Yellow jackets

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I need to hear from all the dragonslayers out there. What is the best, most effecient way to kill yellow jackets in their nests? I can find the nests and I need the critters dead before I can disk the stumpfields. Thanks, ya'll.

-- Laura Senderhauf (gsend@hotmail.com), May 19, 2000

Answers

Hi Laura,

You might try a part bleach, part water, and pour on the nest at night. I know a lot of people use gas or oil and burn them out, but this can be dangereous. Also leaves some oil in the ground.

I had a friend who used gas, and the ground exploded when he lit the nest. seems there were pockets in the ground that the gas built up in and when he lit the gas that was all she wrote

Whatever you do, be careful they can be mean critters at the best of times.

Beth (NC)

-- Beth (NC) (craig@icu2.net), May 19, 2000.


Mark the nest in daylight and come back at night by flashlight. Spray about half a can of starting fluid down the hole and smash a rock in the hole to seal it. DO NOT LIGHT IT--the ether will smother the entire nest. This has always worked for me--it works on fire ants also.

-- Joel Rosen (Joel681@webtv.net), May 19, 2000.

Thanks, Beth, I did the gasoline thing several years ago. It gave me great satisfaction, but I don't want to do it again. :)

Whatever method I use, I will be sneaking up on them on a cool cloudy day when they are slow. I am allergic to them and now carry an Epipen and can look forward to a trip to the emergency room if I get stung again.

-- Laura (gsend@hotmail.com), May 19, 2000.


use a CO2 fire extiguisher, itll freeze them enough for you to pick up by hand (if you want to), and dispose of them as you wish. Just cover the hole with the nozzle, (at night, or cloudy day), and give them a good blast

-- STAN (sopal@net-port.com), May 19, 2000.

Chickens! The best way we found to get rid of all yellow Jackets is chickens. They will stand on or right next to the nests, and snap them out of the air coming and going.Rather an impressive sight to watch.

-- Bergere (autumnhaus@aol.com), May 19, 2000.


I like the starting fluid idea, if I ever have the problem I will try that.

-- Hendo (redgate@echoweb.net), May 20, 2000.

You said you were going to disc this stumpy area when you could get rid of the yellow jackets. If you are planning on plant there, you might not want to use gas, starter fluid, or a verity of other commonly used methods as they may kill the seeds, or deform the plants grown there. And, though chickens (or guenia fowl (sp)) would work good, they may not be fast enough for you. I don't meen to put anything down, just trying to know if any method will affect the discing. However you decide to deal with these pests, I do have one suggestion that may save you a trip to the hostipal (saw on earlier post you were allergic to stings). See if you can borrow a bee suit from a local bee keeper, or maybe you could pay them to do the job for you.

Good luck

animalfarms (In)

-- animalfarms (jwlewis@indy.net), May 20, 2000.


Somebody already mentioned gasoline. That's the ONLY way to go. It will kill them immediately and the residue will not hurt the soil. It will evaporate quickly and no harm would come to the ground. Be sure and put enough on the nest by pouring rather than spraying. Any pressurized container will blow them out of the nest and they will be MAD! I've done this for years with jackets, red wasps, bumble bees. I never got stung. If it's a samll enough area [3 ft or less] you could mix some insecticide in with the gasoline also, if you want. Second way to dispose of them is with a lawn mower. CAREFULLY set it over the nest, start and kick the blade in gear. Leave it set for awhile-- keep outta the way as they will be discharged out the shute and madder than a hornet if they survive the blade. This way is not the best by far but does work. I like the gasoline best! If the liquid gets on them it's 100% effective! Be careful. They ARE nasty little devils. Matt. 24:44

-- hoot gibson (hoot@otbnet.com), May 20, 2000.

Thank you all you dragonslayers.

Once again, Joel has demonstrated his outstanding ability for stealth guerilla warfare against the enemy:) I imagine this is why every tractor or logger that I have ever seen has a can of starting fluid within reach.

The stumpfield will be horse pasture when it finished so heavy toxins are out. My chickens are clueless, and Hoot, I would love to watch from a distance the lawn mower trick. The bee suit is a great idea just incase I miss a nest and I cannot find anyone dumb enough to do this project for me.

-- Laura (gsend@hotmail.com), May 21, 2000.


Laura! I'm not gonna start that raskel! I happened upon a nest of those ill tempered little critters year before last. I was mowing with my TroyBilt tractor type with a "foot-feed" type hydro forward and reverse. I just happened to get over their nest and those things came shooting out the discharge shute. Like a dummy-I rocked the foot shifter into reverse and that was a BIG mistake!!!! Immediately, I drove it back over the nest and lett'r rip! We had jackets flying everywhere. I was afraid to back off the nest, couldn't run from the rider and was too busy swatting those that survived the blades! Talk about a busy few moments-----! I didn't kill'm all until mr. gasoline was dumped down the nest. About 1 gallon of the expensive junk done the trick. It would've been better had I had a push mower. I could've let it run over the nest while I ran. Gasoline is still the best! If anybody is interested I have an old recipe for yellow jacket stew from the cherokee indians in N.C. The first line says to "Secure the hill"! No thanks, believe I'll stick to beef stew--and I have indian blood in me!! Matt. 24:44

-- hoot gibson (hoot@otbnet.com), May 23, 2000.


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