Yellowjackets in my Cattails Help!!!

[MrMagoo]

Hi all,

I have a yellow jacket problem. The CFO went out to water the flowers this evening and noticed a bunch of "horseflies" around the cattails. She wanted an expert to come out and look. I went out and saw a few hundred yellow jackets swarming around. I suggested that she skip watering the plants this evening.

I was wondering what you guys use to get rid of yellowjackets. I really dont see where there "den" is located. These are just flying around and landing on the leaves of the cattails. Ive already done a search that suggested a trap for catching queens. I think these are the drones? Is there a trap for catching them too?

Thanks

 

[FL_Cracker]

You need to find the nest. Trying to kill them out of the nest is a painful experience. I find the nest and hit them right at dark. Paper type nest in the trees, around the house, etc. can be taken care of with one of those large weed burning touches. I have one that runs on a gas grill bottle and has a 3' wand. The nozzle is about 3" in dia. and it puts out a big flame. Right at dark I approch very slowly with the torch lit. Then apply the flame to the exit of the nest and hold it right there. As they try to exit their wings are tost and down they go. Then the nest will fall. Give them another good shot on the ground and say good night. Those that have their nest in the ground are harder. I have never used this method yet but I told that if you fill a long neck beer bottle with gas and turn it upside down in their hole AFTER DARK and hit the road, the gas will take care of the rest. Sounds good but like I said, NEVER TRIED IT.......

Be Careful.......................

/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[Tdog]

MrM,

If they are yellowjackets, their nest is almost certainly in the ground. You need to watch from a respectful distance at dusk & you will likely see the entrance - - & make a note where it is so that you can locate it later. Waiit till full dark & pour some gasoline down the hole. There is no need to light it - - the fumes will do the job. [Be careful not to illuminate the entrance hole fully with a bright light - - don't ask me how I know this.] This should do the trick. If you are willing to be a little more paitent, some Sevin dust around the hole to the den will eventually do the trick as they track it inside to the colony.

Good luck.

 

[Freds]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( There is no need to light it - - the fumes will do the job. )</font>

Sure. There is no need to light it, but who can look at a yellow jacket hole they just poured some gasoline down without? /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[Pilot]

If you pour gasoline on the hole, the fumes do the job very well. If you light it, you may burn the gas on the surface and not have as much in the ground to kill the rest in the nest.

There are no drones at this time of year--they all die off in the fall and no more are born until late summer / early fall. Here outside Portland, OR, it is probably too late to catch any more queens and we don't see any yellowjackets--they are still babies underground being fed by the queen motha.

Tdog gave good advice and that's the way I have done it, although I have not had a problem shining a flashlight on the hole--yet. The cooler the temp when you do it the less chance they will react--about 45 degrees & they hardly know how to fly.

One day in the late fall when the temp was in the low fifties or high forties I was trying to rip out some blackberries with the cultivator on my tractor. All of a sudden I was surrounded by yellowjackets! Must have been a few hundred of them flying around me and the tractor. Stupid me, I put the tractor in neutral, shut it off, lowered the cultivator, then ran like ****, right across where the nest turned out to be. The critters were pretty groggy & I never got stung. Went later in the day to locate the nest, then a back at about 10 pm, gave them the gas & moved out my tractor the next day.

 

[ALBALD1]

the local dnr guy told my dad to use liquid sevin. it sticks to them better when they crawl into the hole. We've done it twice & they are gone within a day or 2.

 

[Tdog]

45 degrees? We won't see that again till maybe October.

 

[YanmarFever]

hey Pilot
What town outside of Portland are you in ?
Im in Molalla
Ernie

 

[slowrev]

Yep, a sttong mix of liquid sevin works great. Just mix up a bucket full and dash it into and around the hole after dark and run. The yellow jackets will be gone within a day or so. The reason for after dark is that the little suckers can't find you nearly as well after dark and won't roam far from the nest., they navigate by the sun or something and get lost easially after dark.
Ben

 

[Pilot]

Ernie,

I 'm on Springwater Rd. south of Estacada. I talked to you about a tractor a couple months back but found another.

I will be calling you in a few days about either a tiller or a disk.