I spent the afternoon mowing some of the 20+ acres of fields that belong to my parents neighbors (they're elderly and can no longer do it). Anyways, I hit three bees nests all within the same 2 acre area. Two of the nests were only about 150ft apart. Two were white-face hornets, and one was a yellow jackets nest. I've NEVER hit one before, let alone three in one area. No stings, but it has me on edge in the next few days when I go back to finish the job. Anyone here ever run over a nest before? How quick are they generally to attack the machine? I always thought they would immediately swarm, but these didn't.
Don't have an answer to your question but I have a story. When I was a kid (back in the late late 50's) myself and my cousin were playing in an old abandoned ice truck at the bottom of the hill. We were jumping up and down on the seat when the bees started to swarm, big ol black what I call bumble bees. It was a good 3/8 mile back to the house and them suckers chased and stung us the whole way home. I was stung 22 times and my cousin over 30, don't quite remember how many times he got it. He had to go to the emergency room, don't know why I didn't. But to this day if a bee flies into the truck window I will damn near wreck that sucker trying to stop. I don't care if it's in the middle of the interstate, I would rather take my chance's being run over than get stung.
Man screw that i would be pretty scared, I had a bad experience with yellow jackets a flew years back.
Wow Matt, sounds like you were pretty lucky. I have never ran over any next with a mower, but I have run over a yellow jacket nest on my ATV and I only got one sting for it. Other than that, I have stepped on 3 nests, 2 yellow jackets and 1 white-face hornets. The first yellow jacket nest was while fishing a local farm pond as a boy with my grandfather. Those bee's putt a hurtin on me, I had them in my pants, shoes, socks, ect.. I ended up making the trip home in the bed of my grandfathers truck in my underwear. Second nest I stepped on was the white-face hornets and I was lucky enough to realize it so I took off running. I got stung once on the back of the leg and two at the top of my neck where it meets my head (VERY painful). The third nest I stepped on (yellow jackets) I was checking a game camera and only got hit 4 times. I am really happy that I am not truly allergic to bee stings, I probablly wouldn't be here today if I was. I am mildly allergic, I get a little dizzy, sweat alot, and usually will vomit from them.
I've hit 2 bumble bee nests and one yellow jacket. Well more accurately I found 2 & my dog found one, but she started getting stung off 2 of them, and then so did I for trying to save her. 1st I hit a bumble bee nest by myself raking out a "no till" food plot. Them SOB's hammered me for 100 yds. A year later my dog found some in a different spot & in the process of swatting them off here I got nailed a couple more times. And lastly, I hit a yellow jacket nest while mowing & they went for her again instead of me. And again I got hit a couple times swatting them off her. Bumble bee stings hurt the worst of anything I been stung by.
Yeah, I'm going back tonight when they're settled down and all in what's left of the nest, and then I'm going to spray. I'm just worried about if there's more. This was only 2 acres of the 20+ we have to mow. I should clarify this isn't a yard or a riding lawn mower. It's old hay fields we're mowing with a JD990 and a PTO Brush Hog.
I have a couple diffrent times. Both times they attacked the tractor which gave me a chance to make my get-a-way:d
I was also thinking that this has to be a regular occurrence for farmers when mowing as well, so why don't we hear about more attacks? I know a closed cabin tractor would be ideal, but I know plenty of farmers in this area that mow with open seat tractors. I've heard of bees swarming a riding mower, but they didn't seem to swarm my tractor.
When we were clearing my parent's property, I would use a push-mower to clean between the trees, well I ran over hornet nests twice, and got attacked twice. Hornets will chase you as well. Both times I ran atleast 100 yards, thinking I had got away from them, only for them to keep stinging me. Both times I was stung more than 20 times. I was sore the next couple of days, to say the least.
Never used a rag to cover the hole. I usually followed the gas with a match.:evil: End of problem, as long as its a green field.:d
Yep, I know gasoline kills them, but, hornets nests are above ground, and I don't want to risk dumping gas on the exposed nests (I can see both nests I hit now). The yellow jackets nest, I could probably do that, but it's hard to see where the hole was since it was still in an uncut portion of the hayfield. I was just planning on blanketing the area with regular hornet/yellow jacket spray. Hooker, I feel much better about going back out today, lol. Jim, that's my hope as well (if it comes to them swarming), but like Hooker said, I'm sure they will soon follow me.
Like in the cartoons, hiding under water in a pond does work:d Even if it is the nasty'est, stinky'est, mossy'est, snake'est pond ever
My dad always told me the same thing but I loved watching 'em burn. :d We never covered the hole either...usually the the sudden flow of gas killed them all.
Almost made it through another 3 hours of mowing, and then on one of my last passes today, I hit another one (white faced). This time they did find me, but somehow I managed not to get stung. I tried jumping off, but I had my seat belt on, but I finally got off, and one chased me about 50yds, but he bailed.
Wow Matt, I'm glad to hear that you made it through without a sting.... those white faced hornets hurt...atleast when they sting you on the back of the neck!
Like Forrest Gump without the braces. BM, I know, I'm really playing with fire here, and I'm not sure I want to go back anymore, lol. White faced hornets almost killed my brother about 10yrs ago, and I'm not sure I have an allergic reaction or not. Either way, I'm nowhere near my truck, so if I am allergic, it would be a bad time to find out.
Went up tonight, and couldn't find the first two white faced nests I hit yesterday. Actually, I KNEW where they were, something got into them (bear?), and there were no bees to be found. Just for good measure I took the truck through the area back in forth trying to stir something up...nothing. Went over, and nailed the yellow jackets with the spray (I found the hole in some hay. LOTS of those guys. Hope I got em all.
