Yellow Jacket Nests While Bush hogging, whats your plan?

[Ken45101]

Not on a tractor, but a local man is in the hospital after being attacked while trimming a tree. He was stung more than 20,000 times according to reports. EMS and Fire/Rescue people were also stung.

Tri-State man in coma after getting stung 20k times by bees

The 20-year-old’s mother says he ingested dozens of bees that doctors were still suctioning out a day later.

www.fox19.com

 

[justman777]

Sounds like a few good ideas here, but the best I've heard is to have a cab. Second best IMO is to wait until they die off, and then work the field. In South Texas, we have pygmy wasps, and those things are evil. They tend to build their nests in the branches that slap you in the face when you cut near a tree, or low lying weeds next to tree trunks....right where you need to run the weed eater. I went through one year and cut all the branches up to where I could cut under the trees without hitting one, and started spraying around the base of the trees to avoid having to use the weed eater. Of course, I figured after I did all that, I should get a cab tractor. No bugs, no sweating in 105 degree heat, no problems.

 

[John0829]

Just speed up and keep moving. Bull dozers go fast enough to drive away.

OH NO THEY DON'T! Worst stings I ever received were while using a dozer, finally had to leave it and go back at night to get it. It sat an idled all day because they kept swarming it until after dark and even then I backed it away as quietly and gently as is possible with a dozer.

 

[2manyrocks]

Ran over a ground nest and got stung. I was in a large flat field so I put the tractor in high gear and drove away as quickly as I could. Went back later in the evening in my pickup truck. Put the window down enough to stick a sprayer wand out to spray the nest.

This is a very strong selling point for buying a tractor with an enclosed cab, but I still don't have one.

 

[Eagle1]

Just brush hog in spring before the nests have a chance to develop any size. Later summer/fall is when the wasp/hornets nest are at their peak. In most cases all, except for the queen, will die off in the winter and cycle repeats.

 

[grsthegreat]

Just speed up and keep moving. Bull dozers go fast enough to drive away. Tractor should too. Y'all gonna get hurt jumping off a running machine. Hornets is a different story, but they build nests where you can see them.

What….you crazy. They swarmed me so fast, there was no way to back out of area and get away.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

What….you crazy. They swarmed me so fast, there was no way to back out of area and get away.

Gotta be tough.

 

[Bearsixty7]

I have a can of wasp/hornet spray in a holder on the ROPS and hope that I can spray enough that they will leave or avoid me while I drive away. So far have not needed it.

 

[workinonit]

It's an alarming surprise to say the least. It happened to me on my OS 5310 once and I managed to kick it out of gear and run. I think I got stung 3 or 4 times. Could have been worse. I think wasp spray is a really bad idea. If you hit a big bed and that's your plan A and plan B you will likely be going to the ER. Run Forest Run.Nowadays I just sit and watch from my air conditioned cab. So there's that.

 

[Raul-02]

What is your plan of attack?

Cab