Bush Hogging & Hornets Nests

[theboman]

I was lucky.
I've hit several yeller jackets (beasts they are) next the past 2-3 years, got stung once this year.
Last Saturday hoggin' on top the hill, weeds easily 5' to 6' tall and the little 'Bota B7500 just cutting and having a ball. Wait, what is that big gray ball on the ground? Hmmm, hornets nests are always in trees....or at least I thought!
I'd had to nugged the hornet's nest thats rested on the ground and bigger than a basketball!
So. made a left turn and hogged over the hill. I'll sneak back up there tonight with a gallon of gas and a camera.
I'm telling you there's noway in the world that I could have mowed that close to something that big without seeing it...but I did!

 

[SPIKER]

Sounds like you got LUCKY!!! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

I had 2 of them this year, (previous post I stated it in) one IN my barn in an old pile of drywall, and one in old WOOD pile, white faced hornets, each had 30+ larva in there and little else, so I was wondering if they were some kind of satalite nests, with my woods I have not seen any BIG nests, but the PINES can hide a LOT.

I'll keep looking too, my brother had/has one hanging in the house for years, finally got rid of it as it was falling appart. he used garbage bag over it, and FUMED them with CO2 one night to kill em off. it was a co2 canester form a BBgun, in an old hang bb gun which leaked the co2 easly enough out in about 20 min after putting a NEW canester in the gun then put it the bottom of the bag he then slid bag over nest at abotu 2 am. next morning there was not a single one left alive... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Mark M /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[Soundguy]

I've had it with stinging insects this year.. I had a bad alergic reactin all last weekend..

Soundguy

 

[sassafraspete]

I had exactly the same experience this past weekend. The thing I find most unusual is that I haven't had that first problem with yellow jackets this yr....I don't know if the cooler / rainy weather we've had this summer had anything to do with it. This past weekend I bush hogged my niece's place (about 4 acre bottom field). The weeds were above my tractor. I am always "on point" looking for yellow jackets swarming. I've learned over the years that you can make one pass over them with the tractor, and it is always the second time around that they get you. Well , this time I saw bugs flying...but to my surprise they were hornets and the nest was laying there all broken up. I cut my path short and continued mowing a few rounds, and then it happened again...probably 100 feet from the first nest. 2 nests mowed down. I quit, and went home....then came back at dark and finished. There's an old weather tale around here that you can tell what kind of winter it will be by the height the hornets are building their nests. When I was a kid, I did a lot of mowing of xmas tree fields....and many times have cut right next to trees with hornets nest and was never bothered . I have found hornets to be less agressive...as compared to yellow jackets in the ground that can be quite deadly.

sassafraspete

 

[SPIKER]

ok pete what is the wifes tail,? low hornets nest is WARM winter? or is that backwards?

Mark M /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[sassafraspete]

Mark.... I guess there would be less snow. If you see them building 40 feet up, then you better buy that snow blower or head to Florida...and put up with the hurricanes. Of course, then there is the guy who is counting the number of fogs in August....supposed to equal the number of snows we get this winter...and it's been a foggy August here so far. Then if you really want to nail the winter forecast you can cut open the persimmon seed and if you see a spoon in there...watch out for heavy snow. Take your pick of the weather tools. It's really been weird here in Southern Indiana....today I am not sure we even made 70 degrees and in Portland OR I believe they got almost to 100. This is the midwest in Aug for goodness sakes ....when you are supposed to be sweating your sox off.... and can hear the corn growing. I had to turn my heat on in the car as I went to work this morning. I am not complaining though....70 degrees daytime, 50 at night....my ideal temp. There ya have it.

sassafraspete

 

[Slamfire]

The next step is anaphlatic shock, better get an epi pen now. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[Freds]

I'm having my old farmhouse insulated. When the guys got into my kneewall crawlspace they found access to spray the area above my porch, which has a hip roof tieing it into the side of the house. There was a hornets nest up there that was close to two feet round. Access for the hornets was through a facia board. The workers talked for an hour and ended up spraying the nest with foam, supposedly at 200 degrees F. I still see some hornets going in and out, but they are probably the workers that were out when the insulators cooked the nest.

That was two days ago. Yesterday I'm reading the local town paper and I see an ad "Wanted: bee and hornet nests. Free removal". It almost seemed a shame not removing a nest so large.

 

[Thomas]

Lucky indeed /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif kinda surprise guards of the nest didn't chase you and...
ouch. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

The best thing I found out to use brake cleaner in spray can when mowing the high stuff.

 

[theboman]

It's an all out battle royal now. The score as it stands now.
Yellow Jackets 2 (two nests I've yet to find visually, but my bush hog has met them), hornets 1 (plus they are holding a gas can hostage), me 0.

It was nearly dark an as I approached slowly and with caution with 2 gallons of gas ... a hornet attacked me from behind and got me on the back of the leg. So, the gas can flew from my hand and over the hill I running and cussing...

THE PLAN. Drive my truck (cab!) up there at night when it's nice and cool and toss a container of gas with a lighted wick chunk it on that darn nest.