Yellow Jackets

drobertson · September 08, 2015, 12:25:47 PM

Well, you just have to love them, (NOT) I was hauling off bark debris this morning from what should have been done a while back, I have one spot near the dust pile for bark debris so all the same as usual, until the rude awakening, a hit on the left knee, two on the right calf, and one on the left pinky, ouch! there was a ham bone orchestra going on for a few seconds :D Last look back there was a good disturbance on the nest for sure, not pics as you might figure, and man these thing sure do burn, just waiting for the itch to kick in now ;D

taylorsmissbeehaven · September 08, 2015, 12:32:06 PM

Yes they can be little jerks to say the least! Found a nest in the garden a couple of weekends ago. A little tobacco mixed in some red clay is what we always use on the stings.Brian

fishfighter · September 08, 2015, 02:32:10 PM

One of my dogs found a ground nest a couple weeks ago. Of course he came to me covered with them. :D

garre1tt · September 08, 2015, 02:50:27 PM

My son asked me last week while we were milling. Hey dad do you get stung a lot while your milling?
Not really I said, Why do you ask. He replied well you have like five nests in the tubes on your mill. Thank goodness it was cold that day. We had already cut for an hour.

21incher · September 08, 2015, 07:40:26 PM

I keep Sting Kill swabs near me all summer for times like that. I used to have alergic reactions and need a shot if stung. Then I found Sting Kill and try to use it right after being stung and no more reactions. It eliminates most of the burning and itching.

Cazzhrdwd · September 08, 2015, 08:07:42 PM

Every Fall while sawing Poplar I have them all over me. They must be attracted to the sugar in the sap, probably for the last gasp of their miserable life. At any given time I can have at least 20-30 flying directly around me. I edge on the mill and have to be careful where I grab boards. In 16 years of sawing I've only been stung once (while grabbing a board) It gets rather unsettling at times to have so many yellow jackets around you at one time.

You guys ever experience this?

SAnVA · September 08, 2015, 08:13:10 PM

Rub some under arm deodorant on a fresh bee sting, it helps, and pouring a cup of gas down the hole after dark always makes you feel better too, or at least it works for me!

rooster 58 · September 09, 2015, 06:36:41 AM

Add a match to the gas in the hole ;)

Tom L · September 09, 2015, 07:44:42 AM

Quote from: drobertson on September 08, 2015, 12:25:47 PM
Well, you just have to love them, (NOT) I was hauling off bark debris this morning from what should have been done a while back, I have one spot near the dust pile for bark debris so all the same as usual, until the rude awakening, a hit on the left knee, two on the right calf, and one on the left pinky, ouch! there was a ham bone orchestra going on for a few seconds :D Last look back there was a good disturbance on the nest for sure, not pics as you might figure, and man these thing sure do burn, just waiting for the itch to kick in now ;D

did the same clean out of my mill two weeks ago, there was a nest under the bark that accumulated under the mill
lucky they were not too mad, spent the rest of the weekend trying to get rid of them.

YellowHammer · September 09, 2015, 08:23:00 AM

Quote from: Cazzhrdwd on September 08, 2015, 08:07:42 PM
Every Fall while sawing Poplar I have them all over me. They must be attracted to the sugar in the sap, probably for the last gasp of their miserable life. At any given time I can have at least 20-30 flying directly around me. I edge on the mill and have to be careful where I grab boards. In 16 years of sawing I've only been stung once (while grabbing a board) It gets rather unsettling at times to have so many yellow jackets around you at one time.

You guys ever experience this?

Yes, only in the fall and especially when sawing sugar maple. The little buggers will be landing on the boards as soon as they come off the mill. Definately makes everybody nervous.

Chuck White · September 09, 2015, 08:48:42 AM

I've been sawing "mixed" logs often in the past and when sawing Pine or Hemlock, no sign of bees of any kind, then throw an Ash log on the mill and the bees, Yellow Jackets and "hundreds" of Honey Bees will just show up out of nowhere and start working the sawdust pile!

mesquite buckeye · September 09, 2015, 10:27:43 AM

Fight back with the electronic flyswatter, from Ronco. ;D 8) 8) 8)

samandothers · September 09, 2015, 02:51:50 PM

Found one bush hogging about 3 weeks ago. No contact was made. Noticed this week it had been dug out and pieces of the next on top of the ground. I assume by bears.

Found a second one that had been dug and opened up to about 5 inches across but it was still active.

beenthere · September 09, 2015, 05:07:26 PM

Found a nest opened up while mowing today.. about 6" hole and 6-8" deep. Figured skunk as there are no bear around here. Remains of the nest on top of ground with a few bees lingering around the hole.

Chuck White · September 09, 2015, 05:35:27 PM

I think skunks like bees nests moreso than bears do, and they will not hesitate to dig them up!

Kbeitz · September 09, 2015, 06:36:10 PM

Quote from: samandothers on September 09, 2015, 02:51:50 PM
Found one bush hogging about 3 weeks ago. No contact was made. Noticed this week it had been dug out and pieces of the next on top of the ground. I assume by bears.

Found a second one that had been dug and opened up to about 5 inches across but it was still active.

The turkeys ib this area will do that... Fun to watch...

Magicman · September 10, 2015, 09:08:07 AM

I now keep a Therapik here at home, in my truck, and at the Cabin for stings. I used it this week on a wasp sting.

dboyt · September 10, 2015, 10:17:44 AM

Ouch! Hope you're recovered. Good to hear about some of the cures to ease the sting. I'll have to give them a try. I came across this lil' fella when moving some boards yesterday. I'm not squeamish about snakes, but it was startling. He just stayed there, giving me time to take his portrait. The hard part was getting him to smile...

Wick · September 10, 2015, 12:02:36 PM

Startled me too!!! :D That is a nice picture of a copper head. You should Put it in the SNAKES!!!! thread too.

Raider Bill · September 10, 2015, 02:34:12 PM

Last time I saw a live whole copperhead my friend jumped so fast he cut part of his finger off. He asked me to reach down in the hole where the snake went and get his finger so they could sew it back on. To date he has 1 finger missing a piece.

I personally like seeing them after I run the bush hog over top and chunk them up a bit.

Magicman · September 10, 2015, 05:25:45 PM

Copperheads make nice hatbands.

sawguy21 · September 10, 2015, 10:51:30 PM

Karen has been nailed by a bee last week and a yellow jacket today this, one left an angry welt. An application of baking soda and water reduced the swelling fairly quickly. No poisonous snakes in our area although we do get Pacific rattlers further down the valley.

Bricklayer51 · September 11, 2015, 09:19:01 AM

Read in the local news that a golfer died from stings that came from a ground nest. Be careful.

MRowsh · September 12, 2015, 06:15:16 PM

Sorry for your pain. It sure hurts.
Last Sunday about noon I was moving few logs at the far end of my hug pin fence. The last one that was right on dirt was the one the really put a hurt on me all week. As soon as I took it, it was like hundreds of yellow jackets all over me. I was running and smashing them all over me. I run all the way to the gate against the wind but were not able to get ride of them. Then I hulled toward garage and went in there and picked up a bug spray and sprayed all over and they were still all over me. After I took my shirt off there were few inside and stuck to my body.
Make the long story real short, Sunday night till morning I could not have a shut eye! So the whole week I was decommissioned and did not have any energy for anything. I am still dragging my rear end about 10 feet behind me!
If it does not kill you, sure hope make you stronger. Not sure about that as of now.

rasman57 · September 12, 2015, 07:38:45 PM

I was clearing brush at my Michigan place all by myself. Had my camper there as no bldg or improvements yet. As I was running the saw, I kept backing into a dang sticker bush......wait...I don't have sticker bushes! Yep they got me in the legs, chest and neck and I dropped the running saw and ran after about 7 stings....... AWWW Snooker...saw is still running and HOT! Had to go back and shut the saw off. so I did not start the Manistee National Forest ablaze. Ran in and did a hero grab and made world class time running for the camper.....

By the time I made the camper I was itching from head to toe and swelling up like the METLIFE blimp. Jumped in the cold shower and slammed a couple benadryls. Eyes swelled close and I was a mess for a couple days. Doc gave me an EPI Needle Pen thing in case it happens again. Doc said it can be worse the next time. I hate them worse than Magicman hates Gum....and you know that's some not liking....

Now when a fly lands on me I like to convulse trying to get away.. skeert me good.