The Savannah morning news., 1901-06-07
A. DANGEROUS SPORT.
Wasp Nesting Liable to be a Costly
Bit of Fun.
From the Pittsburg Pos


From the Pittsburg Post.
Everybody ought to know, if he does
not, that not a finer bait can be fixed
than the grub of wasp taken fresh from
wasp's nest. Fish will bite at this bait
when nothing else will tempt them. But
then these grubs cannot be obtained with
out the risk of being stung, and it is no
joke to have a dozen wasps' stings driven
into you at once, as we have had when
taking a waSps' nest, and the singing
of a wasp is something like having a
sharp redhot needle driven into you, which
after it is done will keep redhot for hours
We have had our eyes bunged up and
never seen a glimmer of daylight for a
dozen hours or more, through wasps
singing us when storming their nests,
and yet have been the first to propose
storming another nest the week after,
for, like all boys we had too much pluck
to care for little pain, after the first
sharp twinges had passed away. We had
been told that wasps could not sting
through silk, So covering our heads with
a silk handkerchief, we went boldly up
to the mouth of the nest, set the powder
on fire in the open day, and as to the silk
protecting us, why their stings went
through it quite easily. We ought to have
stormed the nest at night. when the
wasps were asleep; there is but little dan
ger then; but it was our half-holiday, and
it was resolved to go fishing and to
have wasp grubs for bait, so we took
the nest at every risk, though not boy
was able to go angling after, for we were
all stung dreadfully.
1t was easy enough to thrust the gun
powder into the mouth of the nest, and
to set it alight. but as it was purposely
made into paste, to increase the smoke
and burn abe longer. it was necessary
to wait second or two to see that the
wet portion of the powder caught and
went kissing deep down into the interior
OF the nest. 1t caught beautifully, but
the wasps seemed to care no more for
the burning powder than duck does for
a shower of rain. They came out with
a rush that was awful, and so suddenly
and strong that they forced down the
turf, which was placed hastily and i'm
properly over the hole. Though the boys
were armed with branches, with which
they knocked down the wasps, and killed
scores, yet hundreds more Joined in the
attack, until we had to run for it, many
of us carrying the enemy with us in
our necks, in our bosoms. for 90 evade
the clash of the branches the wasps
alighted. picked out a nice soft place
and then gave us pepper too hot to be
endured.
Wasps' nests may be taken readily
enough IL commenced properly. but brim-
stone ought to be used along with the
gunpowder. as it suffocates the wasps:
the birthstone and gunpowder damped
but not too much, ought to be thrust
into the nest with a little dry powder
outside TO set fire 40 it, then a damp sod
pressed firmly over the hole, and left to
shoulder until the following morning. II
is not safe to commence the "storming"
of the nest until late In the evening, when
the wasps are all snugly tucked up in the
nest. That is the time to make safe OF
wasp grubs for angling and June. July
and August even. are the months when
the nests are filed with this rich, white
bait
We do not know what good wasps do.
though We are we'll aware that they do
much harm, and We sincerely believe that.
" their nests were not destroyed. they
would increase so immensely as to be-
come dangerous. There are numerous in
stances on record OF their singing horses
and oxen TO death In very short time.
only summer ago a splendid horse.
worth 500. was stung to death by wasps.
The grubs make the best bait we know
OF for summer fishing, and perhaps wasps
were sent TO supply US with this bait.
70 capture nsh 20 live upon. and that II
we do not make this use OF the grubs