Good Signal Large Ant Mound....To dig or not to dig???

[davidtn]

my friend you are badly mistaken , what we call yellow jackets live in the ground here. Bald face hornets live in trees here in the grey cone shape nest and sometimes yellow jackets will build inside a old tree but the majority are in the ground.

Not mistaken, what we in the South call Yellow Jackets only build nests in trees or under the Eaves of houses. What you are talking about we call Hornets. To us Yellow Jackets are bad but those Hornets will chase you tell Hell freezes over and it only take noise to draw them to you. That goes for the variety that builds in Grey Cones as well as in the ground. Our ground Hornets are generally small but super aggressive.

Our Yellow Jackets are big and their sting really hurts but they are not all that aggressive when compared to Hornets.

We also have Bumble Bees and these are super bad. They build anywhere but mainly in the ground. If you see these coming out of the ground don't run Tip Toe backwards then run.

Digging a target out of a Ground Hornet nest and especially a Bumble Bee Nest would be considered suicide.

Well sir I do believe you are badly mistaken as yellow jackets can build in multiple locations (depends on the variety). I'm born and raised in the south and I've never seen a yellow jacket nest anywhere but in the ground. They're not a large size insect but you're right in that they'll chase you all over hell's half acre to pop you with their stinger.

 

[GeorgeinSC]

Unless you have masochistic tendencies digging in a fire ant mound is not recommended Those little (expletive deleted) will set you on fire Hence the name fire ants.

 

[Herb Jones]

Nope dug the first, passed on the second....lesson learned. Perhaps I would with a full sized shovel, but it would have to b a goooood signal. Those damned little creatures had me dancing in the park like some kind of lunatic.

 

[Walknstik]

I have seen fenced-in pasture land and smaller lots with livestock (horses,cattle etc.) where the owner has literally let the fire ants take over...one has to wonder how in the world the livestock deal with that I grew up with fire ants and yes they are fierce and painful!

 

[azsh07]

I had a similar situation but with those ground burrowing wasps..or maybe they are a bee but I think they be wasps. Had a good target I started to dig....did not know it was right in the center of a ground wasp nest...I did not see any until my first shovel plunge....I saw them then..got stung twice before I got away.

Yah....that target sat there.....but only until the cold set in. then i went back..turned out to be a TWo cent piece if I remember...twas 12 years ago or so...but I remember it was a nice coin. Glad I went back..but glad I did not stick around when it was hot. Hate them ground wasps...