Bees - Ouch....

[ecostruction]

I'm not sure where this belongs, but since it happened in a deuce, I'll stick it here for now.

I need some help with a bee problem. Wasps to be exact. A couple of my trucks sit in a field for periods of time. I start them periodically and move them so I can keep the grass mowed. Anyway, I attempted to do this yesterday and when moving the second truck, I got nailed by a wasp. Can't tell where it was coming from. Several more entered the cab. Could have been from the truck next door, or?? Not sure. My question is, and what I need help with, is finding a deterent for bees (and other rodents) and/or a killer of some sort. I don't know where the nest is at the moment. I was hoping to find a fog or something that I could use. I checked the cab before starting the truck and nothing. So am thinking they are either under the dash or under the truck somewhere.

I don't think they are ground wasps.

Any suggestions? Although I'm not allergic, I really don't want to be stung again while driving. The truck is not parked correctly and I need to put it back ASAP. it's not my property.

Regards,

Eco

 

[Crazyguypa]

Jake I would check the firewall. They can sneak in all those little left open holes. Also the windshiel corners, Heater ductwork, the holes in the floor and behind the seats in the cab are also very nice openings for them to come in. The ones behind the seats that the convoy lights/gun leg mount u-bolt holes go through would let a carpenter bee in.

 

[maddawg308]

Might also try spraying poison around the truck, that stuff will "soak in" and make the truck smell really bad to bees and prevent them from making a home in the future. Doesn't last forever, though, have to re-apply it every couple months. Also, I've heard if you hang a cheesecloth bag of moth balls in the cab, the smell prevents them from wanting to come in as well.

 

[GoldComet6]

I would try to hang around the truck and watch where they enter/exit the truck from. Maybe can can leave the cab doors open to watch the dash area. If you have a can of wasp/hornet killer maybe you can pick off a few then. Once you know where the nest is you can attack! I always go after them in the evenings when it is cooler and they are less active.

I was working on my roof a few weeks ago and a yellow hornet kept hanging around where i needed to be. I sprayed the roof with pesticide and he wouldn't land anymore and he finally left. So maddawg308's idea might help.....

 

[BKubu]

If you want to do a more thorough inspection, wait until after dark. They return to their nests at night and are less active. Be careful, though, as I am sure they will still "attack" even after dark.

 

[renovate7]

I've heard of wasps emerging into a small airplane thats been parked for a while. After engine start up not bad, after liftoff not good...Walk around the truck with a stick and beat on the sheet metal to see if they come out. You can buy wasp and hornet spray that shoots a long stream so you can stay back. A lot of electrical lineman and phone workers carry this.

 

[Michael]

Wasps are common down here. I generally keep a can of wasp and hornet spray with me any time I am checking the fleet. If you can't see the nest, you might try a can of fogger. That will usually get them off their nest and flying around inside the cab. If you don't see dead wasps in the floor afterwards they might be under the hood.

This time of year, don't put your fingers anywhere you haven't looked. They love to nest around the hood release under the hood. And don't assume there is just one nest.

 

[98hd]

I had some in my 5 ton. I started it up and got out, noticed bees buzzing around. Had a can of pyrethron. I sprayed around the truck, and found them coming from around the drivers side engine cover. After I sprayed that in the opening, the ones outside the truck wouldn't go back in, and the ones in the nest wouldn't come out.

I lifted the hood and the next was attached to the hood, sprayed it good and knocked it off.

I also noticed a small nest on the deuce in the exact same spot, but it was vacant already.

I sprayed both trucks w/ the spray before leaving, and didn't have any pests last time I went back.

 

[swbradley1]

I"m voting for under the dash. When I picked up my latest truck from kipman it was out at his farm and we saw some wasps flying around and several inside. After sitting here at the house they are gone (I hope) since I guess they didn't like the 120 mile transplant.

I noticed a little bit of dirt dust around the windshield so I'm guessing the are mud dauber wasps.

I know putting a bunch of mothballs in a bag in the cab would keep me out so I'm sure it will work for them as well.


steve

 

[JasonS]

I had some in my 5 ton. I started it up and got out, noticed bees buzzing around. Had a can of pyrethron. I sprayed around the truck, and found them coming from around the drivers side engine cover. After I sprayed that in the opening, the ones outside the truck wouldn't go back in, and the ones in the nest wouldn't come out.

I lifted the hood and the next was attached to the hood, sprayed it good and knocked it off.

I also noticed a small nest on the deuce in the exact same spot, but it was vacant already.

I sprayed both trucks w/ the spray before leaving, and didn't have any pests last time I went back.

Pyrethrin also works as a repellant. I have one of the timed sprayers in my workshop to keep them out; maybe put one of them in the cab?

 

[Flea]

Sevin Dust. Works wonders on anything with more than 4 limbs. Get the dust and sprinkle some in the cab and around the truck and it should do well to keep all kinds of critters away.

 

[Big Mike's Motor Pool]

take an offensive when you need to move your truck lol arm your self with some 2+2 gumcutter, not the immitation stuff but the real deal gum cutter. make sure the tube is on it too. bang the truck a little like someone esle said and wait for them to come out. gum cutter make them just about melt and can be delivered in small doses cause of its strength and in a precise spot with the tube. keep it as a side arm once you get in incase the insurgent wasps try to fire back at you

 

[FreightTrain]

never had any problems with winged stinging pest in my trucks but I still beat the crap outta the truck before getting in.I will slap the hood on all 3 sides before opening.Hit the fenders.Bang on the dash and back of the cab before getting in.Last time I was stung was when I was at work running a CNC lathe.Reached into a cardboard box of parts and a guinea wasp came flying out,tagged my hand and flew right back into the box.All in about 2 seconds.Well placed and timed shot.I REALLY don't like guinea wasp.Red wasp are ok.They will normally leave you alone if you don't tick them off real good....but the guineas are a real agressive SOB!

 

[dm22630]

If they are inside the cab....

Roll up the windows
shut the windshields
close the vents

and....

Set off 1 or 2 "indoor bug foggers"

NOTHING & I mean NOTHING will be alive in that truck after a couple hours. I use them in houses, sheds, cars, etc......and NOTHING is alive after they breathe that stuff.

 

[EZFEED]

Best preventative for most any insect/pest/etc is mothballs.

Now before you guys nail me and tell me how dumb a thing it is to suggest I want to tell you that I have a method to this madness.

I keep all of the medicine bottles that my family uses and for every outdoor enclosed vehicle I have I save one of those big plastic Folgers cans. I take mothballs and fill the coffee can half full and when I get out of my tractors/trucks and think I wont be in it for a while I pop the top off the can and scoot it under the dash. Crack my windows just a tad and let ol'stinky do its work. When I need to use one I hold my breath, open the door and snap the lid back on. Crank it up, cut the vent on and let it idle for 10 minutes and after that the smells pretty much gone and the air systems pressured up. Just set the can on the passenger floorboard and go about your business till you get home.
This works 100% and trust me, here in LA we have the worlds worst wasps and hornets that build nests with such tenacity and speed that if you park your vehicle for a week you can bet on their being at least 3 nests under construction. I used to have to carry a can of raid with me in my equipment but since I’ve been using cans of mothballs I've been 5 years free from them I drill holes in the medicine bottles and fill them with mothballs then wrap a wire around them and form a hook in one end then throw them up in my pecan and mulberry trees. This keeps almost all of the tent caterpillars and squirrels out too.

 

[wreckerman893]

Once you find the nest hit it with ether......it will freeze them in a heartbeat and you can mash them flat (overkill but it gives me a lot of satisfaction).
I hates wasps...especially yellowjackets.

 

[Capt.Marion]

Aye, yellow jackets are fun. I found two separate nests 5 minutes apart from each other while mowing, and 5 of them caught me. Just wait till dark, that's when they're quiet. Use a red LED flashlight, if I remember, that doesn't piss 'em off quite as much. (When searching for the nest.)

Oh, and, for troop seat and barn pests, NAPA Engine Degreaser works particularly well for boarer/carpenter bees. Shoot 'em up in their holes, or while they're in midair, and stuff the hole with steel wool.

 

[desertfox]

Moth balls are an excellent deterent for most critters. Moths, spiders, crickets, wasp/hornets and most any other insect. Cheap and easy. Rats and mice do not like it either.

 

[ecostruction]

I had moth balls in some of my trucks, and well, I guess I didn't have any bees, but they were parked in a different area. Was trying to keep mice/chipmunks away, but the moth balls didn't work. At least for the chipmunks. I'm wondering if on a still night if the fogger method might just work for under the truck? Might give that a try. And everything else. Agent Orange, napalm, whatever it takes. Hate dem dare bastards with their dangly stinkin legs. They can take the most manly of men down to their knees in mere seconds. And I aint cool with that. Thanks for the advice and look for the dark chemical cloud over York, PA within the next few days. That'll be me in the heat of battle....

 

[Big Mike's Motor Pool]

Once you find the nest hit it with ether......it will freeze them in a heartbeat .

haha this is a little off topic but you sayin the ether freezes them reminds me of things i used to do in my child hood. we would catch wasps and bees, our favorites were the carpenter bees, and we would catch them alive and un harmed and stick them in a jar or somthing and then stick the jar in the freezer for about 3 minutes. they would get cold and immediatley start to hibernate. as soon as they were knocked out we would pull the jar out and dump the bees on the kitchen table. at this point we would very very quickly go and tie sewing string around the bee. if you had fat fingers like me and were slow they would wake up and sting you. once they was tied up and flying around on a string we would walk to the chinese place and scare some eggrolls outta them with the bees on a leash