yellow jacket nest, cant reach

[Rob]

somewhere under the eaves of my house on the first floor is a nest. the yellow jackets swarm all over the area and are starting to chase me and my wife when we come in and out of the house (its a duplex, we're on the second floor). they are also starting to get into the neighbors house on the first floor. i cant see the nest, ive sprayed a couple of cans of raid into the hole in the wood they are flying in and out of, but no luck. i cant plug up the hole or they'll all just use the exit into our neighbors house. what do i need to kill them? thanks!

[Cereus-validus]

Call a professional exterminator.

[Rob]

yes, yes, i like to learn to do things myself though if it's reasonable to do so before just picking up a phone and writing a check.

[zxcvbob]

If you really gotta kill 'em, use just about any insecticide dust or powder (not granules), and toss a goodly pinch in the hole. (best to do it in the evening) Sevin dust ought to work well, but it's not always a good choice because it stains.

Bob

[Rob]

thanks, i have no choice, they are chasing me and my pregnant wife whenever we come in and out of the house and have already stung the downstairs neighbor. i've called a bunch of exterminators and they're all quoting me $175-$250 since the nest isn't visable (who the heck would call for a visable nest when Raid is $5 a can). I'll see if I can find a place with Sevin dust and give it a shot myself.

[zxcvbob]

You don't need much poison at all, but you do need to get it all over the place up there so if you miss the nest (and you probably will) the wasps will walk through the powder on their way in and out and get it on thier feet. You want something that doesn't act too fast; the YJ's will track it into the nest and poison the whole hive when grooming.

Good luck, and best regards, Bob

[SVTKate]

Call your landlord, and have them call an exterminator. That's why they get paid the big bucks :)

Kate

| >

| |

[Rob]

the landlord wanted to send her son to fix it. her son wanted to block up the opening, disregarding the fact that the bees were coming out another opening somewhere into the downstairs apartment. thankfully the son apparently forgot to "fix" things. we told the landlord we'd call an exterminator, but no way she'll pay $175-$250, so screw it, i'll do it myself. i have the sevin now and the duster. just waiting for dark. cost about $40 for the two.

[Pat Jordan]

Yellow jackets won't swarm after the sun goes down. The best way to destroy a nest is pour gasoline in the hole and light it. I know you can't do that where your nest is located, so I guess your other alternative is to have your landlord bring in an exterminator.

[zxcvbob]

$40? It should have only cost a few dollars for the sevin, and 99¢ for a turkey baster. (I usually don't bother with the turkey baster and just throw a pinch of insecticide powder down the YJ hole with my fingers.)

I killed a huge nest of them that way a couple of years ago. They were under the neighbor's sidewalk (I don't know how they just appeared there suddenly) and they were stinging passers-by. The neighbor tried burning them out with gasoline and was lucky he didn't set himself on fire. It just pissed off the YJ's, and *maybe* killed a couple of them. I waited until almost dark and threw about a teaspoon of methoxychlor dust (a general purpose farm insecicide sometimes used on cattle) in the crack where they were going in and out. The next day, there were no more wasps.

I'm sure the $30-something duster you bought will do a good job too...

Bob

[Rob]

i wasnt getting any closer than i had to, no way i could get up there with a turkey baster (i thought of that) without a ladder. besides, im sending the bill to the landlord anyway, she's paying for the $35 duster. the way i look at it, i just saved her around $200.

[Cereus-validus]

Have you been video taping all your antics trying to save money trying to do this? You'd be a shoe-in to win the jackpot on America's Funniest Videos!!! That's providing you don't kill yourself or cause your pregnant wife to have a miscarriage in the process. This is starting to sound wackier that a Laurel & Hardy movie!!!!

[Hound Dog]

Why do you have to come up with all the money and do the work by yourself? Your down stair neighbor should split the cost and the work with you, or go in half on the cost of having the work done professionally.

I think the guy that advised you to get a professional exterminator gave you the right advice. You are about to take on a job that you really are not qualified to do. Subjecting a pregnant wife to chemicals is also a very dumb thing to do.

If I were you I would get several bids, call in the cheapest one, have the work done then submit the bill to your landlord and neighbor.

[Rob]

thanks much, no bees anywhere in sight today :).

[Swyck]

Just stick a broomstick in there and swirl it all around.

Sorry, I couldn't resist:)

A couple of years ago I was walking past one of my shrubs, right next to the sidewalk leading to the back of my house, when I saw a bees nest inside it larger then my head. Shows how observant I am since I walk by there all the time and I didn't notice it till it got that big. It was weird. The hairs on the back of my neck raised up seeing a bees nest that large, though I'm not normally bothered by flying stinging critters.

I decided to leave it alone till the middle of winter, when during a freezing cold day, I went out and whacked it good with a stick and tossed the remnants into some faraway shrubs. I half expected to see cold, sleepy, but angry bees shake themselves awake and come after me.

Course that won't help you with your hole. I'd either toss a bug bomb of some sorts in there, or get a pro, leaning towards the later.

Swyck

[FarmerDill]

Are you sure that you are dealing with yellow jackets? Thery are usually ground nesters.

[dr-solo]

call local ag center I am sure there are bee keepers will come and get a nest that size. bees use their honey all winter, they keep their wings going to heat up the hive and on the inside they are still busy.

Ingrid

I half expected to see

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List

the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the endorsements or recommendations I make.

[Happybattles]

Sevin Dust is probably not the best thing to use. Greenlight is pretty good. The 0.05% concentration of Deltamethrin has a very low toxicity to humans.

If you can go three weeks without seeing any yellowjackets, PLUG THE HOLE THEY USED TO GET IN! If you don't, six months from now, when most of the Sevin has blown away, a new colony will move in, attracted by the smell of the old ones.

I have to kill wasps, bees and yellowjackets in soffits several times a year (professional exterminator). I usually go there when it's convienent for the homeowner or resident, which is usually about 9am.

Needless to say, I wear a bee-suit. In treating bees I use Wasp Freeze, Delta Dust, Diatomacious Earth, Lesco Flushing Agent and if it's a commercial building I may use Drione.

If you ever get bees, you MUST have the honeycomb removed within two weeks! If you don't, it'll melt, ruining your walls, carpet and friendship with your neighbor. Then come the ants... millions of them. Then come lots of stray bees who can smell the honey...

Always best to let a professional do it and take responsiblity for it.

Try alt.consumers.pest-control for more information.

[Rose]

A couple of years ago I was walking past one of my shrubs, right next to the sidewalk leading to the back of my house, when I saw a bees nest inside it larger then my head. Shows how observant I am since I walk by there all the time and I didn't notice it till it got that big. It was weird. The hairs on the back of my neck raised up seeing a bees nest that large, though I'm not normally bothered by flying stinging critters.

I decided to leave it alone till the middle of winter, when during a freezing cold day, I went out and whacked it good with a stick and tossed the remnants into some faraway shrubs. I half expected to see cold, sleepy, but angry bees shake themselves awake and come after me.

Course that won't help you with your hole. I'd either toss a bug bomb of some sorts in there, or get a pro, leaning towards the later.

Swyck

[Beecrofter]

I have always felt that the folks who can't tell a bee from a wasp grew up to be the hunters who couldn't tell a cow from a buck.