I have a yellowjacket next forming under one of the eves on my house. It's still small, so I'm looking for some recommendations to get rid of it. I put up a bee killer thing (those yellow cylindrical things), and it's caught/killed a couple, but the nest is still guarded by more bees than I feel comfortable taking on myself. I *could* knock it down with a stick, but then I'd be chased by angry yellowjackets. Is there some liquid I can spray on them that'll kill them (like vinegar or something)? Thanks!
Hit the nest with wasp/hornet spray, stuff in a can that sprays up to 25 feet or so. Will kill everything in nest and you can knock it down later. Probably best to do in the evening when most of the yellow jackets have returned to the nest.
This is the nest that typically ends up like a big upside down plate come summer? It's a paper wasp nest, not a yellow jacket nest -- the latter species builds nests underground, or in junk or logs on the ground. Paper wasps are nonagressive, do not readily attack, and are beneficial predators. No reason to evict them unless they're located very near human traffic. If so, take them down with a garden hose.
Interesting! I googled for paper wasps and yellow jackets. The yellow jacket nest looks very different from a paper wasp nest (which looks more honeycomb-shaped than like the flat yellow jacket nests). They nest is right at the apex of my gable-roofed garage, so I'm afraid there's too much human traffic near it for safety (both wasp and human).
You're unlikely to be able to use a pump spray bottle on the nest without being in proximity of the wasp's protective area. An old fashioned brass water hose nozzle will make an effective water stream of sufficient pressure, may knock the next down, and again, may not. A flat ended shovel, if you hit the nest at its connection with the eave correctly, will work. Common "hornet" aerosol may work with sufficient distance for some semblance of safety from stings.
My grandpa used about 6 sheets of rolled up newspaper. Lit it off and burned the nest out. He left a running water hose at the bottom of the ladder. This always worked for him, he was rarely stung.
Father Haskell wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@f36g2000hsa.googlegr oups.com:
there are arboreal yellowjackets, which build their nests in trees or under eaves. they appear nonaggressive until late summer, & then they become *very* aggressive. i agree that paper wasps should be left alone, but yellowjackets are an introduced pest & killing them is a good idea (especially if you want to be within 100 yards of the nest at any time) lee
I use a 50 foot collapsible pole that is commonly used for paint roller/duster extensions (most hardware stores have them). I tape a rag on the end the long pole and knock them down. Then I spray the area with the wasp spray foams, not just spray stuff. The foam leaves a residue that keeps the wasp away for longer periods of time. I recommend a stiff pole that does not flex too much.
Actually the process for me goes like this: Spray first - then run, Knock down nest - then run again, Spray again - run even faster for the benydrl :)
I am an expert at stirring up a hornets nest (metaphorically speaking).
Get a can of wasp/hornet spray which will allow you to deliver a stream up to 20 feet away. Wait until sundown; bees don't like to fly after dark. The next day you can inspect the nest for inactivity, then safely knock it down without any risk of attack.
What size, color? Paper wasps are large, black and rust red. Yellow jackets are small, black and yellow. Been stung after running over a yellow jacket nest with a mower. No worse effects than a few sharp pinpricks, followed by match head sized welts that faded after 20 minutes.
Father Haskell wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@34g2000hsf.googlegro ups.com:
good for you. you aren't allergic... yet. i know what a yellowjacket looks like. i know what both the underground & arboreal nests look like. the skunk that lives under the barn takes care of any underground yellowjackets quite well. i take care of any arboreal nests that are in any area where they might impact humans or livestock. if they build one off in the woodlot, that's not a problem, but anything under eaves, the porch, the sheds or the barn are going to be squashed as soon as they get started. there really is no reason for yellowjackets to be in the US, so i don't feel at all bad eradicating them. lee
Actually, I've *developed* immunity, probably from being stung many times when I was a child. Effects have diminished. The first several stings did indeed cause swelling over large areas.
A lot of people don't know the difference, and are liable to use pesticides unnecessarily. Notice how most people refer to wasps or yellow jackets as "bees," which are another (highly desirable) creature entirely.
Father Haskell wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@k37g2000hsf.googlegr oups.com:
the usual progression would be from having little reaction to developing worsening reactions as one was exposed to more stings. however, if you went several years without getting stung, perhaps that contributed to the immunity. i'm finding that i'm getting *much* worse reactions to yelowjacket stings now. when i was a kid, it was just a prick & a minor bump that faded withing hours. now, it's a prick, a huge swelling that that lasts weeks & itches like mad... (OTOH, my poison ivy reaction is getting less as i age)
yes, well, most people are pretty ignorant & proud of it. i try to avoid them ;) i have a 62 acre farm, which i try to keep as organic as possible... although i really need an organic chicken lice remedy that works... :p lee
Temperature and humidity effects on off-host survival of the Northern fowl mite (Acari: Macronyssidae) and the chicken body louse (Phthiraptera: Menoponidae). Chen BL, Mullens BA. Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA.
Off-host survival of the northern fowl mite, Ornithonyssus sylviarum (Canestrini & Fanzago) (Acari: Macronyssidae), and the chicken body louse, Menacanthus stramineus (Nitzsch) (Phthiraptera: Menoponidae), was studied at 12 combinations of temperature (15, 21, 27, and 33 degrees C) and humidity (31, 65, and 85% RH). Mite protonymphs and louse third instars survived longer on average than the respective adult stages. Higher temperatures significantly reduced survival of adult and immature stages of both ectoparasites, whereas relative humidity had significant effects on O. sylviarum (especially protonymphs) but not M. stramineus. The LT50 values for adult northern fowl mites ranged from 1.9 (at 33 degrees C, 31%RH) to 8.3 d (at 15 degrees C, 85%RH), LT50 values for mite protonymphs ranged from 2.0 (at 33 degrees C, 31%RH) to 18.1 d (at
15 degrees C, 85%RH), LT50 values for adult lice ranged from 0.5 (at 33 degrees C, 31%RH) to 1.7 d (at 15 degrees C, 65%RH), and LT50 values for nymphal lice ranged from 1.2 (at 33 degrees C, 65%RH) to 3.3 d (at 21 degrees C, 31%RH). Maximum survival of the northern fowl mite was up to
35 d for adults and 29 d for protonymphs. Maximum survival for the chicken body louse was 3.3 d for adults and 5.8 d for nymphs. The data provide minimum guidelines for leaving poultry houses vacant long enough to allow ectoparasites to die before introduction of subsequent new flocks. PMID: 18459434 [PubMed - in process
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