Getting rid of yellowjackets

[igthebold]

Anybody here have experience getting rid of yellowjackets? I've seen a professional do it (and spent $150 for the privilege), and I asked lots of questions. The following website seems to agree with what I saw: http://doyourownpestcontrol.com/yellowjackets.htm The supplies will cost about $50, which isn't the shabby savings, assuming I can get it done. :)

[Chris22]

Get a spotlight. Aim it at the hive. From another direction, approach the hive, can of Raid in each hand. Empty Raid at hive. Hornets fly at the light. You escape unstung (obviously do this at night).

[Shinplaster]

We've had to do this twice this year, and usually at least once every year.    Buy a can of foaming wasp spray - there are several different manufacturers, it usually costs around the $10 mark.  Wait until dusk, and spray the nest.   The cans usually come with a spray extender straw, so you don't need to get too close.   The foam completely envelopes the nest, inside and out, and kills on contact.  Wait until the next day, make sure there's no activity, and knock the nest down and destroy it.   We've never had to spray the nest twice - once and done. 

If the wasps are the in-ground type, I'm not sure this would work, but it would be worth a try.

[Cookie78]

We've had to do this twice this year, and usually at least once every year.    Buy a can of foaming wasp spray - there are several different manufacturers, it usually costs around the $10 mark.  Wait until dusk, and spray the nest.   The cans usually come with a spray extender straw, so you don't need to get too close.   The foam completely envelopes the nest, inside and out, and kills on contact.  Wait until the next day, make sure there's no activity, and knock the nest down and destroy it.   We've never had to spray the nest twice - once and done. 

If the wasps are the in-ground type, I'm not sure this would work, but it would be worth a try.

I've used the same foam spray in an in ground nest before and it worked. But they seem to be back this year again according to my basement suite tenant. Hopefully they didn't just make a new nest inside.

[pjm123a]

I just went through this. If the yellowjacket nest is visible you can use sprays and they are effective. In my case though the yellowjackets had exploited a poorly caulked seam between to fascia boards and built their nest in the soffit behind the fascia board. All I ever saw was a swarm of yellow jackets around the seam. I could kill them and did by the dozens with spray. A few minutes later though there would be a fresh bunch. Eventually I found domyownpestcontrol.com and discovered insecticide dusting instead of spraying. I ordered a duster from them and a 1.25 lb container of 1% Tempo dust. Total cost delivered to my door $38.50. It took a few applications of the dust around the seam but the yellowjackets are completely gone. Have not seen a single one now for weeks. Supposedly the dust sticks to them as they buzz around and it gets introduced to the hive and eventually kills the queen. That seems to be the key. You have to get to the queen. If the nest is hidden and you cannot directly spray then it is difficult to get to the queen. I guess the dust solves this by using the bees themselves as a delivery vehicle. All I know is it worked for me.

[Spork]

If you want to go the dusting route...  Sevin dust is very effective.  (The problem is: it is very effective on lots of good insects, too).

If you can identify how they're coming/going out of a house/hole.... you can just give a liberal dusting they have to walk through.   

It's probably about $5-10 a can (depending on size of said can).


But if you can see the nest, most sprays are very effective.  I say most... as there are a few brands that are about as effective as spraying with holy water and praying.

[trailrated]

Most likely not the smartest solution but it sounded fun after a few beers with my cousin. We blew up a nest with fireworks and a home made flame thrower (we had fire extinguishers on hand). Dangerous and stupid... yes. But we lived to tell the tale, nobody got stung, and there are no more yellow jackets in the back yard :).

[igthebold]

Thanks everybody. The entrance is very visible, essentially just a hole in my yard with a bare patch around it. I guess my main question was really to find out how DIY-able it is, and it totally seems doable.

PS - I will probably avoid the fireworks. :)

[trailrated]

Thanks everybody. The entrance is very visible, essentially just a hole in my yard with a bare patch around it. I guess my main question was really to find out how DIY-able it is, and it totally seems doable.

PS - I will probably avoid the fireworks. :)

Most likely for the best... but we got some awesome pictures :)

[forummm]

I took out 2 hives here--both underground. I just put some standard dish soap into a big sprayer, mixed up with a lot of water, and sprayed them as they flew into the hive. If you get the soap on them it stops them from being able to fly and breathe, so they die on the ground quickly. It's not toxic. It takes awhile to stand there and spray them of course. I never got stung. I also poured the solution into the hive to get the ones down there. I had to go out and do the spraying a couple times because they were very active during the day and one or two would fly back to the hive every minute or so. And if I didn't get them, they would just rebuild the hive.

[Spork]

Ok, so we're talking about the in-ground yellow jacket things...  I will add one more bit of caution:  They often have more than one entrance.  Get in, put your dust, spray, gasoline, napalm or whatever down --- and get out quick.

[igthebold]

trailrated: Awesome!

Spork: That's right, these are the in-ground type. I'll look out for an extra entrance. I've read that they don't see well at night, so if you put a spotlight on in the side opposite you they'll head that way first. They are also less active at night. I hope it goes well, but this could be quite a learning experience. :)

forummm: Yes, dish soap does make sense. Maybe I'll try that first. It will definitely require multiple sprayings, though, but that's okay.

[forummm]

forummm: Yes, dish soap does make sense. Maybe I'll try that first. It will definitely require multiple sprayings, though, but that's okay.

I found that if I kept the pressure up and hit them with a good spurt, it knocked them down and they never got up. If the mist is too fine they can fly through sometimes. I just listened to podcasts while I was out there.

[ncornilsen]

I put one of those traps that're a bag you fill with water right near the nest. Within a few days, only the tiniest, newly hatched yellow jackets remained. I killed them with spray and destroyed the nest... no more problems!

Note: The glue type traps only work if you trap another type of large insect on it, then place it near the yellow jackets. They try to attack the "invader" and get stuck. Otherwise they don't seem to care about the glue traps.

[Greg]

Another option for ground wasps is a glass bowl placed over the entrance.  They can find their way in under the edge because of their sense of smell, but have a hard time getting out because of the glass, and soon the nest starves and dies. I've destroyed a few nests this way.

[forummm]

Another option for ground wasps is a glass bowl placed over the entrance.  They can find their way in under the edge because of their sense of smell, but have a hard time getting out because of the glass, and soon the nest starves and dies. I've destroyed a few nests this way.

Oh, interesting! Does it have to be clear glass, or can it just be any container--even a bucket?

[radram]

One comment on above ground nests.  I soak them with a wasp spray at night, and then I leave the nest there.  I used to knock the nest down the following day, only to see a new one the following year.  There are a few natural spots wasps love to nest in, like where peaks come together.

Ever since I started to leave the nests, new wasps stop by to check it out, and then go somewhere else.  I have been finding fewer nests as the favorite spots are taken by the old nest they want nothing to do with.


Radram

[Spork]

One comment on above ground nests.  I soak them with a wasp spray at night, and then I leave the nest there.  I used to knock the nest down the following day, only to see a new one the following year.  There are a few natural spots wasps love to nest in, like where peaks come together.

Ever since I started to leave the nests, new wasps stop by to check it out, and then go somewhere else.  I have been finding fewer nests as the favorite spots are taken by the old nest they want nothing to do with.


Radram

I read something similar... and it does seem to work to some degree for me as well.

[regulator]

Obligatory beekeeper comment: please avoid the use of pesticides.  Bees (and other beneficial insects) are having a tough time as it is.

We use dish soap and water.  It kills them quick and if you use a few applications it will be all over.  If they are nesting in the ground, just dump a bunch of diluted soap in the hole.

Next year shortly after the start of spring put out some traps with a pheromone and some water in them.  You will catch any queens that happen to be flying around and completely avoid the full blown nests that they develop.

[Greg]

Another option for ground wasps is a glass bowl placed over the entrance.  They can find their way in under the edge because of their sense of smell, but have a hard time getting out because of the glass, and soon the nest starves and dies. I've destroyed a few nests this way.

Oh, interesting! Does it have to be clear glass, or can it just be any container--even a bucket?

Yes, clear glass works best.  If it's a bucket they'll just head for the light.

[pagoconcheques]

An old trick for keeping yellow jackets at bay during picnics and bar-be-cues was to bring an aerosol can of hair spray.  It makes their wings stick together so they fall and you can just step on them. 

Not sure how effective that would be on a full hive though.

[jacksonvasey]

Something else to keep in mind is that you may want to just let the be, if the nest is somewhere out of the way.  Yellowjackets are, in a way, beneficial insects; they just aren't pollinators like bees.  But they will hunt some undesirable bugs in your garden, and they help clean up road kill and dead animals.

Of course, if the nest is somewhere you can't avoid, or you eat dinner outside every night (meaning they'll be harassing you every night), then you'll want to kill them.

But it seems setting the traps in the spring and preventing hive building is really the best thing to do.

[worms]

... they just aren't pollinators like bees.

Not true! Wasps are still important pollinators (and if you won't believe me, there are numerous sites that will confirm, such as the US forest Service at: http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/animals/wasps.shtml ).  They are not as hairy as honey bees, so less efficient as pollinators but the flowers of some plants seem to be very attractive to wasps and less so to bees.  My gooseberry bushes are always abuzz with wasps, when in flower, but completely ignored by the bees.

I agree with the let them be comment, though, if the nests are not in a problem location.

[nirvines88]

Most likely not the smartest solution but it sounded fun after a few beers with my cousin. We blew up a nest with fireworks and a home made flame thrower (we had fire extinguishers on hand). Dangerous and stupid... yes. But we lived to tell the tale, nobody got stung, and there are no more yellow jackets in the back yard :).

I haven't laughed this hard in a while.  Sounds exactly like the dumb kind of thing my friends and I would do. 

With that being said, I too have a yellow jacket problem, and I do have some leftover fireworks...

[forummm]

Something else to keep in mind is that you may want to just let the be, if the nest is somewhere out of the way.  Yellowjackets are, in a way, beneficial insects; they just aren't pollinators like bees.  But they will hunt some undesirable bugs in your garden, and they help clean up road kill and dead animals.

Of course, if the nest is somewhere you can't avoid, or you eat dinner outside every night (meaning they'll be harassing you every night), then you'll want to kill them.

But it seems setting the traps in the spring and preventing hive building is really the best thing to do.

I would have left mine alone, but DW is allergic to stuff.

[trailrated]

Most likely not the smartest solution but it sounded fun after a few beers with my cousin. We blew up a nest with fireworks and a home made flame thrower (we had fire extinguishers on hand). Dangerous and stupid... yes. But we lived to tell the tale, nobody got stung, and there are no more yellow jackets in the back yard :).

I haven't laughed this hard in a while.  Sounds exactly like the dumb kind of thing my friends and I would do. 

With that being said, I too have a yellow jacket problem, and I do have some leftover fireworks...

Hahaha I request picture updates

[jacksonvasey]

Something else to keep in mind is that you may want to just let the be, if the nest is somewhere out of the way.  Yellowjackets are, in a way, beneficial insects; they just aren't pollinators like bees.  But they will hunt some undesirable bugs in your garden, and they help clean up road kill and dead animals.

Of course, if the nest is somewhere you can't avoid, or you eat dinner outside every night (meaning they'll be harassing you every night), then you'll want to kill them.

But it seems setting the traps in the spring and preventing hive building is really the best thing to do.

I would have left mine alone, but DW is allergic to stuff.

Yeah I have had them three times, and they haven't been anywhere I could leave them alone.  Although, I guess I've probably had them a lot more than I realize, and just left them alone without knowing they were there.

And @worms, I'm glad to learn they are indeed pollinators, more reason to let them be.  The sad thing is I see way more wasps around my yard than honey bees, though I do see more bumblebees than either.

[Spork]

Something else to keep in mind is that you may want to just let the be, if the nest is somewhere out of the way.  Yellowjackets are, in a way, beneficial insects; they just aren't pollinators like bees.  But they will hunt some undesirable bugs in your garden, and they help clean up road kill and dead animals.

Of course, if the nest is somewhere you can't avoid, or you eat dinner outside every night (meaning they'll be harassing you every night), then you'll want to kill them.

But it seems setting the traps in the spring and preventing hive building is really the best thing to do.

There is an upside and a downside...  Many of those "undesirable bugs" are defoliating caterpillars.  They snag a bunch of them  So if you want to get rid of them, let the wasps be.  On the other hand, if you're a fan of butterflies... well, those are just baby butterflies.  Your other choice is "plant more larval host plants" and nuke the wasps.   I usually go with option B.

[Capsu78]

Need to do a shout out to doyourownpestcontrol.com.   As a group of neighbors we have been using their mosquito control product and even though we have had the rainiest start to summer in a while, our misquito problems have been minimal...  important as they have now found West Nile Fever carrying critters in my county and the one next to us.

Beekeeper above:  I do all I can for my flying insects to peacefully coexist and I hope that it doesn't harm any of my little friends.  I even catch and release wasps in my house. Sometimes I just have to exert my top of the food chain self if it becomes a safety issue.

[igthebold]

Something else to keep in mind is that you may want to just let the be, if the nest is somewhere out of the way.  Yellowjackets are, in a way, beneficial insects; they just aren't pollinators like bees.  But they will hunt some undesirable bugs in your garden, and they help clean up road kill and dead animals.

I would definitely leave it alone if it weren't in my grass. And if I weren't in the kind of neighborhood where people will call you out on uncut grass. :)

[bsmith]

I agree with those who say to leave them alone if you can.
Protip #1: We had some flying around the front door, so we sprayed around the door (not the wasps) with Raid. Haven't seen them since.
Protip #2: Some wasp-type bugs aren't aggressive stingers, like dirt daubers. You can knock those nests down without fear. You can tell the dangerous ones by the type of nest they build. They'll defend a paper nest, but you can knock down a dirt nest without much worry.

[The_path_less_taken]

Obligatory beekeeper comment: please avoid the use of pesticides.  Bees (and other beneficial insects) are having a tough time as it is.

We use dish soap and water.  It kills them quick and if you use a few applications it will be all over.  If they are nesting in the ground, just dump a bunch of diluted soap in the hole.

Next year shortly after the start of spring put out some traps with a pheromone and some water in them.  You will catch any queens that happen to be flying around and completely avoid the full blown nests that they develop.

Hello, fellow beekeeper! Quick hijack: if bees have swarmed under an old shed, will putting an empty hive near their entrance entice them? Not sure what to do with that swarm....been 4 days now and not sure how far into that run down shed sub floor they are.



For the wasps: I'm surprised nobody is meat/fruit baiting. Granted, it's not exactly cheap. But easy and effective.

On the little hanging traps you add water/attractant to it tells you which time of year fruit (now thru fall? I forget.) works best....but my experience is they will ALWAYS go for meat.

I buy the 3pack of turkey bacon when Costco has it on sale. I get a bucket and find a thin piece of wood that will lie across the top of it. Twirl the bacon around the wood like stripes on an old barber pole: I overlap them so the entire stick is very covered in meat. If you're in a windy area you can put clothespins on either side of the meat stick to hold it in place.

Half fill the bucket with water and add a lot of dish soap to it.

The wasps will gorge on the meat until they fall into the soapy water, and drown. I've caught thousands this way. A beekeeper I know buys almost out of date raw chicken parts and does this....very, very effective in killing wasps.

If you've already bought those pricey traps (some years the attractant doesn't seem to attract), just stuff a piece of meat in there...that works as well, although then I throw them out due to smell after the wasps all die in there with the rotting meat. You can also bait with fruit.

For the ground wasps...I'd pour diatomaceous earth into the openings. It cuts their exoskeleton and they desiccate and die.

[regulator]

Obligatory beekeeper comment: please avoid the use of pesticides.  Bees (and other beneficial insects) are having a tough time as it is.

We use dish soap and water.  It kills them quick and if you use a few applications it will be all over.  If they are nesting in the ground, just dump a bunch of diluted soap in the hole.

Next year shortly after the start of spring put out some traps with a pheromone and some water in them.  You will catch any queens that happen to be flying around and completely avoid the full blown nests that they develop.

Hello, fellow beekeeper! Quick hijack: if bees have swarmed under an old shed, will putting an empty hive near their entrance entice them? Not sure what to do with that swarm....been 4 days now and not sure how far into that run down shed sub floor they are.



For the wasps: I'm surprised nobody is meat/fruit baiting. Granted, it's not exactly cheap. But easy and effective.

On the little hanging traps you add water/attractant to it tells you which time of year fruit (now thru fall? I forget.) works best....but my experience is they will ALWAYS go for meat.

I buy the 3pack of turkey bacon when Costco has it on sale. I get a bucket and find a thin piece of wood that will lie across the top of it. Twirl the bacon around the wood like stripes on an old barber pole: I overlap them so the entire stick is very covered in meat. If you're in a windy area you can put clothespins on either side of the meat stick to hold it in place.

Half fill the bucket with water and add a lot of dish soap to it.

The wasps will gorge on the meat until they fall into the soapy water, and drown. I've caught thousands this way. A beekeeper I know buys almost out of date raw chicken parts and does this....very, very effective in killing wasps.

If you've already bought those pricey traps (some years the attractant doesn't seem to attract), just stuff a piece of meat in there...that works as well, although then I throw them out due to smell after the wasps all die in there with the rotting meat. You can also bait with fruit.

For the ground wasps...I'd pour diatomaceous earth into the openings. It cuts their exoskeleton and they desiccate and die.

Hmmm, if they are in a spot they have decided they like, they may well be setting up shop and drawing comb in their new home.  If you put a hive thee you are not likely to attract them.  They do sell special pheromones/essential oils that you can bait a hive with that supposedly will attract a swarm.  Barring that, your only option might be a bee vacuum.

[cdttmm]

Hello, fellow beekeeper! Quick hijack: if bees have swarmed under an old shed, will putting an empty hive near their entrance entice them? Not sure what to do with that swarm....been 4 days now and not sure how far into that run down shed sub floor they are.

Another beekeeper here.

Are you seeing bees coming and going from under the shed? If so, are they foragers or scouts? If they are coming back with pollen, then they are busy setting up shop. If not, then they are likely scout bees looking for a better location and they'll move along on their own. Scouting a new hive location can easily take 4-6 days.

If they are setting up a new home under your shed, I'll second the suggestion of using a bee vac to get them and move them now while the colony is still fairly small.

[~otter~]

Another option for ground wasps is a glass bowl placed over the entrance.  They can find their way in under the edge because of their sense of smell, but have a hard time getting out because of the glass, and soon the nest starves and dies. I've destroyed a few nests this way.

Yes! I found this tip somewhere else this summer, and have used it successfully on two ground nests. Takes over a week, but it required roughly 30 seconds and no pesticides were sprayed into the ground which houses my source of well water. Just freaks me out a bit when the kids are playing nearby. One errant soccer ball, and...

[HipGnosis]

Another option for ground wasps is a glass bowl placed over the entrance.  They can find their way in under the edge because of their sense of smell, but have a hard time getting out because of the glass, and soon the nest starves and dies. I've destroyed a few nests this way.

Oh, interesting! Does it have to be clear glass, or can it just be any container--even a bucket?

Yes, clear glass works best.  If it's a bucket they'll just head for the light.

I've never done this, but... If it's not clear glass, how will you know it's safe to take it away?

[Ditchmonkey]

Another option for ground wasps is a glass bowl placed over the entrance.  They can find their way in under the edge because of their sense of smell, but have a hard time getting out because of the glass, and soon the nest starves and dies. I've destroyed a few nests this way.

Oh, interesting! Does it have to be clear glass, or can it just be any container--even a bucket?

This technique only works with glass as it is essentially fooling them into thinking they are out of the nest so that they don't dig an alternate exit. Anything that simply blocks the entrance they will dig around pretty quickly.

[Ditchmonkey]

Another option for ground wasps is a glass bowl placed over the entrance.  They can find their way in under the edge because of their sense of smell, but have a hard time getting out because of the glass, and soon the nest starves and dies. I've destroyed a few nests this way.

Oh, interesting! Does it have to be clear glass, or can it just be any container--even a bucket?

Yes, clear glass works best.  If it's a bucket they'll just head for the light.

I've never done this, but... If it's not clear glass, how will you know it's safe to take it away?

You would do it at night when they are dormant. They often leave one or a few out as guards but they are slow and clumsy in the dark.

[Ditchmonkey]

Another option for ground wasps is a glass bowl placed over the entrance.  They can find their way in under the edge because of their sense of smell, but have a hard time getting out because of the glass, and soon the nest starves and dies. I've destroyed a few nests this way.

Yes! I found this tip somewhere else this summer, and have used it successfully on two ground nests. Takes over a week, but it required roughly 30 seconds and no pesticides were sprayed into the ground which houses my source of well water. Just freaks me out a bit when the kids are playing nearby. One errant soccer ball, and...

The glass bowl method makes a whole bunch of them furious at the same time and ready to go. It is important to keep children and animals away from a nest treated this way - or even more important than usual that is.