How to Kill yellow jackets?

[chucko]

Found them when I was clearing with a bush ax (well they found me)

caned wasp spray seemed useless
can not use gas because that are at the base of a group of trees I do not want to kill withing feet of a lake.

I wanted till after dark and seven dusted them (because I had some)
seemed to slow them down but they were still there but not nearly as mean
Did it again last night with 1/2 bottle of malathion(sp?) mixed in 2 gallons of water and dumped that on them.


So if they are still there tonight then what?

[J_J]

How close are you to a 110v source? If close, a large bug zapper will sizzle every one of them in short order. I have done it for revenge after accidentally bumping their nest/ hole in the ground by pampas grass.

[Turbys_1700]

Probably not the most environmental friendly method but effective...
Find the entrance hole in the ground to their nest after dark...
Take a 10oz. Coke or Pepsi bottle and fill with gas...
Stick the bottle into the hole...
Leave it there until the morning...
This will kill the nest...

[schoolsout]

We've used Delta Dust before to get rid of some ground bees in our yard. Not sure if it killed them, but they were a no show afterwards

[chucko]

Finding the exact point of the hole is a problem due to the amount of ground cover that is still there and I can't use gas it will kill my plants I want to keep and might get into the lake

I do like elec near by and like the bug zapper idea. Do I need to get the good and po-ed at it so they start attacking it?

[Carl_NH]

Chucko,

The malathion should take care of them - I use Permethrin which is from the chrysanthenum flower family, but can be toxic in water - not that Malatihion isnt..

I do the same thing mix up 1-2 gallons in a 5 gal bucket and pour in the hole and that gets them pretty fast. I would bet you dont have many left.

Another trick I heard was to fill a 5 gallon bucket with sand and water to make a slurry and dump on top of the nest leaving the bucket over the opening..

Good luck.. they really sting fast as you know.

Carl

[retiredmgn]

After dark I throw some used motor oil down the hole. Slow burning, soaks into the ground, nests are on the ceiling of the hole so they don't get upset, little odor. Then a little bit of gas just to get it going so I don't have to hang around with my hand in the hole to get the oil burning. Works every time. I don't think it will harm the trees. Won't burn long enough to heat up anything but a couple hundred bees.
I have found this combination effective enough you can even stay close and listen to the gentle humming of the mass killing actually happening. Of course only if you are into such things - like listening to all the little bestids die who would just as soon sting you to death.

[deepNdirt]

I am very familiar of what you're having to deal with, Most all ground nesting bees I have dealt with have two ways in and out of their nest, usually found within a couple feet from each other, There is a foam spray that you can use to fill up their hole's in order to help contain and kill some of them, however this stuff dissolves after a few minutes and it doesn't kill them fast enough before they can come at you,..... so do this before the foam fully dissolves, You can put some netting over the holes and lay boards to hold down the edge of the net down, then be ready with some good hornet spray to shoot into the net as the bee's will start slowly coming out , this usually gets about 95% of them, be sure to wear eye & mouth protection to keep from breathing or getting it into your eyes,

[SandburRanch]

So if they are still there tonight then what?

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Where is your sporting spirit. You go into battle with a badminton racket so they have a fair chance.

[J_J]

Finding the exact point of the hole is a problem due to the amount of ground cover that is still there and I can't use gas it will kill my plants I want to keep and might get into the lake

I do like elec near by and like the bug zapper idea. Do I need to get the good and po-ed at it so they start attacking it?

Plug in the bug zapper, and place on a 20 ft stick of PVC, and edge up to the hole and bump it a little. They will come out and attack the bug light until there are none left.