Mangalore: Stirring Up a Hornets' Nest, Literally!
Daijiworld Media Network—Mangalore (MM/CN)
Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje
Mangalore, Sep 13: The nest in question was the home of some hornets built on a coconut tree near Daivajna Kalyana Mantap in Ashoknagar. Hornets are not dangerous unless someone provokes them. Then, their bite can even kill a human being, as it contains venom.
No one can predict when or how they are provoked and as a result the vicinity of the nest is always at risk from these stinging insects. Therefore, the people in the area decided to destroy the nest at an appropriate time. They sought the help of local firefighters for this purpose.
Firefighters, including chief fire officer Varadarajan inspected the spot on Friday September 12 and decided to carry out the operation at night. This time, instead of putting out a fire, the firefighters had to light one to destroy the nest of hornets!
As hundreds of locals watched the proceedings with a mixture of curiousity and anxiety, a large number of hornets perished in the fire. Known as ‘pilikudel’ in Tulu, hornets are considered a dangerous species.