Ground bee nest warning

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09-11-2006, 07:46 AM
team teebow

Ground bee nest warning

Just wanted to let everyone know to watch out for ground nests of bees. We have disabled our Taking a Walk on the Wild Side cache due to a ground nest on the trail heading to it. Unfortunately a family of 4 found the nest and got stung multiple times. Here is her story......

http://outdoors.mainetoday.com/child...ks/007062.html

She e-mailed us and was very pleasant about the whole incident. Her children are dong fine but it must of been so scary for them. We have been in the same situation. About 2 or 3 years ago, Andrew got stung multiple times while caching. It was the worse thing to see your child running and screaming through the woods with bees all over his legs. Just horrible. We had no idea if he was allergic or not (never been stung before)

So, please be careful while out on the trails. AND I hope that everyone carries a first aid kit with them while caching.

Team Teebow 2 (Cheryl)
09-11-2006, 07:56 AM
parmachenee

We just had a similar experience at an elementary school in Bucksport last week when a little girl chased a ball off the paved area into a field and ran into a ground nest of bees. She as well as other students and teachers were stung but fortunately no one had any reactions. Be careful!!:)
09-11-2006, 09:00 AM
parmachenee

Correction

It was actually a nest of yellow-jacket hornets...not a bee's nest the little girl ran into on the ground. She was stung over thirty times but is all right. If you have ever run into these little critters, you know they will NOT give up and follow you relentlessly while stinging repeatedly. BE CAREFUL!!
09-11-2006, 09:34 AM
firefighterjake

Quote:

Originally Posted by parmachenee

If you have ever run into these little critters, you know they will NOT give up and follow you relentlessly while stinging repeatedly. BE CAREFUL!!

Sounds a lot like Hiram! ;) :D If you ever run into him you'll soon learn that he will not give up and will follow you relentlessly with stinging jabs!:D ;)
09-11-2006, 09:44 AM
team teebow

Quote:

Originally Posted by parmachenee

It was actually a nest of yellow-jacket hornets...not a bee's nest the little girl ran into on the ground. She was stung over thirty times but is all right. If you have ever run into these little critters, you know they will NOT give up and follow you relentlessly while stinging repeatedly. BE CAREFUL!!

It was a nest of yellow jacket hornets on the trail. Nasty Nasty mean things!! They need a lesson in sharing the trail!!
09-11-2006, 09:58 AM
FuddsGirls

Ther are also lots of small nests on things that we have seen. Most recently, the tank at Ready Aim Fly, in Augusta. I almost put my hand on a couple just feeling around for the cache and Fudd was stung on the arm.
09-11-2006, 12:09 PM
Robotbunny

We were happy no one in our crew was allergic to the stings. The family now swears by that meat tenderizer paste (regular meat tenderizer powder mixed with water) and we're replenishing our emergency kit with more this week (and hope NEVER to have to use it again). It really helped with the pain and swelling of all our stings. Of course having that stuff smeared everywhere is a totally weird thing :)

Thanks to you as well Team Teebow for warning others. We're looking forward to the snow and winter over here :)
09-11-2006, 01:26 PM
Hiram357

Quote:

Originally Posted by firefighterjake

Sounds a lot like Hiram! ;) :D If you ever run into him you'll soon learn that he will not give up and will follow you relentlessly with stinging jabs!:D ;)

Hey if you would attend cache events maybe the stinging would stop :p

Those ground bees stink like a hoover vaccum, We ran into some at the 4x4 rally trying to find a cache that wasn't there, and i didn't know the bees were there until they started stinging me... (I think I trampled the opening to their cave dwelling enough looking for the cache that they were'nt able to come out in full force)
09-11-2006, 01:37 PM
Smitty & Co.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hiram357

(I think I trampled the opening to their cave dwelling enough looking for the cache that they were'nt able to come out in full force)

So much for the "Tread Lightly" therory. :D :p :D
09-11-2006, 01:56 PM
Hiram357

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smitty & Co.

So much for the "Tread Lightly" therory. :D :p :D

Hey, the bees had the treads of my shoes take out their lights... :D
09-11-2006, 10:18 PM
Cache'n Jacksons

So I assume the next cacher should bring their own can of gas and matches? :D Glad to hear everyone is all right. Brian got stung 3 times as we were making an attempt to get down the cliff to Bradley's Bottom a couple years ago... as he was scrambling back up the slope I was swatting the yallow jackets off him with one hand and waving them away from me with the other. Those were his first stings, but we pressed on and made it to the bottom to find the cache. What a trooper!
09-12-2006, 07:26 AM
Hiram357

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cache'n Jacksons

So I assume the next cacher should bring their own can of gas and matches? :D Glad to hear everyone is all right. Brian got stung 3 times as we were making an attempt to get down the cliff to Bradley's Bottom a couple years ago... as he was scrambling back up the slope I was swatting the yallow jackets off him with one hand and waving them away from me with the other. Those were his first stings, but we pressed on and made it to the bottom to find the cache. What a trooper!

heh, I can picture it now.... "dad my arm is swelling up" "quiet we're almost there" "dad I can't see anymore" "the GPS just went from miles to feet, only 500' to go!" "dad where are...." "I'M SITTING!" "........." :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :D
09-12-2006, 07:47 PM
Quoddy

Gound Nested Bees

I've only had one experience with ground nested bees. I was with a small group miles from anywhere heading for the final climb and cache of the day...heat index over 105...first time EVER wearing shorts caching. I stepped straight into the nest and was stung by every bee in the nest, or so it seemed. Fortunately I have no reaction to bee stings (or poison ivy either), so other than an extraordinary amount of welts I excaped OK.
09-12-2006, 07:58 PM
Cache'n Jacksons

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hiram357

heh, I can picture it now.... "dad my arm is swelling up" "quiet we're almost there" "dad I can't see anymore" "the GPS just went from miles to feet, only 500' to go!" "dad where are...." "I'M SITTING!" "........." :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :D

LOL!! It didn't go quite like that... :rolleyes: I gave him the opportunity to bail but he kept going! I'm so proud of him!! *sniff!* ;)
09-12-2006, 09:17 PM
Hiram357

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cache'n Jacksons

LOL!! It didn't go quite like that... :rolleyes: I gave him the opportunity to bail but he kept going! I'm so proud of him!! *sniff!* ;)

heh, ok... we'll believe "your" side of the story... :rolleyes: :D
09-12-2006, 09:19 PM
Hiram357

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quoddy

I've only had one experience with ground nested bees. I was with a small group miles from anywhere heading for the final climb and cache of the day...heat index over 105...first time EVER wearing shorts caching. I stepped straight into the nest and was stung by every bee in the nest, or so it seemed. Fortunately I have no reaction to bee stings (or poison ivy either), so other than an extraordinary amount of welts I excaped OK.

Wow! I bet that didn't feel good at all, most I've ever been stung at one time has only been about 4 or 5 bees.... I don't think I would much care to try a few dozen. (that's also why I always wear jeans and boots... even in the scorching heat. ):D
09-12-2006, 11:54 PM
Sudonim

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hiram357

Wow! I bet that didn't feel good at all, most I've ever been stung at one time has only been about 4 or 5 bees.... I don't think I would much care to try a few dozen. (that's also why I always wear jeans and boots... even in the scorching heat. ):D

Yeah, but you will wear your jeans down the slip and slide IN the scorching heat!:D
09-13-2006, 07:53 AM
Hiram357

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sudonim

Yeah, but you will wear your jeans down the slip and slide IN the scorching heat!:D

and pictures to prove it...

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j2...29a66fa5d3.jpg

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j2...184158a226.jpg
09-14-2006, 11:22 AM
ChinaDad

I run into too many of those blasted things at home. I'm not looking forward to my first encounter on a cache hunt. :(
09-14-2006, 01:22 PM
pjpreb

Eye opening thread. We have added the epi-pen to the list of "must haves" in the cache bag. Thanks for reminding me how serious this can be.