Another hazard while dropping trees

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Roundgunner

Feeling the Heat
Nov 26, 2013
360
Rural CT
I got more than I wanted on Sunday. These guys were big and pissed! !!!


 
Well they don't look very friendly.

So what's the story?
 
I didn't know it was there. When there house bounced off the sidewalk they were mad as... well hornets. 3 cans of spray and some brake cleaner and some are still PO. Killed 5 more today. Not doing much limbing yet.
 
Look like bald faced hornets. Got into a nest of them in my azalea bushes two years ago and it SUCKED. 3 stings with me running faster than I have ever run in my life once I heard the hive start buzzing, and one was still biting my ankle when I was in the house. Throbbing pain the entire night and the areas where I got stung itched for a week. I'd be done cutting wood for a month or more if one of those hives dropped anywhere around me.
 
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+1 bald faced hornets

I once got stung three times (cheek, chin, neck) because I got a little too near their nest. I didn't disturb anything--just too near!

This time of year, I'm constantly looking for nests while cutting fields. I don't want to hit one with the roll bar of the tractor. Eeek!
 
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+1 bald faced hornets

I got once stung three times once (cheek, chin, neck) because I got a little too near their nest. I didn't disturb anything--just too near!

This time of year, I'm constantly looking for nests while cutting fields. I don't want to hit one with the roll bar of the tractor. Eeek!

Mine was in an azalea bush about a foot off the ground. Took a pic of it before I lit it on fire. I was just happy it was me and none of the kids that stumbled into that bush.
 

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Took a nest out couple years back 30 foot up in tree about 20 ft from my splitting area at home. Peppered it with air rifle. No way to get to it. Storm came through did the rest of the work. This year I see they are back somewhere in the city owned area behind the house. I do not know where but are not posing a threat at present. Got some up by my shop as well but again I don't know where the home base is. Not fond of those at all.
 
I was told those bees will chase you for miles
 
I had a nest of hornets (I'm not sure which variety) in my western larch way up in the tree a few years ago. When I was splitting the vibrations would anger them and I'd get attacked and I got tagged a couple times before I figured out where the nest was. I didn't feel comfortable with using a shotgun so I ended up using chunks of wood and a hose to get the nest down. I much prefer Yellow Jackets to those things.
 
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This thread is wigging me out. I got chased by them on a tractor when I was bushhogging my horse pasture. The white markings on their faces are quite visible from 4-5 feet away. I havent been out cutting since.
I confessed to a cousin of mine that I lost my nerve. Ive been dumped off of horses all my life, cant stand up straight, but every time I get right back on.
But those hornets had me frightened out of my mind.
Their nests are in low bushes along the fence lines. And even with a keen eye open and looking for them they are impossible to see.
I read that they mostly die over the winter. Some survive but the cold temps make them extremely aggressive about protecting their nests. They build the nest all summer and towards the late fall they are raising brood for the end of their lifecycle. Making the hive very off limits to idiots mowing grass.
 
Using a hive for target practice sounds like alot of fun. As long as you can hit targets from 300 yards.
Id like to try it but we wait till dark and spray the hives. Mass killing is my objective. I dont care how harmless they might be. If I find them first..they are going down.
I raise honeybees so I'm not just bug phobic.
 
Empting both shotguns as fast as possible with bird shot from about 25 feet...
I wonder, might be better than spray if ya got a helper with the nerve for 8 shots. :eek:
I know Tanya isn't doing it.
 
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Those things are downright mean! They seem to set up shop near fruit trees from what I've seen and yes, they will attack if you get too close. I got nailed in the back of the neck one time and started to have a nasty reaction, throat tightening up, wheezing... and I'm not allergic to regular bee stings.
 
I recall that someone posted this in a firewood forum some time ago. Hornets in action. Eeek!

 
I recall that someone posted this in a firewood forum some time ago. Hornets in action. Eeek!



That guy is brave. Something like that, I would have to nuke it from orbit.
 
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When I was a kid there was a paper hornet nest in a lilac bush at the back of my parent's property. it was about 2 1/2 tall. About this time of year they slipped a thick plastic bag over the nest and tied it at the bottom and they clipped the branch. They did this about 9 at night. When they clipped the branch that bag came alive.

The nest sat in the barn all winter and we ut it open on one side the following spring. It was a cool science lesson. We donated it it to the science teacher at our school and last I saw it was still there.

Looking back that took a lot of guts to put a thick bag over that nest and cut the branch. If anything went wrong it would have been a painful disaster.
 
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had two incidents with yellowjackets this year.
1. pulled back my tarp on a pile... nest and 2 quick stings.
2. Standing on the area where I pile my leaves stepped on an underground nest 5 stings that sucked.

so between fiskars in my finger and bee stings the cost of my wood had a physical price.
 
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