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Tracker jackers on a Hunger Games promo poster.

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[src]

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.[1]

History[]

During the First Rebellion, 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[1] and in District 11's orchards.[2] This was a reminder of their weakness, and to keep them confined within their fences.[1]

74th Hunger Games[]

Katniss tracker jackers

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,[1] and the others who survived their stings were passed out for a while afterwards; Katniss only woke after sleeping through two nights.[2] The Careers were still recovering for days after.[3]

Second Rebellion[]

During his imprisonment in the Capitol, Peeta Mellark was hijacked with tracker jacker serum.[4] 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.[5]

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.[1]

Effects[]

Stings[]

Tracker jacker stings commonly range from the size of a plum to the size of an orange, and they reach their full size only a few minutes after initial contact. The stings themselves are extremely painful and remain so for days unless treated. If stung many times in a short period, victims quickly succumb to the venom and die.[1]

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.[2] Peeta Mellark, who received countless doses of venom, later was able to identify influenced memories because they were "shiny."[6]

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.[1] Even once she passed out, she had nightmares of her loved ones and herself dying in horrific ways, and she slept for two nights.[2]

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.[7]

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.[4]

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 First Rebellion.[1]

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.[2] These leaves could be applied by chewing and applying them topically, as Rue did for Katniss, though Mrs. Everdeen used another method.[2] Katniss later applied the leaves to Peeta's sting and, since they drew out infection, the leg wound he'd been given by Cato.[8]

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.[9]

Known victims[]

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

Deaths[]

Injuries[]

Etymology[]

Tracker jackers are named for their ability to track victims far from their nests.[1] The term is also a play on "yellowjacket", which is a type of wasp.

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 The Hunger Games, Chapter 14
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 The Hunger Games, Chapter 15
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 The Hunger Games, Chapter 16
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 Mockingjay, Chapter 13
  5. Mockingjay, Chapter 20
  6. Mockingjay, Chapter 19
  7. The Hunger Games (film)
  8. 8.0 8.1 The Hunger Games, Chapter 19
  9. Mockingjay, Chapter 14
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