Tracker jacker

Tracker jackers on a Hunger Games promo poster.

"Most people can't tolerate more than a few stings. Most die at once. If you live, the hallucinations brought on by the venom have actually driven people to madness."

—Katniss Everdeen

Tracker jackers are genetically engineered wasp muttations, designed and invented by the Capitol. They exist only as a conception of the sadistic tendencies of Panem's dictators. They are genetically programmed to attack anyone or anything that disturbs their nest. They follow their targets far away from their nests, unlike natural vespids.

Quick Answers

What are the effects of a tracker jacker sting in the Hunger Games?

In the Hunger Games, a tracker jacker sting causes intense pain and significant swelling, reaching the size of an orange within minutes. The venom induces fear-based hallucinations, potentially leading to madness. Numerous stings in quick succession can result in death.

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How were tracker jackers created in the Hunger Games universe?

In the Hunger Games universe, tracker jackers are deadly wasp muttations, larger than regular wasps with gold-colored bodies. They were genetically engineered in the Capitol to attack anyone disturbing their nest, following their targets over great distances. Introduced during the first rebellion, their stings induce powerful hallucinations and can be lethal in large numbers.

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How do tracker jackers differ from regular wasps in the Hunger Games?

Tracker jackers are genetically modified wasps in the Hunger Games, larger than regular wasps and possessing solid gold bodies. Created by the Capitol, they are programmed to attack anything that disturbs their nest and pursue their targets far from their nests. Their stings carry venom that induces powerful hallucinations and can be fatal. They were used like land mines by the Capitol during the First Rebellion.

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What role do tracker jackers play in the Hunger Games?

In the Hunger Games, tracker jackers are deadly, genetically engineered wasp mutations created by the Capitol. They attack any disturbance to their nest and pursue their targets relentlessly. Their stings inflict severe pain and induce hallucinations that can result in madness. These gold-bodied wasps, larger than regular species, were deployed around the districts during the first rebellion.

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History

During the Dark Days, the Capitol used tracker jackers nests like land mines, strategically planting them around the districts of Panem. After the Dark Days, the Capitol destroyed all the nests around the city, but they left nests in place around the districts— particularly in the woods outside District 12 and in District 11's orchards. This was a reminder of their weakness, and to keep them confined within their fences.

74th Hunger Games

Katniss Everdeen preparing to drop the tracker jacker nest.

There were a number of tracker jacker nests in the 74th Hunger Games arena. Katniss Everdeen, the female tribute from District 12, was able to saw a branch off the tree she'd camped out in and drop a nest onto the Career Tributes below her. Two tributes were killed by the wasps, and the others who survived their stings were passed out for a while afterwards; Katniss only woke after sleeping through two nights. The Careers were still recovering for days after.

Second Rebellion

During his imprisonment in the Capitol, Peeta Mellark was hijacked with tracker jacker serum. Later, in the Battle of the Capitol, Squad 451 discovered that a wave of noxious black tar had triggered another pod containing tracker jackers, leaving their bodies on the ground along one block. Presumably, the wasps had been killed by the fumes.

Appearance

Tracker jackers were larger than normal wasps, and they had solid gold bodies. Naturally, they had stingers that would transfer venom to their victims; one or two stings could cause powerful hallucinations, but several could prove lethal.

CGI tracker jacker from The World Is Watching: Making the Hunger Games

Tracker jacker concept art for The Hunger Games: Girl On Fire

Effects

Stings

Tracker jacker envenomation was considered extremely painful and caused localized swelling that progressed dramatically in minutes following the initial exposure; the stung area's final size typically ranged from that of a plum to that of an orange. Without treatment, intense pain could persist for days. The venom could be lethal in a relatively low dose - multiple stings in a quick succession usually led to swift death.

Hallucinations

Tracker jacker venom was engineered to target the part of the brain that generates fear, creating terrifying hallucinations that can drive a person to madness. The images are bizarre and often seem false afterwards, though they are vivid at the time; however, it can be difficult to discern fact from fiction even once its effects wear off. Peeta Mellark, who received countless doses of venom, later was able to identify influenced memories because they were "shiny."

Tracker jacker venom causes visual, auditory, olfactory, and tactile hallucinations. After being stung three times, Katniss Everdeen experienced a number of false sensations. She believed a "foul-smelling green liquid" was oozing from her stings, and that the same substance exploded from Glimmer's. She also thought Glimmer's flesh was disintegrating under her hands. Soon after, she saw a butterfly the size of a house; humming orange bubbles; trees transforming to blood; and she saw and felt ants crawling from her blisters and boring into her eyes. Even once she passed out, she had nightmares of her loved ones and herself dying in horrific ways, and she slept for two nights.

In The Hunger Games film, Katniss hallucinated Caesar Flickerman stepping out from behind a tree, telling the audience about the effects of the tracker jacker venom.

Hijacking

Main article: Hijacking

Tracker jacker venom can also be used to "hijack" memories in a highly secretive form of torture. A memory is called up by some sort of stimulus, and tracker jacker venom is injected in small enough quantities that it causes little physical reaction and minimal hallucination, while still targeting the fear center of the brain. The memory then becomes subconsciously associated with fear and pain, as well as being perceptibly warped. Afterwards, the brain rerecords the memory in the altered form.

Counteraction

Smoke sedation

Like real vespids, smoke can be used to sedate tracker jackers and minimize the risk of being stung in the first place. This technique was the rebels' one defense against the wasps in the Dark Days.

Treatment

Stings

A certain type of leaf could draw out the poison. This remedy was known to Mrs. Everdeen and workers in the orchards of District 11, who often carried the leaves with them. These leaves could be applied by chewing and applying them topically, as Rue did for Katniss, though Mrs. Everdeen used another method. Katniss later applied the leaves to Peeta's sting and, since they drew out infection, the leg wound he'd been given by Cato.

Hijacking

Primrose Everdeen suggested that doctors from District 13 treat Peeta by hijacking him back: calling up memories under the calming influence of morphling in order to associate them with positive emotions.

Known victims

A monthly comparison chart from Capitol.PN, showing the number of tracker jacker attacks in each district.

Deaths

• Glimmer
• District 4 female (74th HG)

Injuries

• Orchard workers in District 11
• Katniss Everdeen - stung three times
• District 3 male (74th HG)
• Marvel
• Cato
• Clove
• Peeta Mellark - stung once; later hijacked with venom by the Capitol

Etymology

Tracker jackers are named for their ability to track victims far from their nests. The term is also a play on "yellowjacket", which is a type of wasp.