D**n snakes!!!

[clawmute]

The little country road we live on in western Saline county, is a bout 12ft. wide. My wife ran over a rattler she says was as long as the road was wide. When she ran over it it didn't even slow down but kept on in the direction it was headed. She said It felt like she ran over a speed bump. I was gone and didn't get to see it. I've killed afour ft. Timbler rattler on our place and my neighbor killed a 5 footer at the end of our driveway.

I think about these fellows when I have to go out at night.

As far as ground bees - yellow Jackets are longer bodied - I've had to jump off my running tractor while bushogging after throwing it in neutral. I ran over a big nest and they swarmed up through the tractor frame with a vengeance and zapped me right where my right leg joins my left. I moved outta there quick!

If it hurts me or makes me hurt myself I don't like it!

 

[KMB]

Either last year, or the year before, there was quite a lot of talk about Africanized Honey bees (the media calls them Killer Bees, but the researchers say they are not) in our area that I believe were coming from Texas. From a volunteer fire department information seminar/class on this breed of bee, we learned an African breed of bees had gotten into parts of the US, and had started mating with the local honey bees. Also that some of these Africanized bee colonies had been found in and around our counties in our part of Arkansas. From what I can remember, the Africanized Honey bees are very aggressive, and that they are easily made mad by OPE noise. They're supposed to be faster and will chase you alot longer than a regular bee. I haven't heard much about them in a while. Anybody have any other info on them?

Edit: I was googling some info on the Africanized honey bees and I was wrong that the bees are from Africa (that mate with the local honey bees), the bee are European and in some cases were purposely bred with the local honey bees. Just wanted to correct my posting of wrong info.

Kevin

 

[kd460]

What a coincidence, just came across a Massasauga rattlesnake here in Michigan on saturday.

Piosonous snakes are rare here in Michigan with the Massasauga being the only one. Even they are fairly uncommon. However, on saturday I came accross one in the middle of a dirt road while out for an ATV ride.

At first I thought it was dead, my buddy came back to see what I was looking at and he agreed that it was a Massasauga. I tossed a couple small pebbles at it (did not want to hurt it, just see if it was alive). His tail poppped up and he started to shake it.

That was enough for me! KD

 

[Wood Doctor]

Either last year, or the year before, there was quite a lot of talk about Africanized Honey bees (the media calls them Killer Bees, but the researchers say they are not) in our area that I believe were coming from Texas. From a volunteer fire department information seminar/class on this breed of bee, we learned an African breed of bees had gotten into parts of the US, and had started mating with the local honey bees. Also that some of these Africanized bee colonies had been found in and around our counties in our part of Arkansas. From what I can remember, the Africanized Honey bees are very aggressive, and that they are easily made mad by OPE noise. They're supposed to be faster and will chase you alot longer than a regular bee. I haven't heard much about them in a while. Anybody have any other info on them?

Kevin

Kevin, fear not. The African honeybee is still quite tame compared to a yellowjacket. Yes, the African honeybee will sting you more likely than a mild-mannered domestic honey bee that dies shortly after it stings. I helped my grandfather raise thousands of honey bees and harvest hundreds of pounds of honey from three dozen hives made of wood that I helped him build in his workshop. It was a wonderful hobby.

But, the African honeybee is not even close to the agressiveness and deadliness of a yellowjacket attack. :censored:

I posted this information because I think that the yellowjacket may be a far worse pest that the average snake. Sure, there are lots of poisonous snakes, (almost none in Nebraska) but a yellowjacket attack may be the worst of them all because you cannot see then coming and they are both unpredictable and relentless.

 

[KMB]

Kevin, fear not. The African honeybee is still quite tame compared to a yellowjacket. Yes, the African honeybee will sting you more likely than a mild-mannered domestic honey bee that dies shortly after it stings. I helped my grandfather raise thousands of honey bees and harvest hundreds of pounds of honey from three dozen hives made of wood that I helped him build in his workshop. It was a wonderful hobby.

But, the African honeybee is not even close to the agressiveness and deadliness of a yellowjacket attack. :censored:

I posted this information because I think that the yellowjacket may be a far worse pest that the average snake. Sure, there are lots of poisonous snakes, (almost none in Nebraska) but a yellowjacket attack may be the worst of them all because you cannot see then coming and they are both unpredictable and relentless.

I completely understand yellowjackets are more dangerous, I just thought I'd post about another type of stinging menance. I guess the reason the seminar/class was done was so that the volunteer fire departments could be informed about the new aggressive breed of bees. That we should be prepared for a possibility of more calls dealing with folks getting attacked. They showed us some video of the size of the Africanized bee colonies and apparantly they were a lot larger than a honeybee colony. Of course some folks are deathly allergic to stings, but they told us that folks have been killed when attacked by large amounts of these bees. And again, I realize the facts about the yellowjackets and was not trying to take away from those facts.

Kevin

 

[gtstang462002]

Here is a new addition to my woodpile that I found over the summer. He is only about 7" long in these pictures.

 

[stihl sawing]

Speckeld king snake. Maybe not.

 

[ropensaddle]

Speckeld king snake. Maybe not.

Looks more like a california king snake but Maryland
None like him here I have seen but not poisonous imo.

 

[stihl sawing]

Looks more like a california king snake but Maryland
None like him here I have seen but not poisonous imo.

That third pic looks like a speckled king. The other two don't.

 

[Caz]

It's a young Eastern Kingsnake : )
It will get solid chain like stripes along its full length as it matures.

 

[stihl sawing]

It's a young Eastern Kingsnake : )
It will get solid chain like stripes along its full length as it matures.

Kingsnakes are good ones, They eat other poisonous snakes and rats and mice.

 

[Wet1]

It certainly doesn't look like it has a traditional poisonous viper shaped head... I'd say not poisonous.

 

[jeeptj19992001]

It certainly doesn't look like it has a traditional poisonous viper shaped head... I'd say not poisonous.

this one is not
but you


ever see a coral snake?


red touches yellow deadly fellow, red touch back friendly jack.

 

[Wet1]

this one is not
but you


ever see a coral snake?


red touches yellow deadly fellow, red touch back friendly jack.

I've never seen one in the wild, but if it has yellow, red, and black bands, I'm not touching it regardless or the order! Better to play it safe when it comes to snakes...

 

[aquan8tor]

I completely understand yellowjackets are more dangerous, I just thought I'd post about another type of stinging menance. I guess the reason the seminar/class was done was so that the volunteer fire departments could be informed about the new aggressive breed of bees. That we should be prepared for a possibility of more calls dealing with folks getting attacked. They showed us some video of the size of the Africanized bee colonies and apparantly they were a lot larger than a honeybee colony. Of course some folks are deathly allergic to stings, but they told us that folks have been killed when attacked by large amounts of these bees. And again, I realize the facts about the yellowjackets and was not trying to take away from those facts.

Kevin

Kevin, you are quite right about the bees. We don't have them in VA, but will eventually, at least so they say. I'm allergic to bee stings, so I've done a fair bit of reading about different bees and vespids. Africanized, AKA "killer" bees ARE as dangerous and supposedly every bit as aggressive as yellow jackets. Though they can only sting once, what separates their attacks from a yellow jacket attack is that you might get hundreds of stings, rather than a dozen or two dozen or more. When they attack, there is some sort of chemical released that makes them keep coming after you; they follow the scent trail or something. I've heard of people being stung continuously when even 100yds. or more away from the original nest. They are relentless, and very dangerous. Don't get me wrong, yellow jackets are nasty little buggers, and hurt a HE(( of a lot more than any honeybee, but I don't want to mess with a hive of a few thousand africanized bees. Last time I got into a nest of yellow jackets was a year or two ago, and miraculously didn't have a reaction (I did the allergy shots for years). Hopefully it'll stay that way.

 

[ropensaddle]

this one is not
but you


ever see a coral snake?


red touches yellow deadly fellow, red touch back friendly jack.

While true for the most part their are several corals and near the border
of the big swim I would be careful of any brightly colored snake.

 

[dnf0929]

Seen some snakes in my woodpile but never as big as the ones we ran into at this fire we helped out at in a neighboring city recently.

http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=724091&category=REGION

 

[Sprig]

Kevin, fear not. The African honeybee is still quite tame compared to a yellowjacket. Yes, the African honeybee will sting you more likely than a mild-mannered domestic honey bee that dies shortly after it stings. I helped my grandfather raise thousands of honey bees and harvest hundreds of pounds of honey from three dozen hives made of wood that I helped him build in his workshop. It was a wonderful hobby.

But, the African honeybee is not even close to the agressiveness and deadliness of a yellowjacket attack. :censored:

I posted this information because I think that the yellowjacket may be a far worse pest that the average snake. Sure, there are lots of poisonous snakes, (almost none in Nebraska) but a yellowjacket attack may be the worst of them all because you cannot see then coming and they are both unpredictable and relentless.

I have to agree with you, its one of my biggest worries when I'm up on a pile of logs cutting or in a place where its not easy to run away. I've been swarmed and stung by the little bastards a couple of times, enough to get sick and woozy (I am not allergic thank Dog), just plain don't like them. Snakes don't bug me at all (no poisonous ones here yet) but I am cautious of spiders as we have a couple here that can be sickening/deadly (brown recluse, trapdoor, black widows (not as poisonous as the ones down south tho) and occasionally find them in my wood piles. Regardless, nothing like hitting a wasp or hornet's nest, nasty suckers!

Thanks fer icking me out lol!



Serge

 

[cabinman]

spot on

Please read this:
"Throughout the summer months, it is not uncommon for humans to have close encounters of the stinging kind as they use lawn mowers, edging tools or any other lawn equipment that makes noise. The sounds made by various lawn tools will anger and disturb yellowjackets in the immediate area. These stinging pests (often misidentified as ground hornets or honey bees) will often take a bulldozer "hostage," as the equipment operator abandons the equipment for safer ground.

Yellowjackets are Vespids (Family Vespidae), a group of some of the more dangerous of the stinging insect pests. Yellowjackets are among the smallest of this group of stinging insects.

These pests are social, building nests that can be quite large. Nests are made from a material called carton or paper. This material is produced by females who combine their saliva excretions with wood fibers to form the familiar looking paper nest. A paper nest can be built by hornets, paper wasps and yellowjackets, but the yellowjacket nest is usually not visible. This nest is usually underground but their are many cases where these insects have built nests above ground in the wall voids of homes. A home in Valdosta, GA was seen with a huge nest built on the exterior wall of the structure, with a nest so large (about 12 feet long, along the side of the wall) it was easily seen from the road.

Underground nests and hidden wall nests are eliminated with the same procedures and pest control products mentioned in the Yellowjacket Elimination section of this article.

A yellowjacket nest resembles a hornet nest and can be inhabited by thousands of workers. In most areas of the country, the majority of the pest population does not survive the cold winter months. In parts of Florida and California it is not uncommon to find perennial nests that live throughout the entire year. This situation creates even larger colonies in the nests, which is a great hazard to the unsuspecting person or family dog that ventures too close to the nest or nest entrance.

The German Yellowjacket is another stinging insect that is often found in attics, crawl spaces, inside hollow blocks or other voids of homes in the northeast United States. German Yellowjackets found in other areas of the United States usually nest beneath the soil, in ground burrows or nests."

I was thining a 5 acre park area and was working around an old stump and out of no where came hundreds of bees, dont know what kind except they werent yellow jackets, I bailed of the dozer and got stung 8, 10 times before they left me alone, I didnt go back until the sun went down, Eric

 

[mranum]

I grow Christmas trees and we have terrible times about every 3 years with bees. Generally we will find a couple ground nests and a few wasp nests but the worst are what we refer to in this area as bald faced wasps. Kinda like a big hornet but black with white/gray stripes. They are like a hornet on steroids, nasty bastards. Always build in thick white pines so you can't see their nest too good. Only bees that I ever saw post sentrys around their nests. Usually they will give you a warning shot before they come after you big time.


Heres the best stuff I ever found for taking them out. Foam hits them and they can't fly.
http://www.enforcer.com/pages/outdoor_flying/wasp.yellowjacket.html