Swarmed by bees this morning!

[almaryholm]

Hate to see you kill a nest full of bees nowhere around your house just because you got the wrong end of the deal bothering THEIR home...everything I read shows populations of bees are declining....

 

[Pilot]

Once again someone is calling them bees. They were yellow jackets!

 

[ruffdog]

I just noticed a football shaped hive up in one of my bigger White Pines. Usually those are the Bald Faced Hornets around here. Yes, nasty critters for sure.

 

[stuckmotor]

All of these stinging critters are why I don't like to mow in late summer. It's a pity grass doesn't grow much in cold wearher.

 

[almaryholm]

Have had BF Hornet nests in campgrounds and they never harmed anyone...pretty docile critters ( unless you are stupid enough to bang on their home) ( and they fly around the area and eat flies/ which campgrounds have PLENTY of)

 

[dave1949]

I beg to differ with you Dave... we DO have the white faced, AKA white rump, bald face, white ***ed, etc. They are the yellow jacket's evil brother and will actually follow you away from the nest, and sting you 100 yards away.


FYI; whether it's bees, fish, or peanuts; allergies can change over time, and somebody who never has had a problem can suddenly have a life threatening reaction. Also, multiple stings may bring on a reaction even if you normally aren't allergic. Part of a first aid kit should be a fresh supply of Benadryl.
Allergic Reaction to Bee Stings: How Not to Die
Like an epee pen this should be with you... NOT in your truck 1/2 mile away.

I could share horror stores of forester acquaintances who have been stung in the woods over the years... but i'll spare you the ordeal.

I've never been bothered by the bald-faced hornets, but then I've never disturbed a nest either. Came close bush hogging once. I was looking behind and approaching a tree limb. Fortunately I looked ahead in time to see I was about 8' from a nest hanging about face high. I backed out of there and they didn't get riled.

Also have had them build small nests on the underside of the deck top railing. They didn't seem to get excited by our presence. I wouldn't have left them alone if we had young kids around then, but I left them go over the summer and never had a problem. The nests never got very big, maybe the size of a baseball.

I've had the same experience with yellow jackets being more interested in the tractor than me, thank goodness. It probably is the heat, vibration or whatever.

 

[Clint S]

FYI; whether it's bees, fish, or peanuts; allergies can change over time, and somebody who never has had a problem can suddenly have a life threatening reaction. Also, multiple stings may bring on a reaction even if you normally aren't allergic. Part of a first aid kit should be a fresh supply of Benadryl.
Allergic Reaction to Bee Stings: How Not to Die
Like an epee pen this should be with you... NOT in your truck 1/2 mile away.

I could share horror stores of forester acquaintances who have been stung in the woods over the years... but i'll spare you the ordeal.

I had two relatives have SEVERE ALLERGIC REACTIONS to stings. They developed the allergies in their 40's and 50's. It seems to me that every time I get stung now the reaction is just a bit worse. Although I never had a severe reaction I asked the doc for an epi pen based on grandfather and uncle developing allergy latter in life. He was reluctant, but agreed. It makes me feel better that I have it as my grandfather died when he was hit by them.

 

[jrclark]

I'm not going to argue over taxonomy, just figured I'd share the story. Plenty of people have had it happen to them, and was hoping to hear some interesting stories.

I am fortunate that it was not much worse. The problems only started after lifting the log to finish the bottom cut. They were not thrilled at that point and decided to let me know about it. When I went back to the tractor, there were countless numbers of them swarming around the bucket and hood.

 

[jrclark]

I had two relatives have SEVERE ALLERGIC REACTIONS to stings. They developed the allergies in their 40's and 50's. It seems to me that every time I get stung now the reaction is just a bit worse. Although I never had a severe reaction I asked the doc for an epi pen based on grandfather and uncle developing allergy latter in life. He was reluctant, but agreed. It makes me feel better that I have it as my grandfather died when he was hit by them.

My brother is allergic, too. I never had allergies until my early 30s, bee/wasp allergies would not be a fun one to develop, especially when we get older and crankier!

 

[Soundguy]

it must look hilarious to the casual onlooker who happens to see someone running across the lawn waving their arms like a maniac, furiously smacking themselves.

.

1, GLAD you are ok and can laugh about it.

I think many of us have been there and know EXACTLY how you feel doing the help help help run-dance.

earlier this year i hopped onto my ford 950 trike to do some mowing. I was headed to the barn to air up a tire. got about half way there before the wasps started flowig out under the hood like water out a fire hose. I had that OH-SH-- feeling and did what most farmers with old tractors would do.. i hit the key and then dove off the side and let the tractor roll on another 10-15 ' as it died in gear and took the mad swarm MOSTLY with it!

after a few minutes i flipped up the center hood section with a stick and found a wasp nest about as big around as a grapefruit.. and opening the hood made them mad again!

come back an hour later and a pump up yard sprayer and hit the tractor with a heavy dose of permethren water emulsion mix... found a nest under each fender and one near the battery... yup.. 4 nests.

and they weren't happy their house started up and drove away.

again. glad you are ok.