YELLOW JACKET DISCOVERIES
LAKELAND, FLORIDA   FALL 2007 – NEAR THE SOUTH SHORE OF SCOTT LAKE.
Aa Aa APIAN STING OPERATION            FLORIDABEEREMOVAL.COM

BASED UPON CALCULATIONS, THIS COLONY CONSISTED OF OVER 100LBS. OF BROOD MATERIAL. A 3 IN. SQUARE OF WORKER BROOD CONTAINED 324 PUPAE/LARVAE AND WEIGHED  2 OZ.    324/2 = 162 X 16 = 2592  X 100LBS  =  259200 LESS  THE WEIGHT OF THE PAPER COMB. AFTER ADJUSTMENT FOR THE EMPTY COMBS AND DEVELOPING QUEENS, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THIS COLONY CONTAINED THE POTENTIAL FOR 250,000 WASPS. When this figure was added to the estimated 60,000 active adults, the final
estimate came to:  310,000 potential individuals.   Humongous  

note: The nest measured nearly 12 feet from end-to-end  and 3 feet high     RFM 

---Giant nests, such as the one above, must never be approached by a novice. When the colony is disturbed, hundreds of the stinging wasps will attack. The pain, from the stings, resembles being hit by a rock and burns for up to 12 hours. In sensitive individuals, the toxin causes severe local edema and can result in anaphylactic shock followed by death.
---This project required protective clothing, safety goggles, and  properly fitted mask. When the paper envelope was punctured, the insects attacked my veil. If that had been my face, PAIN< PAIN <PAIN. Alarm pheromones filled the cool evening air. Resmethrin made the insects weak as they squirmed upon the ground. Each grab and pull on the nest liberated thousands of angry insects. When the paper envelope was removed and the nursery combs dislodged, pyrethroid dust was applied to the area. The war ended.