[tsomer]

Authorities said Hugh Williams sprayed insecticide in a hole next to the St. Andrews Road house on Sunday, but that didn't kill the bugs.

He then stuck paper in the hole and lit it, but the fire spread into the house and the attic, authorities said

Dear God that sounds like something I'd do!!!

I ran over a nest of those things with a lawnmower once. My wife described the scene: 'a blue and red streak across the yard.' Luckily I'm not allergic.

What gets me is this: he sprays the insecticide into the hole, lights it, and the fire spreads to the attic. How does the hole extend to the attic? Are their tunnels that extensive? Maybe the pentagon should hire them.

Any yellow jacket experts among freepers?

[decimon]

I ran over a nest of those things with a lawnmower once.

The small ones in the ground? Took a half-dozen stings from those a couple of years ago. I'm lucky in that I don't react to those bites so it was just an annoyance.

[bert]

The insect spray is a volitile gas. He was spraying an explosive mixture in a confined space.

[vetvetdoug]

I use the same insecticide on the yellow jackets that I use on the fire ants, Orthene...I place the powder at the entrance of the nest and they carry it into the nest on their little feets...The powder contaminates the entire nest and in a couple of days they are all sick and/or dead. I have run over my share of the little SOB’s with the lawn mower since I mow at least 7 acres of property here in Mississippi. I have recently read of yellow jacket nests as large as 12 feet by 24 feet in Southern Alabama; a new phenomenon. I have hit large nests while mowing with the tractor and been hit at least 20 or more times. Needless to say, I detest the bugs and will see to their deaths whenever I get a chance.

[pepperdog]

My neighbor was running a weed eater and hit a nest. I heard her screaming. They were attacking her and she was unable to go to her house as she was afraid they would get in and bite her grand baby. I yelled for her to run to my house (we live on acreages out here) and I had the hose ready. I sprayed cold well water on her and it seemed to stun the yellow jackets so that I could hit them and kill them. She must has been bitten 50 times or more, it was terrible. They were even in her socks and her bra!

My husband took a long tube and placed it over the hole to the hive. He poured gasoline down it and then threw a match. At that particular moment the local fire chief, who we had never seen before, happened to come by and inquire if my husband had a burn permit! What timing.

[alfa6]

What gets me is this: he sprays the insecticide into the hole, lights it, and the fire spreads to the attic. How does the hole extend to the attic?

If the house was constructed with ballon framing there would be a perfect path to the attic. No doubt you are wondering what is ballon framing? That is where the wall studs run from the foundation all the way to the attic, typically in two story construction. Such framing creates an almost perfect chimney if you get a fire in the wall.

I know about this because my son and I spent the better part of an afternoon putting in fireblocks on our house framing when we did some renovation work a few years back. FWIW the floor joists for the second floor were real 2X8's, 25 foot long with nary a knot in the half a dozen or so that I inspected.

Regards

alfa6 ;>}

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

I ran over a nest of those things with a lawnmower once. My wife described the scene: 'a blue and red streak across the yard.' Luckily I'm not allergic.

I did the same thing once. Got a nasty sting in the thumb that kept me awake all night. Should consider myself lucky I only had two stings total