Yellowjackets and OROPS- a terrible combination. Need suggestions

[GaryE]

I was hit twice last summer while mowing on my lawn tractor - stung 7-10 times each time. Seriously considered a bee suit that time. Last week hit a nest with the FEL on my BX. Got completely swarmed, but only stung once (before I knew it and swatted at "something" on my arm). This time I just stayed completely still in the seat and slowly backed the BX up the hill. Had to sit for 5 mins while they swarmed me. They would bump into me but no more stings - took everything I had not to jump off and start flailing like a madman.

Anyway, short of a closed cab, I would imagine the bee suit is the best way to go. Anything that is not tightly enclosed might just make it worse.

You are a h**l of a lot braver than I am.....

A few weeks ago I was cutting the lawn. We had a lot of rain so things were wet and traction was not real great. I turned the corner around the house when that **** 54" deck on my GT-5000 got me hung up! Tried to back up when I noticed yellow jackets EVERYWERE

So I bailed off and took a few steps back.... still getting stung..looked down ...you guest it... right on top of the nest!!!!!

So I ran, "flailing like a madman" to the front porch....swatting the little suckers not wanting to let them in the house.

I did not think I could still run as fast as I did! And this was only three days before I went in for my neck surgery.....

How you sat there...I have no idea

I HATE YELLOW JACKETS......

 

[rutwad]

You are a h**l of a lot braver than I am.....

A few weeks ago I was cutting the lawn. We had a lot of rain so things were wet and traction was not real great. I turned the corner around the house when that **** 54" deck on my GT-5000 got me hung up! Tried to back up when I noticed yellow jackets EVERYWERE

So I bailed off and took a few steps back.... still getting stung..looked down ...you guest it... right on top of the nest!!!!!

So I ran, "flailing like a madman" to the front porch....swatting the little suckers not wanting to let them in the house.

I did not think I could still run as fast as I did! And this was only three days before I went in for my neck surgery.....

How you sat there...I have no idea

I HATE YELLOW JACKETS......

Talk about a set of Brass nuts. To go back and stand on the nest, that's what I am talking about. Show 'em you ain't scared .

J/K, sounds like you were lucky.

I can imagine stirring up a yellowjacket nest, jumping off and twisting an ankle or something, etc. etc. Anything could happen, and enough stings will kill someone.

Nubota took a brave approach, but possibly the best. Once a nest is disturbed, the swarming insects come out and will attack anything but they are drawn to movement since they do not see that well. So running, swatting, flailing, or other movement will only attract them. BTW, how fast can they fly?

 

[aczlan]

Nubota took a brave approach, but possibly the best. Once a nest is disturbed, the swarming insects come out and will attack anything but they are drawn to movement since they do not see that well. So running, swatting, flailing, or other movement will only attract them. BTW, how fast can they fly?

they can fly faster than I can run for very long. a honeybee can fly at up to 15 mph, its avg flightspeed is ~9mph. (more info here: Busy Bee Page)

Aaron Z

 

[NuBota]

Hee hee - thanks for the kind words - but I wouldn't call it brave - my heart was pumping like crazy. I was on a steep hill, clearing brush, and belted in. The nest was in the pile of brush (and still is) that I was pushing down the hill with the FEL. If I was on top of them, not sure if my instinct would have been the same.

The first attack, I pulled out a stump with my truck - walked back to see my manly work, admiring the stump and walked right into the swarm. -Duh! Second on was on the lawn tractor mowing across a steep hill - ran over the nest, got hit - jumped (tractor slid down the hill) and ran. over half the stings came after I was fifty feet away - swatting and flailing.

So then I did some research. They are attracted to dark colors (that's why bee suits are white) and movement. Also, supposedly the vibration of the motor. So I wear light t-shirts now - and somehow this time - controlled my panic not to move. I believe they followed me because of the motor as I backed up the hill (which I shut off as soon as I was safe)

The first batch (the stump) I set up a sprinkler to drown them then sprayed the area with three cans of RAID. 3-4 days later, saw no more activity. The nest I ran over - research said to attack at night. So I found the hole in the dirt - marked it - went out after dark with flashlight, 2 cans of RAID, 1/2" PVC pipe, and fast running shoes. Unloaded both cans into the hole - did the trick

The current nest is tricky - big pile of sticks and leaves - watch em go in and out, but can't see the tunnel. I want to douse it with gas and torch it . But think I'll spray it down with raid and see if I see any activity.

Also learned there are two types in my area - can't remember the names. Bigger ones that sting like wasps - can sting multiple times - my stump incident. The smaller ones leave stinger in you (my last two experiences) so at least you get they satisfaction that they died - but man they seem to hurt more.

Really hate these things. It's why I won't drop big trees this time of year. Can just see that 50' oak starting to fall, get attacked, and run right into the path of the tree or forget to turn off the saw and cut my head off.....

-Eric

 

[rutwad]

Nubota, honey bees sacrifice their life to sting you. So even in a swarm of honey bees, they typically won't attack unless provoked.

Yellowjackets, hornets, wasps, etc. seem to sting just because I am there. Maybe I only see them after they are aggrevated! And to me, the honey bee sting does not even compare.

If you get stung by a honey bee, do not try to pull the stinger out. You end up squeezing more venom into yourself. Instead, use your fingernail or a credit card to scrape across the stinger and remove it.

And your right about bright colors. Not only for wasps. That is why Matadors always have the red capes.

Too bad deet won't keep them away.

 

[aczlan]

The current nest is tricky - big pile of sticks and leaves - watch em go in and out, but can't see the tunnel. I want to douse it with gas and torch it . But think I'll spray it down with raid and see if I see any activity.

see the desigh I posted a while back, it more or less blasts Sevin dust out using compressed air... it has worked well for me (Picture: )
I fill the 1-1/4" pipe most of the way with Sevin dust then I drill a 1/2" hole into the nest, spray some bee spray (or brakekleen, it is much cheaper) to quiet them down, then I hook the gun to a air tank, I stick the nose of the gun into the 1/2" hole and I empty the dust into the nest. that has killed them every time I have tried it so far.

you could stick the nozzle into the nest and coat the whole thing in dust, they will be dead within a few days.

Also learned there are two types in my area - can't remember the names. Bigger ones that sting like wasps - can sting multiple times - my stump incident. The smaller ones leave stinger in you (my last two experiences) so at least you get they satisfaction that they died - but man they seem to hurt more.

if the smaller ones leave a stinger they are probably honeybees. wasps and hornets dont leave a stinger and can sting many times.

Aaron Z

 

[GaryE]

Talk about a set of Brass nuts. To go back and stand on the nest, that's what I am talking about. Show 'em you ain't scared .

I guess I showed them

 

[GaryE]

see the desigh I posted a while back, it more or less blasts Sevin dust out using compressed air... it has worked well for me (Picture: View attachment 109633)
I fill the 1-1/4" pipe most of the way with Sevin dust then I drill a 1/2" hole into the nest, spray some bee spray (or brakekleen, it is much cheaper) to quiet them down, then I hook the gun to a air tank, I stick the nose of the gun into the 1/2" hole and I empty the dust into the nest. that has killed them every time I have tried it so far.

you could stick the nozzle into the nest and coat the whole thing in dust, they will be dead within a few days.


if the smaller ones leave a stinger they are probably honeybees. wasps and hornets dont leave a stinger and can sting many times.

Aaron Z

I just waited until the next day when they had calmed down and unloaded two cans of Ortho Wasp spray down the entrance.... They were done. Of course I had a third AND forth can ready

Did I mention I HATE YELLOW JACKETS????

 

[NuBota]

Aaron - I like that set up - I have used the Sevin dust as well - jamming it with steel wool into the hole. But the spray was pretty much instant.

As far as the stinger - they were definately not bees, but now that I think about it, the only ones that left stingers were the ones I swatted - the ones that got me in the back didn't leave stingers.

 

[Eagleview]

rutwad , did you try the "mozzie" net ? Ive got a picture in my head of Casper the ghost driving a tractor .