[Leica] Converting Trouble into Medicine

[jhnichols at lighttube.net (Jim Nichols)]

Thanks, Ted.  It was an interesting process to watch, and it was all FREE.

Jim Nichols
Tullahoma, TN USA

On 10/2/2016 12:53 PM, Ted Grant wrote:
> Hi Jim,
> Thank you very much for a most interesting life and death story. And for
> sure an interesting Sunday morning photo feature!
> cheers,
> ted
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: LUG [mailto:lug-bounces+tedgrant=shaw.ca at leica-users.org] On 
> Behalf Of
> Jim Nichols
> Sent: October-02-16 10:31 AM
> To: LUG at Leica-Users.org; Olympus Camera Discussion
> Subject: [Leica] 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.
>