Beware! Yellow jackets are out.

[RalphVa]

Normally don't experience them well into July and August, but yellow jackets got me mowing this afternoon.

They actually moved some rocks in front of a blueberry bush and have a nest in there.

Got a note to myself and told the wife to remind me to go out 6-7 pm and spray with wasp and hornet spray. Gasoline works, too, but you don't have to get very close with that wasp and hornet spray. Don't tell the extension office I told you about the gasoline. They prefer you to use the nerve agent killer stuff, e.g. wasp and hornet spray.

I had to shut the ZT blades off and let it sit a spell to let them simmer down to be able to get back on it (without blades on) and move it.

Ralph

 

[Jchonline]

I prefer a flamethrower, but the wife hates the cleanup

 

[Molalla1]

I prefer a flamethrower, but the wife hates the cleanup

My M . . .

 

[Tinhack]

I have a 10' square three sided shed I use for my ZT mower. I have to go in armed with a can of wasp spray every time I want to mow. I get the foam spray. It coats the nest and surrounding area before any wasps can take flight. It pretty much kills them instantly. And it will knock them out of the air too. Seems there's always 3-4 nests in there each time. Down here, yellow jackets start showing up the first sunny day over 60 degrees--Sometimes in February. !!!

 

[4get gto]

I got hornets. The little ones. Nasty little SOB's
Trimming hedges with a hedge trimmer stirs them up quick.
And they'll chase you down for about 20-30 feet.

 

[oosik]

I've seen a few around the outbuildings. Some at the hummingbird feeder. I haven't seen any bald faced hornets - yet. I could do without the hornets.

 

[Jstpssng]

Yellow jackets had just started a nest in my Troy Bilt when I went out to do some tilling. I got stung but he did such a poor job that it took a few seconds for me to realize what it was. They also like to nest in places such as hitches of trailers which have been setting for... a week or so.
One year I had a nest in the housing of my mower. I got it hooked up without getting stung, turned on the PTO and the nest was gone.

As has been mentioned in other posts allergies can change over time. It's worth it to keep a supply of Benedril on hand, just in case. A Canadian timber cruiser I knew years ago had his first reaction while working out in the woods, rendering him unconscious for several hours, luckily he revived. He said that the last thing he thought of before passing out was holding his infant son.

 

[oosik]

I have to be careful around my stored implements. YJ's will make nests in the open ended pipes, tubes & cross members. Handle the nests first or be prepared for a nasty surprise during hook up. I've found that WD40 sprayed will put them down - just about as good as commercial sprays. I purchase WD40 by the gallon and dispense with a hand pump bottle.

 

[Sigarms]

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Thinking about it, per another topic on safety, can't help but wonder how long the safety manual would be on this baby LOL

 

[oosik]

WoW!! And just in time for a 4th of July. High altitude aerial display to the MAX.

 

[skipmarcy]

What I've always called yellow jackets are the in-ground nesting ones that resemble a small wasp and yes, they usually don't come out around here until it's been steadily hot for awhile, July or August. Well, it's been fairly warm here for awhile now and I hit a hole/nest weedeating last week - about 6 or 8 stings before I ran far enough and pulled the last one off of my pant leg, all the while holding the running weedeater. Those little buggers won't let go once they get attached !!

Luckily I have no allergic reaction to them but that liquid fire for an hour or so sure gets old, then they itch for days similar to chiggers. My wife & I have been going to the spot to try and find the hole but no luck yet, we've done this several times over the years, and I'll go down one night and pour something down the hole to kill them. If I'm REAL lucky a skunk will find the nest and it will be all over without me getting any more involved.

 

[5030]

I have to be careful around my stored implements. YJ's will make nests in the open ended pipes, tubes & cross members. Handle the nests first or be prepared for a nasty surprise during hook up. I've found that WD40 sprayed will put them down - just about as good as commercial sprays. I purchase WD40 by the gallon and dispense with a hand pump bottle.

Non chlorinated aerosol brake cleaner works really well, evaporates quickly and leaves no residue except dead insects. I carry a can of the cheapest available on the zero turn and a couple in the shop, just in case. Drops them in mid flight too.

Like shooting 'pigs in a barrel' as the saying goes.

 

[RalphVa]

Non chlorinated aerosol brake cleaner works really well, evaporates quickly and leaves no residue except dead insects. I carry a can of the cheapest available on the zero turn and a couple in the shop, just in case. Drops them in mid flight too.

Like shooting 'pigs in a barrel' as the saying goes.

Have some of that, too. Will check price next time to replace wasp & hornet spray.

 

[ruffdog]

For the nasty yellow/black ground bees, I do about a 2 sec blast of hornet spray and follow up with a few long blasts from my propane mosquito fogger. The fogger ignites the bug spray in the hole and also steams them to death. Of course, we do this at night....not during the day!

 

[two_bit_score]

For the nasty yellow/black ground bees, I do about a 2 sec blast of hornet spray and follow up with a few long blasts from my propane mosquito fogger. The fogger ignites the bug spray in the hole and also steams them to death. Of course, we do this at night....not during the day!

Bet that’s cool to watch!

 

[5030]

Bet that’s cool to watch!

Probably stinks too. Roasting jackets have to smell lovely.

 

[two_bit_score]

Probably stinks too. Roasting jackets have to smell lovely.

There is a downside to everything.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

The queens come out about the same time the hummingbirds are nesting. I've built up a big colony of Anna's, and haven't seen a single yellow jacket for weeks, even when I BBQ or we eat outside. The hummers apparently view wasps as slow, dumb, and edible. They've wiped out the daubers too, and I've yet to see a mosquito even though we have a creek in the back yard.

On the down side, the hummers are going through 1.5 quarts of syrup a day. We had to put up multiple feeders because of congestion. Grocery runs include a 10 lb. bag of sugar.

 

[ruffdog]

Probably stinks too. Roasting jackets have to smell lovely.

The skunks seem to like it as they dig them up to eat them.

 

[Thomas]

been lucky last couple of years haven't dealt with those boggers,for the skunks keep digging out ground nest.