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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[ivan salis]

they go in at night * sneak up on em with a head lamp and a quart mason jar of gas flip said quart of gas onto the opening area -- let it drain into opening . next day in the afternoon return --they should be dead by then if not repeat agian at nightfall - 2 treatments at max should wipe out the nest -- not the best eco freindly wize but highly effective if one cares not about the surrounding grass after the gas drains into the hole -- flip a lit match on the spot --the resulting underground tunnel fire will roast anything in there . (works for fire ant mounds too) brutal but effective .

 

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[RvaDiggn]

I have "found" 2 hornets nest with my metal detector, they give off a really good signal for some strange reason. I didn't think I could run so fast from the first one I found. I was on my knees digging the hole when thy came out and started a stinging. I ran all the way home to realize that I had left my detector behind and how I was going to get it back without getting stung anymore, they got me like 12 times. I was being stung all the way to my front door. I left my machine in the woods both times, I was just trying to get away from the bees. The second time I dug one up it started to rain when I left it in the woods, I got lucky it didn't get ruined. *Watch out for those yellow jackets underground nest, they give off a reading in a metal detector.* not sure if there is any fact in this but I do know at both hornets nest I got a loud reading like there would have been a CW plate there.

 

[ivan salis]

turn off the detector right away * and flee as fast as possible -- they will gang attack ---for some reason they "home in" on the detectors signal--- it drives em nuts

the lead /pewter soldiers look like teddy roosevelt and the "rough rider" era --spanish american war type campian garb or maybe WW1

 

[truckinbutch]

Simplest , safest way to eliminate any horntail fly is to wait until dark . Make a rag torch on a metal rod . Soak in any volatile petroleum liquid . Plant upright in the ground a few feet from the nest . Light . With a long pole from the opposite side of the nest , poke and disturb it . Upset bees
swarm out of the nest and go straight to the flickering light , burn wings off , and fall to the ground .
No harm , no foul , no setting things you don't want burnt on fire . No toxins in the ground .
Jim

 

[High Plains Digger]

Man, you like "poking the bear" don't you? Have you ever tripped over a log or treed yourself on the way out? Me? I think I will vote for toxins, and the more the better. I am pretty gutless when it comes to hundreds of mad yellowjackets. Are you on call for the next time I run across a nest? Pay is lousy but scenery is good.

 

[ModernMiner]

Man, you guys are good at this stuff. I wish I could go the gas and/or flame route but it's not my yard unfortunately and with my luck all of the pinestraw around that tree would go up in seconds. I remember when my son was little, he took a magnifying glass and was torching ants with it (don't know where he got that idea from ). The bad thing was the ants were on top of pinestraw and he darn near torched the wooded area in the back yard. I'm glad I was home that day to put it out.

I think I may try one more time, but later at night like you all suggested.
I'm dying to know what I missed around that tree.

Thanks everybody for the great input.
-Doug-

 

[truckinbutch]

Man, you like "poking the bear" don't you? Have you ever tripped over a log or treed yourself on the way out? Me? I think I will vote for toxins, and the more the better. I am pretty gutless when it comes to hundreds of mad yellowjackets. Are you on call for the next time I run across a nest? Pay is lousy but scenery is good.

We've used this method on the farm for years . Just don't get between the bees and the light .
Pay my fuel to get there and supply the beer . I'll provide and cook my own groceries and kill your
bees .
Jim

 

[NaturalJWL]

Doug, I have seen them use a rotted out root for travel also.

Nest ended up over 6 ft from where they were going in at.

Yep, they had another exit found the hard way.

Actually we have run into two nest like that over the years.

Them little suckers go looking for trouble, and HURT.

 

[ModernMiner]

Doug, I have seen them use a rotted out root for travel also.

Nest ended up over 6 ft from where they were going in at.

Yep, they had another exit found the hard way.

Actually we have run into two nest like that over the years.

Them little suckers go looking for trouble, and HURT.

That's good to know. The last thing I need is bees sneaking up behind me to sting my behind.
This is one of those times I wish I had one of those remote robots like the bomb squad uses.
Thanks,
MM

 

[jgas]

Hey Doug, I used to be a bug killer oh around 20 years ago. We used a product called Wasp Freeze. Not sure if you can get that down your way but that crap was astounding in killing wasps. You can spray that stuff at them while flying and it would drop em dead straight out of the air. We sprayed that in the area of the hole or nest and they were toast. Worked every time. I once dropped a dozen or so bald faced hornets right out of the sky. Pretty cool how they fell straight to the ground. Then we used a product called Drione Dust, its like a powder insecticide to put into the nest to permanently destroy them. I once killed a nest that was the size of a wall about 4 feet by 6 feet tall. Must have been 20,000 yellow jackets in there. Yikes!!! Be careful going back and definately do it at night or dusk.

We Hoosiers gotta stick together before we get stuck If all else fails use GLOBALTHERMONUCLEARWAR!

jgas

 

[underdogger]

Wow seems those ground troops we suported by armed flyers . Just the Irony says there is more there that those flying stingers are hiding . Scoarched earth policy and get the rest of the booty . I got stung one year and passed out . The poor guy I met just about had a heart attack . He thought i was dying. True story. hate those little buggers .Rob

 

[snorton750]

Yellowjackets!!! yeach. I hit a nest of them with the weedeater a few years ago. the stings on my back and side were not too bad, but the one on my forehead hurt for a week. 5 stings in all. Thank goodness I'm not reactive to them. Old gas and oil mixed then pored in the hole at night fixed their little red wagons. Be carefull with the torch idea. It works but could get out of hand. The soldiers look to be Spanish American War. But those could be helmets not campaign hats. The fire truck is a killer find. I have never seen any toy like it. Have fun with the rest of the yard. HH Stan...

 

[High Plains Digger]

snorton750 and I both have exactly the same opinion on the soldiers. Should we take a vote?

Hornet nest discussion has been helpful, interesting, and humorous. Good job.

 

[ivan salis]

once late at night --I walked out side to the caddy to fetch up my detector --forget exactly why --but while standing next to the rear drivers side car door --unknown to me * due to heavy rain that day -- fire ants had built a huge ant nest right next to the car and I was standing smack dab in it -- oddly I didn't feel em crawling up my legs either , all at once ---once they reached knee level one of em bit me and then they all hit me at once!!! --the pain was blinding --- I stripped off my pants at the front door leaving em outside -- I staggered in the house , stripping off all my clothing and ran for the shower -- I was shaking like a leaf in a hurricane wind from the massive amount of posion they had pumped into me --my wife gave me benidryal pills and smoothed calimaine lotion on my legs -- afterwards I counted over 100 any stings & bite marks on me * almost sent me to the hospital -- next day grass be damned -- I torched those little sobs --burn baby burn ---suffer you lil scum.

still got dark scar mark spots on my calfs from them .

 

[Tnmountains]

Look to be world war I. I dug one shooting an aerial gun from my yard. They are really neat finds. To bad about the yellow jackets it sounds early for them.

 

[ModernMiner]

Loved the stories guys. Some are hilarious!
Thanks for all the replies.
Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz,
MM

 

[{Sentinel}]

Nice finds! I like the toy soldiers and the Civil War era Suspender/Britches Buckle

 

[ModernMiner]

Nice finds! I like the toy soldiers and the Civil War era Suspender/Britches Buckle

Thanks Josh.
I was wondering about the age of that suspender buckle.
-Dug-

 

[Weddle546]

Very cool toys. Those yellow jackets are either very mean or very stupid because when you swat at them they still dont get the point and keep coming back at you. They may be getting into somebody's cannibus crop, and are just high? Atleast thats how they are out west here. Oh how i hate them. I spray painted one to death yesterday when he failed to leave me alone.

 

[jamesbibb]

WTF
ALl those COOL toys!

All they had to play with up here in the sticks was well sticks....