Interesting process Jim, thanks for sharing.
...Wayne
-----Original Message-----
From: olympus
[mailto:olympus-bounces+wayne.harridge=structuregraphs.com@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
] On Behalf Of Jim Nichols
Sent: Monday, 3 October 2016 4:31 AM
To: LUG@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; Olympus Camera Discussion
<olympus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [OM] Converting Trouble into Medicine
Several weeks ago, I discovered a Yellow Jacket nest in my back yard. I
kept a wary eye on it, but worried that my lawn maintenance guy might get
stung.
On Friday, the local newspaper, The Tullahoma News, ran an article on a
Winchester, TN resident who traps Yellow Jackets, Hornets, and Guinea Wasps,
and freezes them, eventually packing them in dry ice and shipping them to
the lab of AKL Source Material in Pennsylvania. There, the venom sacs are
extracted by hand and used to create anti-venom. I gave him a call and told
him about my nest. He arrived yesterday afternoon as I was watching a
football game.
I decided to document the process. The first photo shows the nest entrance
as I found it, essentially a hole in the ground laid bare by the passage of
many insects.
http://www.gallery.leica-users.org/v/OldNick/Yellow+Jacket+Nest.TIFF.html
Pete Waldenmaier's "BeeBusters" truck.
http://www.gallery.leica-users.org/v/OldNick/Bee+Busters+Truck.tif.html
The vacuum trap, essentially a tank vacuum cleaner with a special collector
trap.
http://www.gallery.leica-users.org/v/OldNick/The+Vacuum+Trap.tif.html
The trap in position at the nest hole.
http://www.gallery.leica-users.org/v/OldNick/Trap+in+Position.tif.html
Final adjustments.
http://www.gallery.leica-users.org/v/OldNick/Final+Adjustments.tif.html
After about an hour, the insect stream slows, so Pete hammers on the ground
to disturb them, and more start flying out. The vacuum captures most of
them immediately.
http://www.gallery.leica-users.org/v/OldNick/Hammering+on+the+Ground.tif.htm
l
His truck is filled with support equipment, including a freezer and bottles
of carbon dioxide.
http://www.gallery.leica-users.org/v/OldNick/Support+Equipment.tif.html
The final product is a bottle of Yellow Jackets.
http://www.gallery.leica-users.org/v/OldNick/Yellow+Jackets.tif.html
Pete stuns the insects with carbon dioxide before placing them in the
freezer to die. To be usable, the insects must remain frozen until the
venom sacs are harvested at the lab.
http://www.gallery.leica-users.org/v/OldNick/Stunning+with+Carbon+Dioxide.ti
f.html
While he had this operation going on at my house, he had a parallel
operation going on about 15 miles away. I'm told there are only about
40 of these collectors nationwide.
Comments and critiques welcomed and appreciated.
--
Jim Nichols
Tullahoma, TN USA
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