Yellow Jacket Nest in Apiary

[The15thMember]

When I was inspecting one of my hives today, I noticed yellow jackets coming and going from a hole in the ground about a yard behind my hives.  They weren't bothersome, since the weather is nice and warm and there is plenty of prey for them to find, but I imagine they will become trouble once fall hits.  Since the nest is in my apiary, right next to my hives, I'm not really comfortable using a hard chemical insecticide on the entrance, as my bees are right there.  How can I destroy the nest in a way that is safe for the bees? 

[Ben Framed]

Wait until dark and pour some gas in the hole. That will do it. By waiting until dark you will get almost all of them and you shouldn't  get stung if you make it snappy...

Phillip

[beesnweeds]

Two things you can do, place a shop vac at the entrance at night if you're worried about getting stung.  Then plug it in the following morning.  Or if you have a large clear salad bowl place it over the entrance.

[gww]

I would just pour a bottle of alcohol down the hole and hope for the best.  I had a nest build in the roof of an empty warre hive and admit to being a coward and just left them till it froze and then destroyed it.  I did not really see them effect my hives in a bad way.  I have lots of empty equipment as well as traps that the red (wolf wasp?) build in and they do post themselves at the hive entrances and grab at or grab bees.  I am talking so many wasp that I could be raising them as aggressively as I am raising bees.  I have took many of them out on days when they all gather on the front porch to sun with a spray bottle of just dish soap and water but mostly just let them be until I need a box..  I do not think this poisons them but more that the soap sticks to them and drowns them.  Then it dries and causes not harm.  The soap is not quite as quick as gas in taking them down but is not too bad if you get them good.
Hope this helps more then hurts.
Cheers
gww

[The15thMember]

Wait until dark and pour some gas in the hole. That will do it. By waiting until dark you will get almost all of them and you shouldn't  get stung if you make it snappy...

Phillip

How about something cheaper than gas? 

Two things you can do, place a shop vac at the entrance at night if you're worried about getting stung.  Then plug it in the following morning.  Or if you have a large clear salad bowl place it over the entrance.

I'd have to run a long extension cord, but that could work.  I guess the question is, how big is the nest, and does my shop vac have a strong enough suction?  The bowl is a good idea too, but I'd have to be sure the dogs didn't mess with it. 

I would just pour a bottle of alcohol down the hole and hope for the best.  I had a nest build in the roof of an empty warre hive and admit to being a coward and just left them till it froze and then destroyed it.  I did not really see them effect my hives in a bad way.  I have lots of empty equipment as well as traps that the red (wolf wasp?) build in and they do post themselves at the hive entrances and grab at or grab bees.  I am talking so many wasp that I could be raising them as aggressively as I am raising bees.  I have took many of them out on days when they all gather on the front porch to sun with a spray bottle of just dish soap and water but mostly just let them be until I need a box..  I do not think this poisons them but more that the soap sticks to them and drowns them.  Then it dries and causes not harm.  The soap is not quite as quick as gas in taking them down but is not too bad if you get them good.
Hope this helps more then hurts.
Cheers
gww

What kind of alcohol?  Grain or isopropyl?  Our soil is mostly clay, I wonder if I doused them in boiling water and/or soapy water if that would do it. The liquid would just have to not percolate down through the soil too quickly.  I don't usually have too much trouble with yellow jackets, and I wouldn't mind them so much if they weren't right where I'm working.  Not only am I worried about them harassing the bees in the fall, I'm worried about them harassing me.  It's hard enough to inspect during robbing season with being attacked by yellow jackets too. 

[Ben Framed]

Quote from: Ben Framed on Today at 04:22:06 pm
Wait until dark and pour some gas in the hole. That will do it. By waiting until dark you will get almost all of them and you shouldn't  get stung if you make it snappy...

Phillip



Quote from: The15thMember on: Today at 04:41:06 pm
How about something cheaper than gas? 


I hear you loud and clear, as well as feeling the PAIN!! lol   

But really, you will find nothing better than gas for underground yellow jackets. The jackets will fold dead on contact and any who may escape contact can not escape the fumes. When they try they walk straight into the wet area and are done, kaput, grave yard dead! 

Phillip

[The15thMember]

I hear you loud and clear as well as feeling the PAIN!! lol 

But really, you will find nothing better than gas for underground yellow jackets. The jackets will fold dead on contact and any who may escape contact can not escape the fumes. When they try they walk straight into the wet area and are done, kaput, grave yard dead! 

Phillip

Oh, I see, that makes sense.  Well, maybe I'll try something else first, and if it doesn't work then I'll go for the gas.  I'm willing to risk a few stings to see if I can spare myself the pain of pouring a liquid that is $4.50/gal. down a hole in the ground.   

[gww]

I would think isopropyl.  I also think the fumes kill.  I am pretty sure I have heard randy oliver mention this method for taking out hives but then again, my memory is not perfect.  I am thinking but don't know that one bottle should be way more then enough.  I have not tried this though.
Cheers
gww

[Ben Framed]

I hear you loud and clear as well as feeling the PAIN!! lol 

But really, you will find nothing better than gas for underground yellow jackets. The jackets will fold dead on contact and any who may escape contact can not escape the fumes. When they try they walk straight into the wet area and are done, kaput, grave yard dead! 

Phillip

Oh, I see, that makes sense.  Well, maybe I'll try something else first, and if it doesn't work then I'll go for the gas.  I'm willing to risk a few stings to see if I can spare myself the pain of pouring a liquid that is $4.50/gal. down a hole in the ground.   

You will not need a gallon, no more than a pint... divide 4.50 x 8 and you will pay 51 cents.

Phillip

[The15thMember]

You will not need a gallon, no more than a pint... divide 4.50 x 8 and you get will pay 51 cents.

Phillip

That actually makes it cheaper than isopropyl, which is all the way up to like $3 a pint.  But still not as cheap as soapy water, or the shop vac for that matter.  I have my misgivings about the shop vac, it just seems like a situation that could go wildly awry.  I think I'll try the soapy water first, and if that doesn't do it, then I'll go to plans B or C. 

Thanks for all the help everyone.  Those were some of the quickest answers I've ever gotten on a thread! 

[Ben Framed]

You will not need a gallon, no more than a pint... divide 4.50 x 8 and you get will pay 51 cents.

Phillip

That actually makes it cheaper than isopropyl, which is all the way up to like $3 a pint.  But still not as cheap as soapy water, or the shop vac for that matter.  I have my misgivings about the shop vac, it just seems like a situation that could go wildly awry.  I think I'll try the soapy water first, and if that doesn't do it, then I'll go to plans B or C. 

Thanks for all the help everyone.  Those were some of the quickest answers I've ever gotten on a thread! 

Too keep you from getting stung and killing all the YJ. I will gladly mail the 51 cents to you .    lol  J/K.  There is a good chance the soapy water will work if you fill the hole completely.

Phillip

[gww]

I would be interested in the end result. 
Cheers
gww

[The15thMember]

Too keep you from getting stung and killing all the YJ. I will gladly mail the 51 cents to you .    lol  J/K.  There is a good chance the soapy water will work if you fill the hole completely.

Phillip

  That's what I'm thinking.  If it do it after dark, I should be able to get most of them, in theory anyway. 

I would be interested in the end result. 
Cheers
gww

I'll be sure to let you know how it goes.   

[Ben Framed]

I believe it will work out for you just fine. I have 'also' used soapy water for wasp, mixed in an empty spray bottle to hit them. It does work but not as fast as I would like, in this situation speed is not a necessity. If you have watched the documentary about killer bees featuring the famous killer bee exterminator team in Bisbee Az. You will see they use high volume soapy water for exterminating, (Africanized), killer bees..

Phillip

[paus]

Pour a little chlorine bleach in the hole and then a little ammonia, if you need to get serious, then get back, for several reasons.

[The15thMember]

Pour a little chlorine bleach in the hole and then a little ammonia, if you need to get serious, then get back, for several reasons.

Yeah, that would do it alright.    I doubt it would come to trying something so risky.  We'll call that like plan V. 

[BeeMaster2]

Member,
Just use a cup of gas then cover the hole to make it air tight.  This causes the fumes to fill the entire nest. Leave it there until morning. They will all bee dead.
Jim Altmiller

[Bob Wilson]

I do the same thing with a 12 foot wasp killer spray can. I toss a marker next to the hole, then after dark walk up, put the can 12 inches from the hole. Blast the shot spray down the hole, put the brick in my other hand over the hole, and walk away.
What's the chance the honey bees will later fly down to that one small 4 inch patch of grass? Almost nil.

[Beepotato]

Take a piece of #8 hardware cloth about 12"x12" and stake it down over the yellow jacket hole with long nails or whatever you have. Once you place the hardware cloth over the hole the yellow jackets can't get at you. Now get a 5 gallon bucket and fill with water and dawn soap (dish soap) and just sit there slowly pouring the soap water mixture into the hole. Have everything ready before you start because the yellowjackets will try to crawl out from under the hardware cloth but once you start pouring the soapy water it stops them. Good luck.

[beesnweeds]

Two things you can do, place a shop vac at the entrance at night if you're worried about getting stung.  Then plug it in the following morning.  Or if you have a large clear salad bowl place it over the entrance.

I'd have to run a long extension cord, but that could work.  I guess the question is, how big is the nest, and does my shop vac have a strong enough suction?  The bowl is a good idea too, but I'd have to be sure the dogs didn't mess with it.

The idea is to place the end of the vacuum hose at the entrance of the nest and walk away.  You can weigh down the end of the hose so it doesnt move.  As the yellow jackets come out from being disturbed by the noise they get sucked up into the vac and die.  It doesnt take long.    Most vacs have plenty of suction to pull in insects.  Leave it for a couple of hours and it will be all over.  The salad bowl works great because the yellow jackets see light and dont try and dig out and die.  Both nonchemical solutions.  But hey, gasoline, mustard gas, explosives all will work too.  You could pile highly radioactive waste next to the hole and place a lead box over it.  That will probably work.