If your rumbling over them with a lawn mower. They are going to come out and attack you because they feel threatened. The "off" spray really is not going to stop the bees. Your best bet is to remember where the entrances to their nests are, go there at night and spray the living crap out of them with a bee killer spray. Thats not going to get them all, but it might force them to leave that area. I had a customer a few years back who decided he wanted a different tactic, he poured gas down the hole and lit it on fire. Obviously not a good idea, but it sure makes for a funny story why there was a 2'X2' section of burnt grass on his property. The only thing that IMO is going to stop you from getting stung is either string trim those areas, or wear pants. You can call in a exterminator and see if he would be willing to kill them for a decent price. But you can do it on your own too. Good luck!

 

I would inform the customer and let them handle it.

 

I would inform the customer and let them handle it.

Even better idea.

 

The reason I say that. They might not even know they have a nest in their backyard or where ever it is. If you inform the customer, then they know what's going on and can make the decision to eradicate the problem. Also voice your opinion on the matter so they know your getting stung by them and that the nest needs to be removed. If they tell you, ah, it's OK, they are just bees, then you need to dump them. That would be a red flag telling me they don't care for your safety or others.

 

The reason I say that. They might not even know they have a nest in their backyard or where ever it is. If you inform the customer, then they know what's going on and can make the decision to eradicate the problem. Also voice your opinion on the matter so they know your getting stung by them and that the nest needs to be removed. If they tell you, ah, it's OK, they are just bees, then you need to dump them. That would be a red flag telling me they don't care for your safety or others.

I personally wouldn't go as far as dropping them. They don't have to deal with the bees they aren't going into the yard with a mower getting them stirred into a frenzy. Now if there was sinkhole in the backyard and it keeps getting worse and they wont do anything about it, then I say its time to drop them. But really, they are only bees. I do agree with you telling them first, if they don't want to do anything about it tell them you will have to solve the issue to continue servicing their account. Like I said, go there at night when they are all in the nest, empty a can of something strong on them and run like the wind.

 

get a can of that wasp and hornet spray. I have so many customers that don't go into their yard and since they pay me to mow and pay me well, I don't mind spraying a nest before they attack me. If there are a bunch of nests tac on the price of the can. I get those nest in the valve boxes and in the timer boxes and found it easier to just carry it. The time lost to avoiding the little bugger more than pays for the hornet spray. Besides most customers won't take care of it until they get attacked.

 

Local agricultural colleges sometimes have bee researchers who will come out and collect bees from ground nests. Our local college uses a large vacuum cleaner with various attachments. The bee collector knows how to dress to avoid stings.

 

I've hit a few underground nests before. They stung the bottom of my leg,and for some reason every time I hit a nest they go for that same spot on the leg,almost as those they can smell the stings from the last time.

 

Yeah but bees don't nest in the ground, wasps do.
So chances are you found yourself a nest of yellow jackets.

They are highly aggressive and they don't lose their stinger,
that's why they chase you down and sting you repeatedly.

My solution is a bit backwoods, but I usually dump a small amount of 2-cycle fuel down that hole.
That and do NOT go near it with a machine until it's taken care of.

The only other thing I know of that gets them off of you but it's after the fact, is Starting fluid.
Spray that stuff around when they come after you, lots of it, it disrupts their scent trail.
And wasp / hornet spray probably works too
But then I never have that around when I need it.

 

I have had my share of stings over the years from these ground nests. Yes, they are not bees, rather wasps of some kind. But, I don't really care about the label, but do care about staying out of their way.

I have learned to know the areas they are prone to make nests, and what weather and soil conditions are best suited for them. And, I'm sure that my observation meter ratchets up a notch at this time of the year -- just keep an eye open and investigate closely an area that might be supporting a nest.

Customer are different. In nearly all cases, they have no idea about the existence of a nest. They are rarely out walking in their yard. But, the interest level is markedly different. Some will want to know and make a point of making an expensive call to the exterminator to get rid of the nest. Others want to take it upon themselves to rid their yard of them. They spray a time or two, but rarely are effective. In the end, "... I thought I took care of them, ... sprayed their nest one time." Usually, these nests are not eradicated. Actually, even professional exterminators are not 100% effective.

Others could care less, "... just mow around it." They aren't out in the area, and have no interest in being involved.

In some cases, I never bother to inform the resident of the nest. The nest will bother nobody but me when I return next week. But, I know enough to mow around it. I know they will do nothing to eradicate it anyway.

If the nest is in a remote area where other wildlife exist, a skunk or raccoon will dig out the nest, looking for the honeycomb. The predictor approach is almost 100% effective -- having the nest dug out of the ground, in search of the food value of the honeycomb -- almost always results in a bare nest.

As a remedy after the sting, ... somebody sent me a circulating e-mail about handling a sting. The suggestion was to tape a copper penny over the sting for at least 15 minutes. Now, I've never tried this, so cannot comment personally on the merits of the procedure. However, this same person sent me another e-mail recently. Her young daughter had been stung, and she followed the penny procedure. She claimed it worked well. Anybody else know this procedure, and if so, is it effective?

Obviously, we all respond differently to a sting. For some it hardly matters. For others, it can create a significant problem.

 

In the past Ive always just handled it myself, pouring Sevin into the nest has worked before, but it did not the last couple times. All of the areas where I have nests are all very open,level ground, kinda hard to remember exactly where its at! I may just wear pants one day and do all the yards that have nests on that day. One of my customers is highly allergic to the stings so I tell him where they are. It seems the bees would build their nest back in a wooded area where no one would ever bother it? I have heard spraying anti-perspirant deodrant on the sting will stop the pain? Never tried it though.

 

I had this a couple days ago. I was doing some hedges though, and these were not bees they were red. I guess a hornet or wasp or something. Well, I guess they were living inside of this round yaupon holly shrub. I was doing some light trimming then all of a sudden I kind of look up and see them flying around. I shot off like a gun and ran as quick as I could with the clippers in my hand towards the road. I think the neighbors were outside watching me. Because the next 2 hours I was there they were always looking at me. I did not get stung thankfully. But I did not know they lived in shrubs lol.