Philadelphia Thief Who Stole a Shop-Vac Full of Hornets In for a Surprise

A thief in the Frankford section of Northeast Philly made off with what they thought was an ordinary shop-vac.  It turns out that the thief is in for quite a surprise when the thief finds out the 'new' shop-vac is full of hornets.

This morning we spoke with Don Shump, owner of Philadelphia Bee Company, whose shop-vac it was. He had just finished a job where he had to remove a large amount of European hornets from a home. The vacuum was sitting in the bed of the pickup because the bees were trying to make their escape. I can only assume if a bunch of pissed-off hornets do get out, it's probably best they're not inside your house. That guy better hope the bees trickle out of that shop vac as opposed to him opening the lid and hundreds coming pouring out directly at him. Hey, you reap what you sow, right?

Don did post something of a message or warning on his Facebook to the unsuspecting owner of a bunch of European hornet queens.

Penn State has a pretty detailed website about hornets in our area. This little nugget from the site spells bad news for the guy who stole the shop-vac: "Most nests only contain 1,500–3,000 cells Nest size peaks in mid-September, when most nests contain 200–400 workers although large nests may have up to 1,000 workers."

So if you're in the Philadelphia area and need to know how this ends, stay tuned to the police blotter or emergency calls. When you hear an individual is being chased by a large cloud of angry hornets, led by a bunch of hornet queens, that's our thief!

It's that time again. You need to know where in the Delaware Valley you can go pumpkin picking with your family.

Pumpkin picking is a fall rite of passage. The bright orange gourds make for some lovely decorations right outside your door on a crisp autumn day. They look so pretty next to the warm-colored fallen leaves of the season.

Yes, a grocery store pumpkin does just fine in a bind, but pumpkin-picking is so much more fun. It's an activity for the whole family. Walking around a farm, sipping a latte, searching for the perfect, most unblemished pumpkin is one of the best parts of fall.

It's important to take advantage of the season's most beautiful harvest at the place where it was all grown! Local farms go all out to make sure autumn lovers have the most fun possible while there. Throw on your coziest sweater, and some boots, grab a pumpkin spice latte, and take the family to a fantastic farm.

We compiled a list of the best farms to go to for pumpkin picking this fall in the Delaware Valley. These farms have everything you need for a fun fall day.

Johnson's Corner Farm Wagon rides to their fields and orchards run from 10-5 on weekdays and 10-5 on weekends. They also have Harvest Festivals every weekend through October with Hayrides to pick pumpkins, live music, festival food, a corn maze, and more.

Styer Orchard is open Tuesdays through Sundays from 9 am- 6 pm for pick-your-own. The last hayride of the day takes off at 5:30 pm. Hayride is free. Dogs are welcome.

Indian Acres Tree Farm's Pumpkin Patch is a great place to pick out the perfect pumpkin for your fall decorations. Their friendly staff is ready to help you find exactly what you're looking for. Don't forget to buy some delicious apple cider donuts before you leave! Weekend Wagon Rides run from September 23rd through October 29th, every 10 to 15 minutes.

Shady Brook Farm has a yearly FallFest that features pumpkin picking! Bring the family for a day or night down on the farm. There's endless fun including a 5-acre corn maze, pumpkin patch, wagon rides, LIVE music, tasty food, and more.

Highland Orchards has a pick-your-own with no reservations needed! One Field Access (per person) allows you to pick any crop available on the day of your visit! On weekdays, the last call for field access is at 4 pm, with fields closing at 5 pm. On weekends, the last call for field access is at 3 pm, with fields closing at 4 pm.

Solly Brother's Farm has been family-owned and operated since 1920. They offer the fun of harvesting a wide variety of pumpkins. Activities include hayrides, face painting, pumpkin painting, and more. The farm has also straw, gourds, fall squash, Indian corn, corn stalks, cider, fall decorations, candy apples, freshly baked pies, soups, and much more available for sale.

Winding Brook Farm's pumpkin patch is open through October. They have hayrides available for $4 per person, but if you get a combo ticket, you can also access the corn maze!