"&%$#" Yellow Jackets!!!!!!

[Ford960]

I went out to mow a few lots this morning and since the first one was next to one that I did last and ran into Yellow Jackets I wore a long sleeve flannel shirt tucked in over a T-shirt, a ski mask, a hard hat, and had my pants legs tucked into my socks.
Well I didn't find the jackets on that lot or my get-up worked as I had planned.

On to the next lot down the street, the guys were marking the corners for me and I helped them out by knocking down trees so that they could get to the back and find those pins. As I was coming back out I was all of a sudden attacked by hundreds of angry Yellow Jackets. They started on my left ankle and and I got it three times as I slammed the tractor in reverse to get away. Standing on the right brake spun me around and I grabbed 4th gear. I came out of there knocking down trees all the way and shot out on the road along with a couple of trees. Once there I shut down the tractor and jumped off and was fighting those little ***. There where more than a dozen under my left arm and one stung me on the left eye lid.

The guys made it out and came to my rescue as I was being stung through my clothes numerous times. All total I got it over 18 times, besides my ankle and eye lid I got 7 on my right fore arm, 1 on the left hand, 2 on the back of my neck, 2 under my left arm, 1 on the right knee, 1 each on my belly and left chest.

It's safe to say that my precautions failed miserably and 11 hours later I'm still hurting. Does anyone have any ideas of how to get this lot mowed and not get stung senseless by the Yellow Jackets?

I'm going to buy netting to go over my hard hat and thought maybe a heavy rain suit may stop them. The legs would get duct taped to my shoes and the arms to my gloves. Plus the netting taped to the coat all around. I also have a heavy insulated jump suit to use instead of the rain suit. Either one is going to be hot and both have hoods.

Everyone here keeps telling me to find the nest and kill them before I mow, but they don't understand that Yellow Jackets live in the ground and finding a nest isn't that easy.

After I got my act together I went to the other end of the lake and mowed 2 adjacent lots and other than hitting and TV and chopping it to smithereens didn't have a problem. It's strange that I've never had a Yellow Jacket problem on this end of the lake, only the south end. Unfortunately most of the lots to mow are in the south end. I told the developer that I was going to start charging for hazardous duty. Good thing that I'm not allergic to them.

Ford

 

[mudcat]

Sounds like you need a tractor with a cab.

 

[AchingBack]

Ford 960, here are some thoughts, and I will expand them later into a discussion of why I prefer hydro over gear. In the meantime, if you can't afford a beekeeper suit, buy yourself a cheap pair of Tyvec coveralls. I don't believe a yellow jacket can penetrate it very easily. Heck, buy two pair. They are quite light weight, and not as expensive as the pain of all those bites. Soak in baking soda, and apply honey to the bites.

Since you already know where the nest is, you or someone should go back into the field with some raw liver. Put it as close to the nest as possible. Soon, a skunk will find both, and dispatch the nest in the process. Why not just wipe out the nest a night with chemicals? I had one the size of a basketball. Knocked it out with starting fluid.

May God speed your healing,
Bob

 

[Pooh_Bear]

Thank God I haven't seen any of those varmits in a long time.

We used to go out CAREFULLY to around where we suspected the nest was,
and look for a hole in the ground where they going in and out.
Later that nite after it was good and dark we would go back.
Pour gas down the hole and light it. That kills them.
They should be most all of them in the nest at night.
You might see a few flying around drunk from the gas and fumes.
After the fire goes out, dig up the nest and destroy it to kill the eggs.

This always worked for us.

Pooh Bear

 

[RollTideRam]

Several years ago, I worked for a pest control company. Our "bee" suit was just white coveralls, a white safari hat with the net on it. I don't know what is was, but they never attacked the white suit. I know it hurt, those rascals are in the hornet family and are very mean. JC

 

[Ford960]

Sounds like you need a tractor with a cab.

Won't work as the tree limbs would knock the cab off in the first ten minutes. If I were mowing some nice open fields then I would definately go that route.

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e380/Capt-Ron/Lots/C0015Indian1.jpg

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e380/Capt-Ron/Lots/C0223Pinto1.jpg

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e380/Capt-Ron/Lots/C1533RedWing2.jpg

 

[Ford960]

Ford 960, here are some thoughts, and I will expand them later into a discussion of why I prefer hydro over gear. In the meantime, if you can't afford a beekeeper suit, buy yourself a cheap pair of Tyvec coveralls. I don't believe a yellow jacket can penetrate it very easily. Heck, buy two pair. They are quite light weight, and not as expensive as the pain of all those bites. Soak in baking soda, and apply honey to the bites.

Since you already know where the nest is, you or someone should go back into the field with some raw liver. Put it as close to the nest as possible. Soon, a skunk will find both, and dispatch the nest in the process. Why not just wipe out the nest a night with chemicals? I had one the size of a basketball. Knocked it out with starting fluid.

May God speed your healing,
Bob

Bob, I looked at the Bee Keeper suits but I wonder if they would really work. These are the meanest Yellow Jackets that I've ever seen, they stung me through two layers of loose clothing. Last week they chased the truck as I was leaving.

I know about where the nest might be but it's all overgrown and pinpointing the nest is going to be hard.
As far as letting a skunk get them they are rare here. I've been looking up info about wiping out the pests and may try a few that I found on the internet.

Thanks

 

[Ford960]

Thank God I haven't seen any of those varmits in a long time.

We used to go out CAREFULLY to around where we suspected the nest was,
and look for a hole in the ground where they going in and out.
Later that nite after it was good and dark we would go back.
Pour gas down the hole and light it. That kills them.
They should be most all of them in the nest at night.
You might see a few flying around drunk from the gas and fumes.
After the fire goes out, dig up the nest and destroy it to kill the eggs.

This always worked for us.

Pooh Bear

Pooh Bear, That would work except that the area is heavily wooded and setting the woods on fire is not something that I want to be charged with.
I only need to get rid of them for a couple of hours, just long enough to mow the brush and saplings off the lot. Besides, my hand don't fit a shovel handle.
Since they don't see well at night maybe I should try to mow then...NOPE!!!

Thanks

 

[Ford960]

Several years ago, I worked for a pest control company. Our "bee" suit was just white coveralls, a white safari hat with the net on it. I don't know what is was, but they never attacked the white suit. I know it hurt, those rascals are in the hornet family and are very mean. JC

RTR, I looked up some of those suits on the internet but unless they specifically claim that a Yellow Jacket can't get through it then I would rather not waste money on them. I need a sure fire, proven Yellow Jacket proof suit that I can depend on and still operate the tractor.

Thanks

 

[Farwell]

You do not need to light the gas. Kerosene, diesel fuel or gasoline will kill the nest in the ground. I fill a 2 liter soda bottle 3/4 full of fuel, wait until it is almost dark, turn the bottle upside down into the yellow jacket hole and it will kill all of them. I want to light the fuel to get even with the yellow jackets for all of their stings but common sense has prevailed so far.
Farwell