The Toy Cache Sting Operation @@

[ModernMiner]

Folks,
I've been stating out of the woods here in NC, but had the itch to detect this week. I stopped by a 1928 house in town that I've had my eye on for some time now and knocked on the door. After some sweet talking, batting my eyes a few times, and showing her one of my relic cases, I convinced the 91 year old lady that I wasn't there to sell her a set of encyclopedias. She pointed out a large tree in the backyard that the kids used climb. The yard wasn't huge but just enough to keep me busy for a few hours. The front yard turned out to be a dud with only a few wheat pennies. It wasn't until I got to the back yard that I started getting signals. My first keepers were an old broken pocketwatch and then a Tootsietoy airplane. I then hit an area between a small shed and the large tree. Signal after signal turned up one toy soldier, then another, then another............ Within about a 8' circle I dug up 8 toy soldiers! Some were fairly deep, so the kids must have buried them. Are these mostly WW1 or WW2 soldiers?
I then slowly worked my way towards the large tree which has about a 4" layer of pine straw and leaf mulch to get through before you hit dirt. Next came a pocket knife, a suspender clip, and then an old firetruck very close to the tree base. I was just getting ready to dig another signal and I felt a pain on my hand through my gloves. Then the other hand. By the time I had realized I had dug into a yellow jacket nest I had been stung five times (both hands, one ankle, stomach, and eyebrow).
D-mn did those little #@&*#! nail me!!! Of course I ran like a senior citizen at a grand opening buffet, but I had dropped my shovel right by the hole. Using a hammer tied to a long piece of rope I was finally able to fish it out of there. The bees were even stinging the rope! I'm dying to know what else is around that tree, but I'm going to let it bee be now until winter before I go back.
My finds:
*Eight toy soldiers - WW1 or WW2
*Tootsietoy airplane
*Barclay firetruck (has white rubber tires)
*Gold toy badge. ANY IDEAS?
*Wright Bros. / Smokey Mtn Park aluminum token
*Pocket knife
*Suspender clip with "Solid" on it
*(4) Wheat pennies (oldest 1918)
*Ford cap
*Pocket watch parts.

Thanks for looking,
MM
P.S. HAPPY FATHER'S DAY to all you great Dad's out there.

 

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[Nana40]

warn the old lady at her age a attack by the bees could be fatal * do her a "kindness" tell her to thank her for allowing you to detect you will wipe out the lil buggers for her (gets you back in to detect some more too ) -- word of a good deed done will spread * trust me --- might even get you a few more "invites" from freinds or neighbors

Ivan,
I am all about good deeds, donating, and sharing my finds as you may know. It's the right thing to do, and it certainly opens new doors. I'll get over there to spray that nest this week when I drop off some of the relics I found.
Thanks,
MM

8) Yer a good man, MM. She probably doesn't have a clue that they are back there. Those are some terrific finds! Really like that badge!
Nana

 

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[rebelrouser]

that is some good finds. hope you get to get back there later.

 

[High Plains Digger]

Best of luck with the spraying. By spraying in the evening when everyone is home, drinking a Yellowjacket beer, you don't have to worry about all the guys that are out on the job. But when you return to dig, I would scope out the area first to make sure there is no longer any activity. I read once where a person had to run 50 to get far enough away so that the bees, hornets, etc would no longer be stimulated by the pheromes to keep attacking. Trouble is, I can't remember if it was 50 ft or 50 yards. I suspect feet. But keep yards in mind, just in case. Bring back lots of new goodies.

 

[ModernMiner]

Best of luck with the spraying. By spraying in the evening when everyone is home, drinking a Yellowjacket beer, you don't have to worry about all the guys that are out on the job. But when you return to dig, I would scope out the area first to make sure there is no longer any activity. I read once where a person had to run 50 to get far enough away so that the bees, hornets, etc would no longer be stimulated by the pheromes to keep attacking. Trouble is, I can't remember if it was 50 ft or 50 yards. I suspect feet. But keep yards in mind, just in case. Bring back lots of new goodies.

It may have been 50 mph.
I'm heading over there tonight to spay those suckers. If it works I'm going to go back this week and try to see what I missed. I'll toss a few things around that hole first before I walk up on it.
Thanks HPD.
-MM-

 

[Monty]

Those kinds of finds really turn me on! I had much rather find a collection of historical things like that than a ring in a playground.......but I wouldn't turn down either! I also got into a nest of yellow jackets a few years ago. I saw some tiny fly like bugs flying in and out of a hole near a sidewalk in a park. I just went over to see what it was and one nailed me on the arm. These were really tiny specimens of the bigger ones I use to see around my fruit trees. Man that thing stung like fire for about an hour! I'm glad I only got hit once. I came back right at dark when they weren't active and shot the hole full of bug killer. I musta' got them all because they quit flying out and I never saw them again. I was worried because the sidewalk was used daily by 6 to 9 year old kids going to a local grade school. Just one sting to someone who is allergic could be fatal. Be careful. Monty

 

[ModernMiner]

Those kinds of finds really turn me on! I had much rather find a collection of historical things like that than a ring in a playground.......but I wouldn't turn down either! I also got into a nest of yellow jackets a few years ago. I saw some tiny fly like bugs flying in and out of a hole near a sidewalk in a park. I just went over to see what it was and one nailed me on the arm. These were really tiny specimens of the bigger ones I use to see around my fruit trees. Man that thing stung like fire for about an hour! I'm glad I only got hit once. I came back right at dark when they weren't active and shot the hole full of bug killer. I musta' got them all because they quit flying out and I never saw them again. I was worried because the sidewalk was used daily by 6 to 9 year old kids going to a local grade school. Just one sting to someone who is allergic could be fatal. Be careful. Monty

Thanks Monte.
I hope I have luck like you once I spray them. I'll spray tonight and then try detecting again in a few days. The spots where they got me hurt like crazy for about an hour. That was three days ago and a few of the spots they got me are still itching.
-MM-

 

[texan connection]

Great Hunt MM!

 

[ModernMiner]

Love the firetruck & plane the best but all the toys are real cool!
The badge is nice also!
Sorry about the bees Bud. :P

Rob,
I went over and sprayed those bees tonight. She invited me in and showed me some OLD tin toys she has. They were her sons
first toys" she said. They are in excellent shape and very collectible. I felt bad when she told me her son died in the 1980's and she has no more relatives alive. She outlived them all.
-Doug-

Great Hunt MM!

Thanks TC.

that is some good finds. hope you get to get back there later.

Thanks RR.
I'll be back there this week some time to see if I missed anything.
-MM-

warn the old lady at her age a attack by the bees could be fatal * do her a "kindness" tell her to thank her for allowing you to detect you will wipe out the lil buggers for her (gets you back in to detect some more too ) -- word of a good deed done will spread * trust me --- might even get you a few more "invites" from freinds or neighbors

Ivan,
I am all about good deeds, donating, and sharing my finds as you may know. It's the right thing to do, and it certainly opens new doors. I'll get over there to spray that nest this week when I drop off some of the relics I found.
Thanks,
MM

8) Yer a good man, MM. She probably doesn't have a clue that they are back there. Those are some terrific finds! Really like that badge!
Nana

Thanks young lady. I like the new avatar.
Enjoy that pool.
-Dug-

 

[SC Keith]

Finding those vintage toys had to be fun Good luck if you go back there!

 

[Bavaria Mike]

Nice post and finds! I also liked your article in WE mag. HH, Mike

 

[Monty]

I took the little red "straw" off a can of WD40 and inserted it into the valve on the bug spray. That way I was able to stick it down into the ground and block the hole when I sprayed it. Then pull it out quick and run like heck! Monty

 

[ModernMiner]

Finding those vintage toys had to be fun Good luck if you go back there!

Thanks Keith. I was getting the same tone on these lead soldiers as when I did up CW bullets.
I bought two cans of spray just in case the first one didn't work. I'll have it handy when I go back.
-Doug-

Nice post and finds! I also liked your article in WE mag. HH, Mike

Thanks Mike. I'm working on another story now.
-Doug-

I took the little red "straw" off a can of WD40 and inserted it into the valve on the bug spray. That way I was able to stick it down into the ground and block the hole when I sprayed it. Then pull it out quick and run like heck! Monty

Monte,
You are a braver man than I.
-MM-

 

[ivan salis]

well with no living relatives to wipe out her ground bees --its a good thing you did * if they had hit her it could have been fatal --old folks are often very touchy to bee strings and spider bites and such and not being able to flee quickly makes it even worse. --(old folks are often on a tight "fixed income" fiscal budget as well and can not afford to hire folks to do stuff like that either)--so good deed -- 5 golden ata boy points awarded

 

[RFrady]

The most memorable vacation as a kid started at Kill Devil Hills and ended up in Cherokee because of a hurricane. Left the beach at nght and drove to the mountains. That token captured that entire trip. Awesome finds. I hope to see this played out with more finds. And yeah the yellowjackets bring back nasty Carolina memories too.

 

[Dwight S]

Congrats on the finds. Feeling sorry for you on the Yellow Jackets, been there, done that, got a scar. Those litter boogers HURT! I ended up with 18 stings after running a push mower over a nest many years ago. I ran faster than I ever had before and they still ate me up! My dad was yelling at me to run! He saw the whole thing from a safe distance. They were under my shirt and in my shorts. Dad went to the house and held the door open, I cleared all four steps. When I hit the house the only thing I had on were my tighty-whities. Not a pretty picture, I assure you. I swelled up and hurt, but fortunately no terrible life threatning reactions.

In addition to the Wasp & Hornet spray, take a large cup of gas and toss on the nest, that will kill most of them and saturate the nest as well and they won't return. It won't permanently damage the grass, it may get a flower or two... I don't usually condone such an "environmentally" questionable solution, but sometimes desperate times require desperate measures.

 

[allen]

you did good on that short hunt,
until you beecame a wasp target

 

[BobinSouthVA]

That is a sweet bunch of relics MM. It hasn't happened in a while, but I love getting to a property where every other swing is popping out goodies like that.

Congrats

 

[txconservative]

Awesome finds buddy !

 

[ModernMiner]

THANKS EVERYONE for the replies and yellow jacket killing techniques.
I went back over there today to see if I had killed them with the can of spray I doused them with on Saturday. I tied my shovel to a rope and flung it over across the hole, and sure enough those suckers came flying out again! I had another can handy and hit it again the best I could from a distance. The problem with this hole is there is about 4" of fluff on top (pinestraw & leaf mulch) so getting to the hole is not a clear shot. I wonder if I could toss a piece of wood on top to keep them in place? I hope I don't have to wait until winter.
-MM-

 

[nuggy]

Hi M M, we have wasp nests here in New Zealand and they sound similar to what you have found - favorite cure is to mix diesel and gas in a pint bottle, shove it open end down into nest opening - just before dark. With a really large nest with 2 or more openings this may have to be repeated for each entrance. A pint of this mix seems to kill almost every nest within 48 hours. Good luck, Nuggy