a little obnoxious about it. I watched him pull up to a LPC and try to get it by reaching out the window. Several bees came out and he shrieked as he took off quickly and his car scraped the post. I don't know, but I couldn't help laughing. Bees can be found at any cache, especially guardrail hides. Last year we got a report of bees near a paddle to I hid with someone getting stung several times. We went out there and didn't see any at all. We then cleared some debris out of the creek and inadvertently tossed the debris on their nest, which was just a hole in the ground. A bunch came after my girlfriend and she got stung several times. She had to submerge to get away from them, and lost her glasses. You just need to watch out.

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... Not sure what a brown recluse even looks like but i wouldn't be surprised if they don't get under em too.

brown-recluse-spider-service-in-tn.jpg

Note the violin on it's back.

 

Also, DO NOT google up pics of brown recluse if you have a sensitive tummy. I've been bit twice while caching and have two ugly scars to show for it (and I was lucky).

You just wanted us to look, didn't you :o

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... Not sure what a brown recluse even looks like but i wouldn't be surprised if they don't get under em too.

brown-recluse-spider-service-in-tn.jpg

Note the violin on it's back.

 

Also, DO NOT google up pics of brown recluse if you have a sensitive tummy. I've been bit twice while caching and have two ugly scars to show for it (and I was lucky).

You just wanted us to look, didn't you :o

If I had to look at the hole on the back of that guy's neck, so do you.

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How about an infrared sensor camera! FLIR has one that works with your smartphone.

 

Jay

 

Either that or you can cache with a shopvac.

To go along with your chainsaw for T5.0 tree caches.

 

Also, how about bringing along a small portable generator in your car. Electrify the metal pole. 220 volts at 30 amps will turn the insects into ash in one second.

 

Of course the "girly men" mentioned in that ammo can thread will raise "environmental concerns."

 

Why do you need a generator? If it's a metal lamp post just disconnect the wires leading to the lamp and connect them to the post itself. No need for a generator.

 

If it's a guard rail then gather some sticks and light a fire underneath the guard rail. The resulting heat and smoke will drive away any insect life. For good measure it will also melt the film pot, letting you log a find on the basis you saw what's left of it and also log NA because it's trashed.

 

and it keeps the girly men happy for good measure.

Edited by team tisri
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A perfect example of how the old timer and regular forum participants, you know, those people that never really cache, scare the hell out of someone just wanting casual information. Lots of humor, a couple attempts at railroading, but standing out the most are the obnoxious responses. Where's a moderator when you need one.

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A perfect example of how the old timer and regular forum participants, you know, those people that never really cache, scare the hell out of someone just wanting casual information. Lots of humor, a couple attempts at railroading, but standing out the most are the obnoxious responses. Where's a moderator when you need one.

 

Did not see any lampooning in this forum discussion, unless I missed it.

 

As for me, having learned I am decently allergic to at least some of these nasty anything worse than bumblebees, I am even more hesitant to go do a LPC or guard rail cache during bee season. Have skipped some occasionally. However, the few times I have been stung have not been on guard rails or LPCs, but have sure gotten the occasional scare.

Edited by lamoracke
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The incident occurred near dusk and the waspy bees were not flying in and out. The cache had not been found for a while. The shopping center it was in seemed to only have the McDonald's in business.

 

As they started swarming I let the skirt fall which blocked the swarm from me. I fled without figuring out how they normally got in and out.

 

Based on these answers, I'm going with my original plan and keep a can of wasp killer in the car and spray it down before attempting.

 

Thanks.

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Keep in mind that you are playing a game outdoors where angry waspy-bee-like things live.

Yellow Jackets often build underground nests out in the woods, so you may experience them on caches that require some hiking too. Do you plan to carry this spray with you everywhere you go caching?

Better to just be aware of your surroundings and the possible hazards. I like to give guard rail ends a kick before sticking my hand inside them looking for the cache. It's a good idea to look before reaching, and when in doubt, poke it with a stick. I wish I had done this where that rascally copperhead was lurking a few years back. :anicute:

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The incident occurred near dusk and the waspy bees were not flying in and out. The cache had not been found for a while. The shopping center it was in seemed to only have the McDonald's in business.

 

As they started swarming I let the skirt fall which blocked the swarm from me. I fled without figuring out how they normally got in and out.

 

Based on these answers, I'm going with my original plan and keep a can of wasp killer in the car and spray it down before attempting.

 

Thanks.

 

On every cache? :blink:

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The incident occurred near dusk and the waspy bees were not flying in and out. The cache had not been found for a while. The shopping center it was in seemed to only have the McDonald's in business.

 

As they started swarming I let the skirt fall which blocked the swarm from me. I fled without figuring out how they normally got in and out.

 

Based on these answers, I'm going with my original plan and keep a can of wasp killer in the car and spray it down before attempting.

 

Thanks.

 

On every cache? :blink:

Better safe than sorry! :rolleyes:

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Don't get caught lifting lamp post skirts here in Nashville by Public Works or Nes. They have a zero tolerance policy for disturbance of these since may people have been electrocuted and killed around light poles. There is no "first time warning". It's a straight hefty fine. It's even against the law to staple/tape up yard sale signs to nes/metro poles.

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Don't get caught lifting lamp post skirts here in Nashville by Public Works or Nes. They have a zero tolerance policy for disturbance of these since may people have been electrocuted and killed around light poles. There is no "first time warning". It's a straight hefty fine. It's even against the law to staple/tape up yard sale signs to nes/metro poles.

How would NES (the local electric company) institute a fine if they saw me lifting a skirt?

 

Also, I'm not aware of anyone being shocked by a light pole in the area. Do you have any links? It seems that if people being shocked by NES' poles is an issue, then NES should concentrate on fixing their poles.

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Don't get caught lifting lamp post skirts here in Nashville by Public Works or Nes. They have a zero tolerance policy for disturbance of these since may people have been electrocuted and killed around light poles. There is no "first time warning". It's a straight hefty fine. It's even against the law to staple/tape up yard sale signs to nes/metro poles.

How would NES (the local electric company) institute a fine if they saw me lifting a skirt?

 

Also, I'm not aware of anyone being shocked by a light pole in the area. Do you have any links? It seems that if people being shocked by NES' poles is an issue, then NES should concentrate on fixing their poles.

 

I'm having a difficult time imagining the public works department attempting to detain someone and contact the police because the bolt cover was lifted up on a lamppost, and subsequently explaining that the person should be fined because of possible negligence on the part of the same department, due to their failure to repair a short circuit, which may or may not exist.

Edited by 4wheelin_fool
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I have a solution. Good luck with the stealth.

 

lightweight-deluxe-beekeeping-suit-[2]-649-p.jpg

 

Paint it black or camo? :unsure:

 

786300ba-jawadis.jpg

 

Edit-after scrolling down I noticed that this model is wearing sandals. Do bees avoid the feet, or was that just a big mistake on the part of the catalog creator? :D

Edited by wimseyguy
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