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Schmidt Sting Pain Index


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Maybe we should create a similar index for rating the posts of fellow tailgaters. For example. MSF - almost surreal extremism, to the point of absurdity

Schmidt Sting Pain Index

The Schmidt Sting Pain Index or the Justin O. Schmidt Pain Index is a pain scale rating the relative pain caused by different Hymenopteran stings. It is mainly the work of Justin O. Schmidt, an entomologist at the Carl Hayden Bee Research Center. Schmidt has published a number of papers on the subject and claims to have been stung by the majority of stinging Hymenoptera.

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Notably, Schmidt described some of the experiences in vivid and almost synesthetic detail:

1.0 Sweat bee: Light, ephemeral, almost fruity. A tiny spark has singed a single hair on your arm.

1.2 Fire ant: Sharp, sudden, mildly alarming. Like walking across a shag carpet & reaching for the light switch.

1.8 Bullhorn acacia ant: A rare, piercing, elevated sort of pain. Someone has fired a staple into your cheek.

2.0 Bald-faced hornet: Rich, hearty, slightly crunchy. Similar to getting your hand mashed in a revolving door.

2.0 Yellowjacket: Hot and smoky, almost irreverent. Imagine W. C. Fields extinguishing a cigar on your tongue.

2.x Honey bee and European hornet: Like a matchhead that flips off and burns on your skin.

3.0 Red harvester ant: Bold and unrelenting. Somebody is using a drill to excavate your ingrown toenail.

3.0 Paper wasp: Caustic & burning. Distinctly bitter aftertaste. Like spilling a beaker of hydrochloric acid on a paper cut.

4.0 Tarantula hawk: Blinding, fierce, shockingly electric. A running hair drier has been dropped into your bubble bath.

4.0+ Bullet ant: Pure, intense, brilliant pain. Like fire-walking over flaming charcoal with a 3-inch rusty nail in your heel.

Click on the link for the full article

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Great descriptions. This guy must be a riot at parties, and wine tastings.

I googled him, and most of the stings were self-induced to help him develop the index.

He says he's been bitten 4 times by the bullet ant. Then this:

While he has induced many excruciating bites and stings the bullet ant sting is an experience he is not looking for again in the near future. "I'd have a real hard time forcing myself to get stung by a bullet ant" he told the Arizona Daily Star in 2007.

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from wiki...

The Satere-Mawe people of Brazil use intentional bullet ant stings as part of their initiation rites to become a warrior.[3] The ants are first rendered unconscious by submerging them in a natural chloroform, and then hundreds of them are woven into a glove made out of leaves (which resembles a large oven mitt), stinger facing inward. When the ants regain consciousness, a boy slips the glove onto his hand. The goal of this initiation rite is to keep the glove on for a full ten minutes. When finished, the boy's hand and part of his arm are temporarily paralyzed because of the ant venom, and he may shake uncontrollably for days. The only "protection" provided is a coating of charcoal on the hands, supposedly to confuse the ants and inhibit their stinging. To fully complete the initiation, however, the boys must go through the ordeal a total of 20 times over the course of several months or even years.[4]

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from wiki...

The Satere-Mawe people of Brazil use intentional bullet ant stings as part of their initiation rites to become a warrior.[3] The ants are first rendered unconscious by submerging them in a natural chloroform, and then hundreds of them are woven into a glove made out of leaves (which resembles a large oven mitt), stinger facing inward. When the ants regain consciousness, a boy slips the glove onto his hand. The goal of this initiation rite is to keep the glove on for a full ten minutes. When finished, the boy's hand and part of his arm are temporarily paralyzed because of the ant venom, and he may shake uncontrollably for days. The only "protection" provided is a coating of charcoal on the hands, supposedly to confuse the ants and inhibit their stinging. To fully complete the initiation, however, the boys must go through the ordeal a total of 20 times over the course of several months or even years.[4]

Mental Note: Do not join Satere-Mawe tribe

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from wiki...

The Satere-Mawe people of Brazil use intentional bullet ant stings as part of their initiation rites to become a warrior.[3] The ants are first rendered unconscious by submerging them in a natural chloroform, and then hundreds of them are woven into a glove made out of leaves (which resembles a large oven mitt), stinger facing inward. When the ants regain consciousness, a boy slips the glove onto his hand. The goal of this initiation rite is to keep the glove on for a full ten minutes. When finished, the boy's hand and part of his arm are temporarily paralyzed because of the ant venom, and he may shake uncontrollably for days. The only "protection" provided is a coating of charcoal on the hands, supposedly to confuse the ants and inhibit their stinging. To fully complete the initiation, however, the boys must go through the ordeal a total of 20 times over the course of several months or even years.[4]

I saw this on the Discovery Channel-absolutely brutal. I didn't realize they had to do it more than once though. If that's what it takes, I'd just have to forgo being a warrior then....

Chief: "OK, time for your second bullet ant glove initiation"

Me: "Oh nooooo. Didn't you hear? Don't wanna be no warrior no more....gonna be a performance artist now."

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I've had fire ants, yellow jackets, and paper wasps. For me the worst was the yellow jackets. Probably because I pickaxed a nest (accidentally) while gardening and instantly got swarmed and ~35 stings. I felt like I couldn't breathe for the rest of the day, and I didn't really feel right for nearly a week. Paper wasp sucked too, but it was only one, so the pain was local. The fire ants are swarmers too, so each individual one is mild, but the sum is pretty unpleasant. They caused my feet to get pretty swollen and made walking uncomfortable...

By the way, the lesson in all this is: Don't live in Houston.

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I loathe yellowjackets. There the only type I'm allergic too. I get massive, local swelling.

Still, the worst sting I've ever received was from a jellyfish that the lifeguard said had to have been four-feet long. It hit me in the chest, and wrapped around my back and both legs. THANK GOD for swimtrunks, or I wouldn't be here now.

I would describe that one as 6.1 -- being burned alive at the stake.

*shivers*

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I grew up in FL so I know what it's like to be out playing and end up standing or getting tackled playing football on a fireant mound. Not fun. The good thing about fire ant stings is that they don't hurt too badly or for too long and rubbing alcohol helps take away the stinging.

Wasps are pretty bad too-much worse than bee stings IMHO.

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from wiki...

The Satere-Mawe people of Brazil use intentional bullet ant stings as part of their initiation rites to become a warrior.[3] The ants are first rendered unconscious by submerging them in a natural chloroform, and then hundreds of them are woven into a glove made out of leaves (which resembles a large oven mitt), stinger facing inward. When the ants regain consciousness, a boy slips the glove onto his hand. The goal of this initiation rite is to keep the glove on for a full ten minutes. When finished, the boy's hand and part of his arm are temporarily paralyzed because of the ant venom, and he may shake uncontrollably for days. The only "protection" provided is a coating of charcoal on the hands, supposedly to confuse the ants and inhibit their stinging. To fully complete the initiation, however, the boys must go through the ordeal a total of 20 times over the course of several months or even years.[4]

Somebody forward this to Greg Blache, I've discovered what's wrong with Carlos Rogers!

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