Yellow Jacket Nests While Bush hogging, whats your plan?

[John Fitzgerald]

It's happened to me a couple of times while push mowing. After running away, while getting stung initially, I wired down the handle, and left the mower running over the hole until it whacked them all.

 

[Chriswt314]

.If clothed, they'll sting through your clothing.

If you tractor without clothing, please remember sunscreen.

 

[Eagle1]

I wear my shorts and socks.........

 

[OzarkChris]

Anyone have a pic of what the nest looks like? might be able to avoid if we know what to look for.

I actually like this cast aluminum one best - no survivors!

 

[splotch]

I was on my Ventrac mowing a steep incline side says. I had to endure the little ba$t@… stinging me until I could get the mower on safe ground. I went about half a football field before I realized I was still moving along the incline lol. I finally got it to a safe position and ran. I had them in clothes and every where. When I made it in the house I was in my underwear at this time one flew out from my boxers. I haven’t been stung since that day but I visually check any area I mow for activity. I also try to mow late or early. To this day a sweat bee can send me hauling a$$….

 

[frcnLS]

About a month ago I saw a couple of small mounds of fine soil (like tiny pebbles) that resembled an ant hill about 1½" tall, but with a opening hole the size of the body of a Sharpie marker. I curiously put a pine needle down the hole and it stopped a good 5 or 6" deep. 'Huh?' I thought to myself. I smoothed it over with my boot covering it up, stepped on it to compress the soil and left it. It reappeared a day or so later... Around that time I saw the largest yellow jacket I have ever seen- about the length of three 'normal ones' but with substantial girth. I realized it was a queen creating a nest. Got the wasp spray and held down the nozzle until the hole was filled and covered it up.

 

[Pleease]

Happened to me several years ago while weedeating a steep little bank behind our house. Didn't hear anything - gas machine - and was wearing gym shorts and t-shirt. They got me about a dozen times, some inside the shorts (but not, well, you know). Hurt pretty bad!

I'd never reacted much to a sting or two, but in a short while my face started swelling pretty badly as did my tongue - could hardly speak. Wife rushed me to the ER, they gave me a shot (steroid I think) and everything deflated in a hurry.

Scary stuff! Hope it doesn't happen like to you guys, on my tractor - especially on the big hill at the lake!

 

[gmcmhn]

Get a couple cans of insect bomb, the kind to push the tab and it mists on its own. Spray yourself and then spray over your shoulder, the yellow jackets will be following the heat, yours and the tractor. The bee keepers outfit is the best suggestion so far.

 

[MarblemountLane]

Ground hornets are no joke. Dad was hooking behind a Cat in 1947, got into a nest and they lit him up like a Christmas tree. They raced him to a hospital in an old Buick Eight, managed to save him. Didn’t get stung again for 20 years, but 1967 was a bad summer in Washington for ground hornets, and we got into them on the Cow Heaven trail. One sting, and he started getting all the same symptoms as in 1947. He never had an allergy before. Further experience proved he had been sensitized specifically to ground hornets. He could still weather a bee sting (he actually kept honey bees for a number of years).

Trail horses know what it means when someone yells “Bees!” Suddenly there is a lot of stomping, furious tail action, and everything goes into overdrive.

BTW jumping off is always risky. Between hydraulic valves and the aftermarket Ford ROPS someone added to my Massey 204, the only place to exit is to the right, ahead of the rear tire. Fortunately, the 204 has ReversOmatic (not sure they knew the word “hydrostatic” in 1959) and will stop if my foot is off the pedal. But stopping is not always instantaneous.

 

[Bobrown14]

Just keep going in the tractor watching the yellow jackets from the cab

This ^^^^ I ran over 2 HORNETS nests the last time I brush hogged. Watched those big fuggers bouncing off my cab windows. They were pissed. The nests were huge basketball sized - I ran one over cut it in half the other 1 I ran into with my fel.

While they were bouncing off the windows I realized they might find a hole or 2 in the floor board where shifters and pedals go thru.... I moved on to another area and steered clear of the nests. Next day went back and both nests were gone. I'm thinking bear helped out with that.