Buzzin little pests

[islandlogger]

Ever notice how most loggers can get good n beat up after any givin day in the woods? Busted knuckles, turned ankles, choker wire cuts, all that good stuff? And yet we mostly grin and bear it and go back for more the next day!
Ever notice them same loggers runnin like mad n yellin for mama during wasp season??
How's everyone enjoying the Yeller Jackets, Black Jackets and Bald Faced Hornets this summer??
After what looked like a low key season for them here they suddenly came out of the wood work (pun not entirely intended) I just cut a main skid road in thru a 13 acre wood lot for a client, 21 (twenty one) of them bloody nests kept me on my toes by gawd and I seem to remember yellin mama a few times.....
But I still go back for more.... smiley_indianchief

[mad murdock]

yeah, they were late coming thins yeat, but they are making a presence now.  I ran across a nest the other day myself, luckily i saw it before i stepped on it, and avoided getting swarmed

[SwampDonkey]

Just recently, a local logger got bit by a hornet or bee working around a culvert removing beaver brush. He took a reaction to the sting for the first time in his life. He was in bad shape when one of the guys working with him got him into town. Almost no blood pressure. Just about done him in.

[jdonovan]

How's everyone enjoying the Yeller Jackets, Black Jackets and Bald Faced Hornets this summer??

Just hit my first nest of the year this week. There are days I wish for a fully enclosed cab with an external RAID dispensing system.

[treefarmer87]

i ran over a nest of jackets about 3 weeks ago, one got my thumb and right eyebrow, the one on my eyebrow got me about 8 times, it made my eye turn black - my helper has got in two nests in the past 2 weeks while felling.

[Ken]

With respect to hornets this is certainly the worst time of the year to be a pre-commercial thinner.  One of the blocks we are working on right now is averaging nearly 1 nest/acre.  It is a block that is predominately poplar and usually I try to stay out of those stand types in August but it wasn't an option this year. 

Not much fun going to work in the morning when you are pretty much guaranteed to get into some ground hornets at some point during the day.  It is a bit of a challenge to get away with a 5+ foot saw strapped to you.  One day last week one worker got into a nest and claims to have been stung over 20 times before he got far away.  They told me that I hung a ribbon directly over the nest but I never knew they were there. 

Cheers
Ken

[SwampDonkey]

The ribbon over the nest thing happens a lot. They might never been there when it was marked or they let you go this one time, but ready to get the next guy.  ;D

I have them honey bees around the yard again, I wonder if they decide to go in my flu again. I already have yellow jackets behind an eve board over a window on the house. They build up around the eve every year. One gets in the house once in awhile.

Ken, I marked a couple blocks on crown down near you this summer. Going in the old dump road and first left out there off a couple roads to the left near the power line.

[Coon]

I carry an epi pen with me everywhere I go just for the sake of being stung or bitten.  I seem to be able to handle a couple of hits before I need to use it.... never used to be that way.  When I was a kid I had to use it everytime I got hit.  I guess my body built up a bit of a tolerance to them.  I have only been hit once this year so far.  Knock on Wood.   I am not taking any chances.... it goes where I go.

[thecfarm]

Family was cutting fire wood here,about 30 years ago. Never forgot it. We all knew where at least 10 nest were. Bad part was we would fall a tree just about on the nest. Would have no idea what was going to happen until it was too late. We would be limbing the tree and all at once things would start to happen.

[forestry mick]

I hate yellow jackets! I found more nests on this latest job than I ever did! and their huge it looks like yellow fog after you run it over with the skidder!

[clww]

With regards to the yellow jackets, I am highly allergic, so if stung I drive to the ER really FAST in my big truck. Only thing I fear. I carry a kit  in the truck, but that's just a temporary fix if I get stung. I also wear a "medical" military, red dogtag in all my boots.

[Onthesauk]

I still remember hearing a story from a logger who had a new guy, (up in the San Juan's,) running a cat doing sit work after a logging job.  He hit a nest of yellow jackets and jumped and ran, leaving the cat moving.  This is 12 or 14 years ago, can't remember how the story ended.

[treefarmer87]

got into a nest of jackets yesterday.

[forestry mick]

within a 20 acre block so far the count is 6 yellojacket nests, 1 bumble bee nest and 1 white faced hornet nest. its all in a clean up a forest fire went through and wiped out all the trees, now all the standing dead and low growing brush is perfect for the little buggers. I Hate bees!

[SwampDonkey]

We were on a thinning block (brush saws) about 4 years ago that had a white faced hornet nest every 50-100 yards. They were like basket balls.  ;D

[thecfarm]

Them white faced ones will hunt you down to defend thier home.   >:(

[lumberjack48]

I always said why don't they leave something out by their door , a empty milk bottle or something so i can see where they live, i don't blame them for defending there home, they should have a mail box at least, Dam they used to pee me off >:(