Hornets

[Handloader109]

Call your cable guy..... changed service last year and he eradicated a large nest in my attic. Took him a couple of spray cans, but what a guy..

 

[rd_macgregor]

For ground-nesters, I drop a few mothballs into the hole in the evening, then cover it with a board or flat rock.
The stripey things overview is funny (but not comprehensive by a long stretch). My experience with bumblebees is that, at at least some of them (there are many species), while reluctant to sting, really pack a whallop when they do.
Threads like this make me really, really glad that I have a cabbed tractor!

 

[GirlWhoWantsTractor]

Here's a trick. If you have the kind of wasps or hornets that build their nests under eaves and such, they chose that spot because it is a paper nest and must remain DRY. Just spray it gently with a garden hose. They will think they got rained on and abandon the nest the next day.

 

[Sittingbull2]

Back around 1998. I was on my 4 wheeler in my pasture finding stumps so my brother would not run over them while bush hogging. He made a few passes in the pasture, I am up front by the road he is in the back. I come up to a stump and the weeds about 4 ft. tall. My front wheel comes into contact with a stump and I commence to cut around the stump with machete out comes a bumble bee the ones that look like a carpenter bee that drills holes in your exposed lumber. They are smaller and fuzzy looking. Needless to say one stung me. I smashed him, well needless to say that brought out the whole army on me. I am still on my 4 wheeler with tire up against stump vibrating it from the engine. Now here is the bad part I am a paraplegic can't walk can't run. I bale off my 4 wheeler and start rolling on the ground. They tried getting in my mouth and ears. I am just trying to keep them from going down my throat. Those little B@$+@ds ate me up. My brother saw me on the ground waving my arms at vehicles going by. Everybody thought I was waving at them and the just waved back. He finally saw a black cloud over top of me. Jumped off tractor and came and rescued me. He pulled me under the bob wire fence and started throwing the fine dust up in the air and on me and they left me. I got stung over 250 times had to go to hospital. I have my own tractor now and when I mow or bush hog I wear a white t-shirt. If you wear anything dark and you get attacked they think your a bear from the dark clothes you have on.

 

[Soldier415]

This is why I have a cab

 

[jdom84]

Here's a trick. If you have the kind of wasps or hornets that build their nests under eaves and such, they chose that spot because it is a paper nest and must remain DRY. Just spray it gently with a garden hose. They will think they got rained on and abandon the nest the next day.

Interesting, so that's how the cans of spray you buy from the store work! :laughing:

I have found the best way of dealing with hornets is with a propane weed burner. A quick blast burns all their wings off and they can't get you...

I have yet to burn down my house or buildings and have been doing this for years. I have had a few smoldering nest that I quickly knock down and smash.

 

[tjkubota93]

I was driving down a real tight 4 lane going downtown to convince the nurse at work that I was ok to work after surgery. Something kept vibrating/buzzing under my seat. Older truck with some miles, who cares it makes all kind of noises. The mud tires cover up alot of noises. Well this time the noise was a problem had a bald face hornet pop out and look straight at me about 2 inches from my face. I got scared! I was able to calmly let the window down, grab my doctors note and politely shoo him out. That road is so tight the power poles have marks from busses smacking their mirrors all the time. I am very thankful I didn't have a wreck or get stung on the face! Now I spray under my vehicles with bifenthrin.

 

[Fallon]

Was glad I have a cab, QH & TnT this weekend. Apparently I hadn't used my ballast box in a while & they thought they could. Hosed it down with some spray. Now have bits of squished yellow-jacket nest on my top hook. They were not happy. A lot disappeared after I moved the tractor into the shop (near my wasp spray) & took the photo.

 

[Ghostrider16]

Haven't tried it personally, but I read on another site where a guy had ground nesting wasps. He would wait until early evening when their activity was less, then take a block of dry ice and place it near the opening, cover it with an upside down bucket, and kick dirt around the base to seal it.

The Co2 from the "melting" dry ice would permeate the underground nest, killing the colony, queen and all.

 

[DJ54]

About 6 years ago, preparing to move back into the home place here, I had some hornets build a nest under the eave of the patio, right above the steps, to go across, and into the house. I really didn't see it until it was about the size of a softball. After that, I went around to the other set of steps. It was still pretty warm, but it was supposed cool off into the 50's in a couple days. I got 2 cans of spray, and waited until that cool morning, figuring they'd be a little sluggish.

When I pulled in that morning, to my surprise that nest was in shreds on the steps, and a few stragglers buzzing/crawling around. I made quick work of them, then took a good look. I could see muddy paw prints on the 4 X 6 header, so followed it back to a 2" pipe upright supporting the roof, then on back to one of the seats on the picnic table. Apparently, a Raccoon had seen the nest, and was waiting for cool weather too.

What I'd have given to see that Coon tear that apart, to get to the hornets.

We've had them in the Maple tree's in the yard though the summer, but never got stung mowing around them. Once it hits freezing temps, the birds tear into them, and chow down.

We also do a lot of trail riding by horse back in the summer, and mostly in State Forests. In July and August when it's normally dry, you'll get reports of Yellow Jacket ground nests on the trail, usually around tree roots. If it's just 1-2 people, it's usually not a problem stirring them up. But when a group of 4, or more ride together, it's usually the 4th horse on back, that will get stung. Apparently the first few horses hooves hitting the tree roots stirs them up. You're always prepared to hear someone shout, BEES..!! Who ever is in the front of the group, best be ready to move out fast, so those few behind can get away from them. And those at the rear, do a 180, and go the other way.

Thanks to the internet, and the extensive Facebook horse group pages we belong to, warnings are posted where the bees are located on a trail, and to be aware. Years ago, we carried Benadryl capsules along, to give to the horse if the got stung. Mix it with their sweet feed, and they'll lap it right up. Now, the have antihistamines in granular form, to give the horses, if they get stung.