When "Kill It With Fire" Goes A Little Too Far

[lordlundar]

Jesus freaking christ! and I thought we had some big bugs in Oz. So glad that the wasps we have don't have nests that get that big.

Yellow-jackets aren't terribly big (maybe a half-inch at their largest) but they are one of the most aggressive wasps out there. Not only aggressive, but will swarm and attack with minimal provocation. To add, unlike bees, they're not a one sting and die, they WILL sting multiple times if possible. Disturb a yellow-jacket nest and be ready to run for your life.

[Rosco the Iroc]

One of my late hiking buddies found what he thought was a sinkhole in his yard, and tried to dig it up to pack-and-fill.

He didn't realize that down here, yellowjackets make ground nests. He got serious cellulitis on his arm from all the stings!

Just looked up yellow jackets because I wasn't sure what they were.

Jesus freaking christ! and I thought we had some big bugs in Oz. So glad that the wasps we have don't have nests that get that big.

We have native bees, european bees and wasps, but wasps aren't that common. If you find a nest, all you have to do is report them to your local council/shire and they send out the exterminator. They are classified as pests, so can be destroyed without too many dramas.

Look at these freaks of nature be glad he didn't dig these up
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_giant_hornet

Those you take off and nuke from orbit, just to be sure.

[csquared]

Yelloy Jackets also "tag" you with a sent in the sting. Walk past the nest a day later, they will attack you.

[Blue Ginger]

So basically you are all telling me that those hideous scary bugs in Hunger Games are based on a real bug? Holy fuck buckets! I don't want to visit the US anymore. I think I'll stay here in Oz where I just have to deal with most of the world's top deadly snakes and spiders.

[Nunavut Pants]

Aren't yellow jackets also scavengers? They seem attracted to rotting meat smells, especially if you use fish oil fertilizer on your flowers. (Mom used to do that.)

They are originally designed to hibernate during the winter, but they have made their way into some locations that do not get cold enough to trigger that. So their nests will grow and grow and grow... I believe that the state of Hawaii is very serious about dealing with any nests they find! Yellowjackets will also kill and eat a number of native insects there and are threatening their populations.

[Tanasi]

So basically you are all telling me that those hideous scary bugs in Hunger Games are based on a real bug? Holy fuck buckets! I don't want to visit the US anymore. I think I'll stay here in Oz where I just have to deal with most of the world's top deadly snakes and spiders.

I never thought of a yellow jacket/tracker-jack cross, then again what we call killer bees might come close. While not in my Mountain Empire yet many many years ago some nimrods crossed some African honey-bees with European honey-bees and then released them into the wild. The are very aggressive to sound and vibration. They've been known to kill large animals and humans. They been slowly migrating their way from South America to North America.
Yellow Jackets are aggressive, not real big (less than an inch) but can build big in-ground nests, but our black and while Hornets are bigger, more aggressive and build in the ground or off-ground. Between the two I'd much rather deal with yellow-jackets than hornets.
In reality bees, wasps aren't that big a deal. You leave them alone they'll leave you alone except for killer-bees. Then run-away run-away run-away as fast as your legs will carry you.