Yellow Jackets dont like saws

[Got Wood]

Sunday afternoon after watching the Giants game I wanted to get outside and work a little. So, I grab the saw and headed out back to an area just into the woods to clear out a couple small dead trees and some growth I wanted to cut back on. I'm cutting away and feel a sting on my shoulder,, thinking it was a twig or something falling I brushed it off and kept going...then one on my leg (wearing shorts under chaps), then one on the back of my head. Sometimes it takes me a while to catch on.... finally realized I was cutting right over top of an in ground yellow jacket nest and they didnt like it They won the battle but I won the war

 

[gregp553]

Did the same thing last year with a lawn mower. Got 6 stings at the same time. They're nasty, painful, then they itch.

 

[maplewood]

My experience this summer was with hornets. But they bumped me a few times before stinging me. I had two or three fly into me head on, and hard, like someone tossed a pebble at me. I didn't get the message to go away, so one of them landed on my shoulder. The sting wasn't too bad.
They had a big nest in my wood pile, built into about 5 splits. I tried to disturb it enough that they'd leave, knocking the nest onto the ground with my tractor, but they kept re-building. And doing the bump then sting thing, too. I eventually had to spray them.
No hornets no more.

 

[btuser]

Old trick. Run the saw extra rich and you don't get stung.

 

[DiscoInferno]

We have all sorts of stinging critters around here - paper wasps, european hornets, yellowjackets. I had two nests last year, some sort of smallish wasp. One where the brick meets the siding on the house, and the other in the woodpile. Usually the permethrin-based wasp & hornet sprays work like a charm, but for these guys I just kept spraying (3 different brands) and they wouldn't die. Luckily they were not aggressive, didn't sting anyone, and either moved on or died somewhere else eventually.

European hornets are the worst. Huge, aggressive, numerous, nocturnal, and crap all over.

 

[Pagey]

I am of the persuasion that yellow jackets don't like anything! Except maybe other yellow jackets. They pack quite a punch to be so small, too.

 

[Cowboy Billy]

Hey G W

They don't like bulldozers either! I was fixing up one of my Uncles trails a month or so ago and knocked over a tree that had a yellow jacket nest in it. Same as you I didn't realize it until I got stung.

Billy

 

[Rich_CT]

Be careful when it comes to any type of bee/wasp/yellow jacket stings. Even though I was stung many times by various winged critters in my youth. I found out (the hard way) last year that I am allergic to yellow jackets. Pretty soon after being stung (3 times) my skin felt like it was crawling and my face started to swell. At the time, I sucked down some Benadryl but I should have gone to the emergency room. The next day my leg was so swollen, I could barely walk. I now have to carry an EpiPen injector with me.

Rich

 

[Backwoods Savage]

They can indeed be very nasty. I also learned in my youth that you cannot outrun them. Removing a shirt and swinging it over your head works about the best. Then spray the danged things.

 

[wsorg]

Sounds nasty...I used a baking soda/water paste to help with the stings last time I was stung.

 

[Bspring]

If you know you have a bad reaction to them as ASAP make a 1/4" long cut 1/8" deep and suck the poison out.

 

[loon]

usually get a couple every year but got stung right on the tip of my nose last year when cutting and man did it ever sting...

spit in the palm of my hand and rubbed dirt in it, put some on the sting and almost instantly took the stinging out ;-P

Terry

 

[Dix]

One bad reaction is all it takes.


I'm severely allergic, with epipens every where, even in my briefcase, horse trailer, the barn, the house, work, etc.


The last ime I got stung was 5 years ago while mowing the front yard. That epipen saved me until the ambulance pulled up.

If you think you need one, it's worth the script to have them around.

 

[TMonter]

Yellow jackets are bad, Hornets are worse. Hornets are really agressive I had a nest in a tree in my yard 2 years ago and I had to shoot it out with a shotgun since it was too high to do anything else.

 

[Rockey]

I got stung ny something on Monday while working in the backyard. The swelling and itching has slowly progressed down my arm. I got stung above the bicep it looks as if it will reach my wrist soon. The pic was taken last night

 

[Dix]

Rockey, you need epipens. That's going to get worse, before it gets better. I hope you feel better soon.


Another poster mentioned a blown up leg, that happened to me 25years ago. The entire right side of my body blew up (think like a mummy) and I couldn't breathe.

Twas scarey times.

 

[krex1010]

one time back when i was about 10 years old i was trout fishing with my father and grandfather and grandpop decided he had to heed nature's call, well apparently some yellowjackets did not appreciate his choice of where to drop a number two. i will never forget the stream of profanity and hilarity that ensued.
miss you grandpop, hope the fish are biting up there!

 

[fishingpol]

I worked with a guy one time that told me his story. He and his wife were out driving on a late fall day and he saw a basketball-sized hornet nest low in a tree. It was cold out so he figured he would cut it down and take it home to display it in his house. Well, after driving around with the nest in his trunk, the nest warmed up and the hornets woke up and entered the passenger cabin of is car. He had to pull over and abandon the car on the side of the road until they left. I still laugh when I tell this story.

I'll second the epi-pen comments for those allergic to stings. It could save your life. Don't be afraid to use it if you need it.

Jon

 

[KB007]

Last summer I got hit at least 25 times when I went into the woods beside my neighbours house and plopped my saw down on a cabinet that was there. The whole cabinet was a nest. After getting stung a couple of times and not realizing it, one of them stung me on the cheek and I ran out of the woods, but slipped on some mud and they nailed me hard. Got some in my boots and they just kept stinging until I smacked 'em.

This year I got stung on my ear opening our hot tub - the bastids had built a nest inside the hottub (under the acrylic). Had to take all the covers off at night to spray them dead. Then had a 12" nest under the deck by the pool - same deal, spray at night with the foaming stuff.

I hate the buggers now and get just a little nervous whenever I hear that buzzing!

 

[fyrwoodguy]

Old trick. Run the saw extra rich and you don't get stung.

and when you come to,standing on the nest-take the saw with you when you leave. :-/

 

[Battenkiller]

Old trick. Run the saw extra rich and you don't get stung.

And use Citronella oil instead of 2-stroke oil.

 

[Steve M]

A couple of observations I've made about yellow jackets. They will come from all around to check out a fresh split Red Oak, then while there they will land on top of your beer can and wait for you to take a drink. Then for some reason they just seem to be more aggressive as Autumn approaches.

 

[KennyG]

Yellowjackets are bad news. At least hornets have the decency to build their nests in the open.

 

[Battenkiller]

I got stung by something on Monday while working in the backyard. The swelling and itching has slowly progressed down my arm. I got stung above the bicep it looks as if it will reach my wrist soon. The pic was taken last night

Rockey, forget the Epipen, that looks like you might have a case of cellulitis. It can occur after a sting. If that keeps spreading, get to a doc, you may need antibiotics.

 

[billb3]

Yellowjackets are aggressive and desperate in Autumn. The nest is using huge resources and the supply of pollen and sugars are dwindling. They'll take anything sugary back to the hive.
I have to pick grapes sugar-content ready or not when they start slicing the grapes open.

I think one stung the dog's a$$ last night.
Putting her supper dish out ( she likes to eat outside) she yelped and tried to get something on her butt ( mastiffs really can't reach that far). Then she panicked and started running and dancing and I think she pulled a muscle.
So she laid down as if she was dead.
Took a while for her to get up and she went right into the house and stayed in a corner.
She never ate her supper.