Yellowjacket trapping's a bust this year!

[Pilot]

It's been cool year, which is crucial--got to have temps in the mid 70's at least. The nearest weather station, about 7 miles down the road and 700 feet lower has only had 9 days in the mid 70's or better this year, which means we have had probably about 6 or 7 days warm enough to trap the queens.

Don't get queens after July 4th around here and the forecast is for highs in the 60's until then.

So, what have I gotten? 10 queens. Better than nothing, but I usually get about 50.

The good thing is that it looks like the population is down this year--didn't get many in the wood pile this winter and hardly any came into the house on the firewood.

BTW, when they come into the house on the firewood and wake up & fly around, the best way to get them is to suck them up with the vacuum cleaner. They just hang on to whatever they are on and as the hose gets closer and closer, pretty soon they can't hang on any more and whoosh! They're gone! They never attack. By the time they realize there is a threat it's too late.

 

[Alan L.]

What do you do with the yellowjacket queens?

 

[SPIKER]

What do you do with the yellowjacket queens?

roll them in butter or coat them in chocolate taste like chicken and they will take care of the butter flys in your stomach if your the nervous type...
trapping is good when you get them early they have great pelts !
not to mention take care of the summer breeding stock

Mark
dang smart A$ $ I know the woman tells me so all the time...

 

[rekees4300]

What do you do with the yellowjacket queens?

The traps are fatal. I only got 3 queens ... not worth the trap cost.

 

[Pilot]

3 queen isn't so good and I understand your disappointment. But try again next year in different locations. Location, location, location, just like in a retail business is critical, just as important as temps. I have one sweet spot that gets 95% of all the queens I catch. I have 2 traps and no matter where I put the second trap (they are identical) the one location is always the best.

Depending on who you believe (North Carolina State U., University of California at Davis, Ohio State U., etc.) each of those 3 queens you caught could have produced anywhere from 600 to 15,000 workers, or a total of 1,800 to 45,000 for the 3 of them. If you believe the high end, I would say your 3 queens would be worth trapping, if the low end, yup, a waste of time and money. But try different spots next year. Move the traps around every few days when the weather is warm until you start catching 3 or 4 a day and you'll know you have found your sweet spot. The traps do work.

It's kind of like catching moles. I can't seem to trap them successfully and have given up. Others can do it easily.

 

[beenthere]

We have yellow jackets, but don't kill any but the ones nesting in "our" space. Seems they would help pollinate the same as other bees. Sounds like a new sport is emerging

 

[Willl]

Yellow jackets are meat eaters, don't pollinate a thing.

 

[SPIKER]

Yellow jackets are meat eaters, don't pollinate a thing.

they eat a lot of bugs too, but also fruit off the trees if you have them. they also sting with very little provocation and simply seem to enjoy it.. that is why I take enjoyment in burning those little suckers out of the ground..

mark

 

[Pilot]

Which would you rather have yellow jackets whatever other bugs they supposedly eat? We have bats and swallows that eat the other bugs and we have yellow jackets that sting people. So we put out nest boxes for the swallows and I think next year I'll put out bat boxes, too.

And as for what do I do with the queens? I have heard that if you have a microscope and tweezers, you can take the little crowns off the queens and when you have accumulated enough jewels they will pay for the traps and attractant! It takes a lot of queens, though.

 

[rekees4300]

if you have a microscope and tweezers, you can take the little crowns off the queens

LMAO :laughing: