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There is currently a large bee's nest in the bank of the sink at Emerald. It's in the bank of the sink itself about 2-3' above the water line, to the left of the stairs as you look up the stairs. They left us alone, even during multiple trips up/down stairs with bottles, but please be aware.
Also, wasps were starting to build a small nest in the porta john TP holder.
Thanks for the update, Mer.
On a related note, has anyone been downstream lately?
Yeah, I saw them Saturday. They almost ran Gerri out of the portajohn. There are two holes about 3 feet above the water, on the right side of the steps going down the steps, about 4 or 5 feet from the steps. Looked real busy. I think they were there a couple of years ago in almost the same place. Looked like yellow jackets to me, I would not aggravate them.
Someone also decided to install a rope with a float on it attached to 3 handicap parking signs, properly peppered with a shotgun for effect, and tied off to a stainless steel mailbox. Jason Ottinger and I are going over Weds evening to get it out, along with the beer cans and bottles lying about. I will leave the deer bones(I hope they are deer bones) in the sink to add to the local flavor of diving NW Florida.
AJ, we looked downstream a bit Saturday, looked good. Generally vis was 50 feet or so, a bit of milk, percolation off the ceiling. Wall to wall in the basin.
I always try to grab trash in there, but was not prepared with my "cave liftbag." Thanks for helping clean her out!
Yeeehaaw!
The wasps in the porta john were a bit aggressive. That being said, floor might need to be washed....
I like it. Did y'all make it to the Fish Hole/ Clearcut T? What was going on there?Quote:
Originally Posted by OFG-1
Nah, we were mixed too hot for that. We just screwed around at 130' or less, and upstream to Split. Short trip.Quote:
Originally Posted by PfcAJ
Should come and dive in the DR, there are industrial strength wasps pretty much everywhere and the wild bees nests in some of the cave entrances are lethal.
Yea, there were so many bees in one sinkhole that we aborted the dive. Hard decision, considering how long and hard a trip it was just to get to the sinkhole. I got hit by a wasp climbing out of a nearby sinkhole.Quote:
Originally Posted by phillip1
If I goto DR, I'll bring a few cans of brake cleaner, that'll show em.Quote:
Originally Posted by phillip1
'Merica!
You are too young to buy brake cleaner. They card people buying brake cleaner these days. :rollguyQuote:
Originally Posted by SuPrBuGmAn
Besides, that sinkhole had dozens of hives, and probably thousands of bees. It would be hard to get them all.
Doesn't tobacco smoke tranquilize bees? maybe a couple of locals could hang around smoking while you dive?
You buy the brake cleaner, I'll take care of the wasps.
If video games did anything other than rot my brain, they atleast quickened up my response time on the trigger.
Wasp & Hornet spray does the same thing.Quote:
Originally Posted by SuPrBuGmAn
This is how I would handle it...Quote:
Originally Posted by SuPrBuGmAn
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_apQYP-lOI
This is a better way: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pm9H5DpBD6gQuote:
Originally Posted by jj1987
if they are honey bees (not the african variety). As the proud new owner of a backyard apiary i can atest that a hives worth of bees has value. A swarms worth (half a hive or so) of bees is well over $100...Bill
Please don’t use brake cleaner; it is composed of regulated substances (chlorinated solvents) not suitable for introduction into groundwater. You would possibly be knowingly and willfully causing a release of TCE to groundwater. TCE in gw make DEP not happy. Use commercially available hornet spray as mentioned above or just let em Bee.
Your killin me John - LOLQuote:
Originally Posted by jmaddox
So John, is it still OK to fill a coke bottle with gasoline and shove it neck first into the hole?Quote:
Originally Posted by jmaddox
Only if it's unleaded.
Well now OFG, I certainly can't tell you its OK to release BTEX to soil, surface water or groundwater...but it does biodegrade much more rapidly than chlorinateds (weeks vs. decades). If you cause a sheen on surface water your in violation of the clean water act (http://www.epa.gov/oem/content/lawsregs/sheenovr.htm).
These VOCs can migrate amazingly fast through soil to impact groundwater, especially in karst areas that have highly permeable soils and a very shallow water table (like N Florida). But it does work great on fire ants; I'll give you that. I wouldn’t let anyone on my property in Florida with a geoprobe or hand auger w/o a warrant for that very reason : ) who knows what the previous owner may have done, right ; 0
sorry for the hijack - hope those bees dont get after anyone. dont zip one up in your dry suit.
Quote:
Originally Posted by OFG-1
Im not a doctor but you might want to ask one about that before you try it at home.
Kind of like DMSO? I put that on the back of my hand for tendonitis, and can taste it immediately. (Don't try this at home - so says the FDA.)Quote:
Originally Posted by jmaddox
The mechanism is slightly different, but yeah. DMSO is cool stuff, in one of my college labs we dumped some in a beaker w/ a [wee little bit] of citric acid and you could taste it through your toes. But yeah don’t try that at home, it’s a great way to get acute exposure to just about anything.
I really need to go diving btw, its been WAY too long. Speaking of Emerald does anyone know if one is able to enter/exit @ Clearcut?
Yes, For divers who are approved to dive Emerald, a reservation can be made to dive Clearcut by crossing out Emerald on the reservation form and writing in Clearcut. We dove Clearcut (and Emerald) this weekend, and the conditions are great. Basins are nasty on the top, but clear up before 20 ft.
Keith
Quote:
Originally Posted by jmaddox
Thanks Keith!
HAHAHA! PricelessQuote:
Originally Posted by jmaddox
Atleast come down and chill in Wakulla for a bit, been a long time dude.Quote:
Originally Posted by jmaddox