What are some of the options in dealing with ground dwelling yellow jackets. The type that has a hole and many are coming and going.
Years ago, my uncles would always pour gas down the hole and set it on fire. Not sure how effective that was beyond the entertainment factor.
What have you heard or used yourself?
Thank you.
I have put gas down the hole, but did not light it. Saw a fella use a glass jar over the entrance hole, he claimed it worked? Don't know if they make a back door though. I always find them while using the lawn mower.
The gas works best if it isn't lit. The fumes kill all in the nest. The fire will burn the gas off from the top and the nest will survive.
I thought this was interesting - I dug up a nest after pouring gas in the hole...all the adult bees were dead, but all of the capped larvae were still alive. Either way, hive dead.
I've used gas too. It doesn't take much...maybe a cup or so...works well. I tape a soup can on the end of a long pole for delivery so I don't have to get too close.
I've got a friend who does YJ removals (live). He uses a pheromone to "entice" them into a vacuum collection system similar to our bee vacs and sends them off to a lab for venom research.
Scott
just don't mow it :'(
I used the backhoe to get rid of a nest earlier today. They still don't know what hit them.
Quote from: AllenF on June 01, 2012, 05:13:51 PM
I used the backhoe to get rid of a nest earlier today...
Do be careful. Awhile back a local contractor used his Cat-dozer to remove a willow tree from a ditch bank. He didn't know there was a yellow jacket nest under the willow's roots before he sunk the blade in the dirt and hit the throttle. The willow tree came right up out of the ground, along with a big YJ nest. The dozer operator quickly put it in reverse and hit the accelerator. His pickup happened to be parked 100 feet behind him, the score's still, dozer 1 - pickup nothing.
they can be bad news and they don't quit. i got nailed a couple of years ago when i took the tractor over a nest. the only thing that saved me was that it was 40 degrees out and i had a sweatshirt on. they still lit me up pretty good and i was sick as a dog for several days.
Here in MN I havent ever had ground nests from yellow jackets. Only under building eave nests...lots of them! One bounced off my forehead this spring when I tried, but failed, to effectively squish the nest off the chicken coop eave with the handle of my pitchfork in one fell confident swoop. (I have no more confident wasp squishing swoops)
I didnt run, but I did a dance that sent the poor frightened chickens squawking to their hiding place. I would like to say I scared the cr*p out of them but there were eggs found in unusual places that day. he he he.
I found a yellow jack nest in the ground a couple of years ago and had heard that pouring gasoline down the hole kills them. Well I started to pour and not knowing how much, I kept on pouring and pouring. Used about a gallon until I realized that this could be dangerous.
I then placed a container over the hole. It worked and killed them, but glad nothing happened, like a fire or something.
Glad I just read Scott's suggestion about using about 1 cup.
I was transplanting a pecan tree last year when my shovel hit a YJ nest in the ground. I got 25 stings in about 10 seconds. They stayed on me all the way into the house. My very effective revenge consisted of a thorough soaking in wasp spray that killed the nest immediately. When I dug it up afterwards, I was surprised at the size and extent of their underground chamber.
Quote, I kept on pouring and pouring. Used about a gallon until I realized that this could be dangerous.
good thing you don't live here!! you might have awakened a volcanic vent :evil:
:-D
A good soaking over the nest area with detergent water has worked for me before.
Put a piece of plywood over it. Before putting the plywood in place, cut a hole in the plywood to line up with the entrance hole. Secure a section of pool hose or similar to the hole and secure the other end into a clear rubbermaid type container that has a few inches of soap water in the bottom.
Basically set up like a trap out that leads them into a contain of soap water.
This is the best method I have come up with when doing ground bee removals. Customers don't appreciate pouring gas in their ground.
I've always used gas squirted into a hole. Once I find a YJ nest I will save the next Ketchup bottle or anything squirtable, fill it with gas and squirt it in from a distance of above five foot or so. I do it right at dusk so I can make sure all the lil so's and so's are in the nest.
I like Robo's idea as well for those with the manicured lawns.
James