Hornets

[perrotoro]

I'm new to tractor cutting. I'm sure this has been discussed if I were to dig deep in a search, but if attacked by Hornets on an open tractor, I'm told by one here at work to not panic, nor try to get off the tractor, but to proceed on with head down until the swarm recedes. Any other or better suggestions?

 

[SPYDERLK]

Hold your breath. They home in on CO2 and Infrared/heat. The tractor has both so it confuses their response by camouflaging you to some extent. ... Proceed on quickly.

 

[ning]

Hold your breath. They home in on CO2 and Infrared/heat. The tractor has both so it confuses their response by camouflaging you to some extent. ... Proceed on quickly.

and come back with a flame thrower!

 

[atsah]

I ran over an underground yellow jacket next with my bush hog and they were not happy, I saw them when I was on top of it, I got stung about 8 times, I sat the bush hog on top of the next and ran it at 540RPM for 20 minutes, no more bees,,

 

[RjCorazza]

I have also heard the CO2 and not breathing thing. The one time I was swarmed by yellow jackets I just ran (while stripping almost buck naked).
I suspect the stay on the tractor thing is more so you don’t get injured or killed while bailing off a moving machine.

 

[oosik]

For whatever reason I don't have ground dwelling hornets, wasps or yellow jackets. They all make their nests in the low hanging branches of my largest Ponderosa pines.

About six years ago I became "involved" with a large nest of yellow jackets. Did I sit quietly on the tractor and hold my breath - - YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING.

I ran like a red-necked reb - heading for his grandma's home style B-B-Q. Between running like a mad man, flailing my arms, swinging and swatting like a fool - I only got stung three times.

Now if you want to talk about our Bald Faced Hornets - - those things are just pure meanness. They will fly clear across my yard - hit me like a paint ball - grab hold - take a BIG bite out the closest flesh near them. Then when they have digested that mouth full - they will sting - just for pure meanness. Some call them Tribal Hornets due to their facial markings.

 

[Deere Dude]

About six years ago I became "involved" with a large nest of yellow jackets. Did I sit quietly on the tractor and hold my breath - - YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING.

I ran like a red-necked reb - heading for his grandma's home style B-B-Q. Between running like a mad man, flailing my arms, swinging and swatting like a fool - I only got stung three times..

Staying on my tractor was the last thing I did when I crashed into a low hanging nest. I slapped the tractor in high gear and wide open for a couple hundred feet, screeched to a halt and continued running and flailing for another hundred feet. I couldn't hold my breath and scream at the same time.

 

[CADplans]

When I run over ground hornets, I drive away at usual mowing speed, they never chase.

We had a bald face hornet nest on the side of the shed, a couple years ago.
I have a decal stuck on the garage door of the VT Hokie bird, around the corner from where the nest was.

Well, I sprayed that nest with insecticide from 30 feet away, and ran to the screened porch, which is about 50 feet away.
When the hornets started coming out of that nest, They started flying,,, looking for somebody.
They saw the Hokie bird decal, and started slamming into the eyes of the decal, I could see them, and hear the hits on the thin steel garage door.

That encounter taught me to respect those insects,,, future sprays were done after dark
It took three sprayings to eliminate the hornets.

Those hornets were not homing in on CO2,,, they KNEW what eyes look like,,,

I always thought CO2 was a mosquito thing??

 

[Coyote machine]

Spectracide Pro, Hornet and Wasp killer. This ***** works. Drops anything instantly from a live nest. Nothing will move or survive, or exit a nest if you aim at the exit hole and spray the crap out of the nest. It will also kill returning bees/hornets/wasps for up to 4 weeks. I spray a nest from up to 25' away, and the general vicinity in case a hornet is returning to the nest- once they touch the wet surface they are toast. No more having them follow you or chase you, DEAD is all they are, every time! :thumbsup:

 

[Thomas]

Yes hold your breath and protect your eye as much as possible,I carry long sleeve shirt/sweat shirt just in case.