Yellow Jackets

[Chuck52]

Don't know if it works with yellow jackets, but my beekeeper buddy always sets up his hives near some low hanging trees or tall bushes so he can go through them if the bees get excited. Apparently, they tend to lose your trail in the branches. So, run through the briars and run through the brambles and run through the bushes where a rabbit couldn't go!

Chuck

 

[cstocks]

How to get rid of them? Well you could do like I have done twice in the past year. Scoop up a load of dirt w/ your front end loader and plop it right smack on top of their hole. It worked for me both times! No fuss, no muss, no nasty chemicals. Just good ol' nature's own, mother earth dirt. To me it seems like a fitting end for the earth dwelling,welt raising little devils!

 

[rancar]

Dan...

<font color=blue>You ran from the yellow jackets and got away? </font color=blue>

Yep....maybe I cheated a bit. I was anticipating this might happen because I have a perennial problem with these buggers against this one foundation wall so I covered myself with Deep Woods Off. This is great stuff. Even with this precaution, I got stung on my leg, right through the Levi's.

Now....I am in a predicament. I am currently working on this wall of the barn replacing barn board. I noticed what appears to be at least one large, maybe two nests behind the barn board about 4 feet above the ground. These buggers are getting to their nests through cracks in the boards. I have to replace these boards and paint this wall before the cold weather comes in.

Any ideas from anyone on how I do battle with these nests behind the clapboards? All I have to do is tap on the boards and they start to swarm inside. Then, they come out.

Bob

 

[cstocks]

Bob,

Is there any way to set off an insect bomb inside the wall? I used one to clear wasps out a well shed last summer and also used them in my deer blinds last fall.

 

[beenthere]

Do you have a pic you can post?

 

[chim]

If you need to replace the boards anyway, how about waiting for a cool morning, drilling a hole in the board, and firing the spray through the hole? I have an allergy to the bee stings, so I try to do battle with them when they are drowsy. We often get wasp nests on the soffit at our front porch. I hit the nests with the spray in the early AM, and have good results...........chim

 

[rancar]

beenthere,

See the attached pic. The boards I have to replace are on the lower part of the big south facing side. The nests are just below the rear two, 1st story windows.

Bob

 

[rancar]

Chris....

I guess I'm a bit ignorant. What is an insect bomb?? I had thought about drilling a large hole in the boards and spraying bug killer in, hoping to hit the nests. I also thought about just braving it and ripping out the boards very quickly, one by one when these buggers are quiet, hoping for the best....then hitting the exposed nests with bug killer. This is problematic as I'm still risking a sudden swarming.

Jim....

I certainly could wait until a cold morning or evening, but that would be in September before that happens. I will do that if I have to as a last resort. But, I have hard freezes up my way in late September and still have much painting to do. Would love to replace these clap boards now and paint this big south facing side before the cold weather comes in if I can.

Bob

 

[cstocks]

It is called a bomb or fogger but is really a small, pressurized can with a button on top and insecticide inside. Once you press the button it stays down and releases the contents in a vaporizing spray mist. The can is small and only takes 15-20 seconds to empty out. When used in the house you would put one in every room, set them off all at once and leave the house for a couple of hours until the fog dissapates. The ones I have seen are for fleas and roaches but they work on wasps as well.

In your case I was wondering if you could make a hole in the wall large enough to stick a can inside. I guess how well it would work would depend how far apart the studs are inside the wall and how tightly the wall is sealed up.

 

[chim]

The ones I deal with are sluggish on cool mornings. It doesn't have to be heavy-coat cold. A cool Summer morning (a rarity around here lately) with temps in the 60's seems cool enough to slow them down. You could test this before venturing in and getting stung by throwing a few stones at the boards to see their reaction. Mine nest in the open, and may be more affected by temperature than those nesting inside some structure.................chim