Worried about wasps and bees

[EddieWalker]

It gets too cold in this part of East Texas for killer bees. He is farther North then I am.

Ground bees can be an issue if you keep going over the same spot. I've hit them a few times and found that on the first pass, you wake them up. If you see any bees flying around the ground in front of you, don't go there again until you've dealt with the next. Wasps seem to be more in the bushes, not in the grass areas. I've found that when you hit one of their nests, they attack the tractor first. I've been lucky enough to back away and not get stung, and one time when there was what seems like hundreds of them, I just turned it off and ran away!!!

I always spray myself with bug spray before mowing. Especially in the back of my neck and head. They seem to like that the best. There are so many bugs here in the woods that it's a never ending battle dealing with them. My next tractor will have a cab. I paid cash for the one I have now, a 35hp 4x4 Century that has been great, but without a cab, it's still a battle going out to mow. Another thing for me is that it just gets too hot from July to September to enjoy mowing during the afternoon. I either mow first thing in the morning, or late in the afternoon into the night. I've been out as late as midnight, which I enjoy. Fun to see what's out there at night. Coyotes follow me, armadillos jump in front of me, then out of the way at the last minute and hogs will walk right past me.

I can see damaging the cab if you run into stuff. Whenever I get around to buying a tractor with a cab, I'll have to either pay attention t how close I get to my trees, or spend some time pruning the lower branches off.

 

[kevin37b]

As many others have said , that cab will be much cheaper than a helicopter ride .If you hit a nest of them mean guys that nest in the ground you will be rethinking the cab thing .

 

[newbury]

I finished mowing around the hives my buddy keeps at our place in my bee suit after I got stung in the face a couple of times. Not a good as a cab, but quite a bit cheaper.

Most of the time (so far over the years) when I'm "in the woods" with my tractor I'm doing something that involves getting off the tractor frequently. I'm cutting trail, cutting trees, chainsawing etc. Sometimes the flying creatures (especially the deer flies and mosquitoes) get thick. I've bought two sheer nylon veils and use them with the hat/cap of the day.

Keeps ALL the bugs away from my face if I'm on the tractor or not. I wear clothes for most of the rest of my body.

It even works well for my 200 yard trip to the mailbox.

 

[GLyford]

I don't water my lawn in the summer, just let it go dormant, so in a dry summer like last year it is not unusual to go all August without mowing, then start again once the fall rains start. First pass around the yard and I got a stung like 3 or 4 times after bumping a maple sapling with the mower chute. White face hornets, I hadn't even seen them there. Two yards from the driveway, and the sidewalk along the street. Once I knew to look, the nest was the size of a basketball. I took the picture from comfort of my (truck) cab. Sorry it is fuzzy. In addition to hornets, we also get yellowjackets which can be either on buildings, vehicles, or structures, or in holes in the ground.

 

[Wakey]

If you are allergic to bee stings, ask your doctor about an EpiPen auto injector.

 

[mjw357]

If you are allergic to bee stings, ask your doctor about an EpiPen auto injector.

I'll second that. A couple of my co-workers were in a rural area, both got stung by ground bees. The one fellow is allergic, and they had no idea where to get medical help and cell service was very poor. They did have a couple of benadryl on them, which slowed the reaction down but didn't stop it. They drove around and finally found a fire station to get some medical help. He was turning pale and it was getting hard for him to talk/breathe by the time they got assistance. He got 2 epi pens, one for a bag he keeps with him in the field and another in his vehicle.

 

[gwstang]

Those little midget yellow jackets that nest in a hole in the ground will tear you up. I always watch the last round when I am cutting the fields so I can see them swarming around the hole in the ground. Those things are sneaky too. Feels like someone poured liquid fire down your arm/leg by the time you realize that you have disturbed the nest. I have jumped off the old 8N turning off the ignition switch as I jump off. I would go back an hour later and they would still be stinging the tractor swarming around it. I hate those things. Hornet nests are the next worse. I always have a couple near the house or in one of the fields around the edges. I have twice been right up against one and the guard that stays around the hole will start buzzing his wings. I would slowly back up and get the he** out of dodge. What is weird is sometimes they build one high up around the trunk/limb of a tree and the next one will be about head high. They are hard to see too because the nest is gray. I work with a fellow that was on his tractor cutting one of his trails and he ran face first into one that was on a limb hanging over the trail. He had knots all over his face the next day...ouch. Those things are of the devil as far as I am concerned.

One from a couple of years ago.



Last year about 30 yards from the house.

 

[BigRol]

Diesel fuel,they disappear and don't come back.

 

[stuckmotor]

If I was anywhere near where killer bees were or were likely to turn up, I'd want a cab. A cab with sctatcnes is better than a driver with hundreds of bees stinging him.

 

[jrclark]

For whatever reason, it seems ground bees prefer chainsaws to tractors. Not once did anyone get stung while cutting trees to clear our land. The moment I used the tractor to lift a dead rootball - stung multiple times. Those little sh**s hurt when they hit you in the face.

As far as a cabbed tractor for use in the woods, I'm sure it's a great idea for those who can afford it. Even if I could afford one, doubt I'd be willing to cut paths everywhere just to prevent a few scratches. Not every log or brush pile is conveniently placed next to a trail.