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18-Mar-2007 1:27:34 PM
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In response to Louise Shephard's call for someone to tackle the bees on Collision Course in the Febuary Argus this year, I armed myself with petrol and protective clothing and with my dad along for help, attacked the nests with a vengence. The nests dealt with included the hive on Collision Course, left side of King Rat Gully and the rocky outcrop south of the shady side of bushranger bluff.
Yesterday my dad was attacked by bees halfway up a climb on the far right side of Tiger Wall. Seems a bit unfair considering he was trying to help solve the problem but thats life. (Kieran knows the details as he was there) If anyone knows of any other active nests at Arapiles could they please come forward and let us know so as they can be dealt with. No one wants to be assailed by a swarm of angry bees halfway up a multi pitch climb so if we could all pitch in together then hopefully no one has to go through this.
I believe that there is possible still an active nest up near Fever Pitch, if anyone could confirm this?
And just to confirm that these are feral bees, not native ones, which are outcompeting agaisnt other native bees for nest spaces and pollen and also against birds for pollen.
My dad had a trip to the hospital and was injected with more needles and drugs than actual stings to quell the venom and is now home recovering but ok. Special thanks to Kieran Loughran, Meg Slemen, Norm Booth, Steve Monks, Hugh Widdowson and all else who helped.
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18-Mar-2007 2:00:15 PM
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I once got one caught in my plait when I was about to set the abseil on R Watch Tower faces and almost lost my balance getting it out. Talk about a bee in my bonnet!
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18-Mar-2007 4:34:03 PM
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I hope your dad feels better today, maybe get him an epi-pen to put on a string around his neck, now you
know its not just walnuts that set off an anaphylactic response with him.
I was also stung in the face on top of watch tower, near the rap station, there is definately a nest up there
somewhere, I was wearing red so that might have sent him off, if you need a hand with the removal just
let me know and I'll come over and give you a hand, I did bee work a lot as a kid.
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18-Mar-2007 5:11:45 PM
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Cheers Bomber, will check out the watch tower next time im home. yeah he's going to get an epi-pen to keep in the pack aswell as a mobile.
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19-Mar-2007 10:25:43 AM
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Re: Watchtower.
When I was on Auto Da Fe last April there was bee activity going in and out of the horizontal crack/overlap about 5m up pitch 2, so you might want to check there. This is shared with The Confession I suspect (don't have my guide to check & haven't done that route).
My partner got stung last weekend at the bottom of Bard Buttress, a bee handed on her pack and she didn't see it when leaning back against it while eating lunch. So they're certainly around.
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19-Mar-2007 11:01:25 AM
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TLockwood
I'm interested that you chose to use petrol. I've had quite a bit of experience dealing with a European wasp problem around my farm and found the Baygon type of contact insecticide dust very easy to use and very effective. If you haven't used the product, it's basically a squeezable bottle that you squirt into the nest opening. The bees/wasps get the dust on their bodies and carry it deep into the nest (very important for large wasp nests). It doesn't rely on gravity like petrol so may be easier if the nest is on a cliff.
I always did the wasp control at night using a red cellophane covered torch - the wasps were not active then unless it was really warm.
I'm sure Parksvic or DSE or local council would have a users note on wasp/bee control.
David
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19-Mar-2007 11:51:33 AM
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I've killed some bugs to and pyrethrum powder was recomended to me by my exterminator. The bees sting themselves to death when hit and its organic so with a bit of rain its all gone. Just make sure you waste the queen. Her pressence is what gets them hiving. I recomend a bee keepers hat.
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19-Mar-2007 5:54:59 PM
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Hey David, I'd never actually done it before, and was under guidance from Louise Shephard who had. I had two plans of attack. the first, which i used on all nests, was to pour petrol all over the nest and into the back of the nest, brake off and remove any comb that was left, or around, and then plug the nest with rags to stop re-colonisation. The petrol once it got onto the bees killed them instantly, and providing i sprayed petrol onto them immediately as soon as i arrived at the nest the majority where killed before they had a chance to swarm. There might have still been say 50-100 bees swarming around, but once the nest is blocked up, these bees have nowhere to go and die in a few days or how ever long it takes.
The second option, which i didnt employ is a little more tricky and much more poisonous. it involves using Phostoxin (wrong spelling probably), which is a tablet that when it comes into contact with water vapour it gives of a poisonous gas, and when it is in contact with water it gives of the poisonous gas quite profusely. the way to use these tablets is to throw them into the nest, and plug the nest up with water soaked rags, which effectively cause the gas to be released in the confined space of the blocked off nest.
The last nest which i did was done around dusk, which was better than the others which i had done during the day, as the bees were less active on dusk. im not sure i'd want to be fiddling with climbing gear in the dark, but dusk suited me fine.
I dont know what clothing you wear, but i had a pair of jeans and pants over the top, and a long sleave shirt, jumper and upper body bee suit, boots, and gloves. quite warm in 30 degree weather. on the first nest i wore only the jeans and got stung through them, hence wearing the pants over them the second time. a hat is helpful to wear in the bee suit as if keeps the netting away from your face.
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19-Mar-2007 5:58:46 PM
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wow Tim. Its sounds like you've really worked hard to kill these blighters! Thanks for all the hard work...
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19-Mar-2007 6:05:04 PM
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No probs Neil, was good fun really, and it was the hols and i had nothing better to do with my time!
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19-Mar-2007 7:45:03 PM
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And can I just emphasize that people should not consider doing bee control work at Arapiles off their own bat. It should only be done after consulting with the ranger.
It is a State Park and we shouldn't be throwing chemicals about destroying things willy-nilly.
Also, the work is dangerous. The dangers of a bee swarm were pretty apparent on Saturday. We were just climbing, not doing bee-work so had no protection against what we encountered.
So if you are going to do it, do the whole thing properly and safely.
cheers
Kieran
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19-Mar-2007 8:55:59 PM
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On 19/03/2007 kieranl wrote:
>And can I just emphasize that people should not consider doing bee control
>work at Arapiles off their own bat. It should only be done after consulting
>with the ranger.
>It is a State Park and we shouldn't be throwing chemicals about destroying
>things willy-nilly.
>Also, the work is dangerous. The dangers of a bee swarm were pretty apparent
>on Saturday. We were just climbing, not doing bee-work so had no protection
>against what we encountered.
>So if you are going to do it, do the whole thing properly and safely.
Rightly said, thanks Kieran.
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19-Mar-2007 9:52:09 PM
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On 18/03/2007 TLockwood wrote:
>In response to Louise Shephard's call for someone to tackle the bees on
>Collision Course in the Febuary Argus this year,
having had a look at the route i imagine bees would be the least of your worries given the lack of holds and pro...is it just me or does it look completely improbable at 22?
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19-Mar-2007 10:06:25 PM
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Its an awesome 22 jump on, the gear is great! the crux is obvious and the climb is long, not improbable.
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20-Mar-2007 9:45:38 AM
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Yep, a great route. Gear can be a little spaced in places but it's all very safe.
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20-Mar-2007 10:28:28 AM
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> having had a look at the route i imagine bees would be the least of your worries...
Certainly if the hive were active they would be one more major concern on an already thrilling ride; the route puts your face right in front of the (now-dead) hive.
I wanted to do this route for ages and was thrilled when I discovered someone had been in with the petrol and rags. Big props to peeps for the removal of these feral interlopers.
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20-Mar-2007 11:00:56 AM
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i was attacked by them when i did it a few years ago! It made for some very quick climbing (and onsight
decision making)!
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26-Mar-2007 11:27:04 AM
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I hope your dad is ok and recovering well.
There was another hive just left of Agememnon and the remains of one with the honeycomb just near the top of the first pitch of A. I scrawled BEES with an arrow onto the rock. sorry for the vandalisim but get over it, I am.
I am told Steve Monks soloed up with the adreneline for your dad.. A great effort in any case. We were climbing not far and didn't find out what was happening until we got down.
Ralph
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26-Mar-2007 11:32:07 AM
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Hey there,
Bee report -> No active Bees this week on Feverpitch, but heaps of them at collision course..........
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26-Mar-2007 2:52:54 PM
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Yup, definitely a mob left of Agamemnon. In early September, whilst gearing up at the bottom with Kiwi Kate - I distinctly heard the sounds of one very active mob of the critters - couldn't really place the location - just up above somewhere. A bit later on whilst en route I spied the mob doing their thing to the left. Fortunately I had no close encounters - not really an Arapiles moment I would care to have. One can endure a few barbs up in the Great Aussie Death Zone around Boonah but Araps has a more serene reputation.
Kudos to the gang dealing with this issue and definitely a wise move to discuss it all with the Parks establishment in order to maintain the relationship that needs to be maintained for the benefit of all.
And let us hope that no "bright humanoid light" decides to import a few giant Japanese wasps or African Bees into Aussie a la the cane toads. Supertopos has had a few lovely threads dealing with encounters with bees , snakes and the like which makes for entertaining reading. Can you imagine having a go at Separate Reality only to find an African Killer Bee colony hanging in the crack! " That would be bloody grim!
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