I hate yellowjackets

[waaytoomuchintothis]

Yesterday afternoon, I was mowing the front yard and ran over a yellowjackets' nest. I got two stings, doctored them up and went back out. Then, I went over a much larger yellowjackets' nest about a hundred feet away, and they came out for battle in a swarm. I was swatting them away from my face and head and trying to keep them from flying up the legs of my shorts and under my T-shirt for about 50 feet, while driving full speed away before they left me alone. There were 5 more stings on me. I came in again and doctored on them, and then just parked the mower. Seven painful stings is enough for one day. Now I have to figure out where the entrance holes are and pump them full of killer-diller bug juice.

[waaytoomuchintothis]

Our garden failed this year because we had no bees. We got corn, grapes, and pears, because they self-pollenate. I was thinking about keeping bees for next year but I have just about decided to forget it.

I think what got your leg was a Burrowing or Ground Hornet- it looks like a giant yellowjacket with slightly different coloring. One of those got me in Memphis a few years before I went to South America, where another one got me in the same place while I was there. We had a problem a couple of years ago with Japanese Hornets here. One sting gets you a hospital bill from them.

[nhdungeonracer]

[waaytoomuchintothis]

Around here, if I wore long pants to do anything outdoors, I'd suffocate. We wear shorts on the tractors around here. The young guys wear no shirt, which seems awful to me when plowing with all that dust. I never could figure out why they wear hats but no shirt. With my body, wearing a shirt is a public service. Like Drew Carey used to say, "I don't wear Speedos because I love my fellow creatures on the planet, and I wouldn't do that to them."

[FootScoot]

I haven't seen many bees, wasps or other stinging insects this year. I've had yellow jackets here too. I had them in the gravel at the end of my patio around 10 years ago. I just waited until midwinter and dug them up when they were hibernating, no more yellow jackets. :)

[RazorJon]

when I was a kid dad would pour fuel oil in a metal bucket and get it burning, the yellowjackets fly in the flames, dusk is the best time

that was 40 years ago or better,

[waaytoomuchintothis]

Now that's a new one on me. I assume it would work like those smudge pots the roadwork crews used to use-- am I the only one old enough to remember those?

[FootScoot]

I remember those smudge pots. The city workers would come around every evening before it got real dark and light them. I know they make a terrific fire if you kick one while on a bike. :lol: