@&*$%#)! Yellow Jackets

Dear Firewood Hoarders brothers:

I don't know if this belongs in the stove section or the wood pile section. But I need to rant. Yesterday I went to move some 2023-2024 wood from the yard stack to the storage area under the sunroom. At first there was one "Ouch, what the fork was that?". And then another. And then six more. Forking yellow jacket nest and the little bastages chased me for over 100 feet until I got inside the garage. They were treated to a nice, cool Bayer Advanced shower from a backpack sprayer and aren't around any more. Word to the wise, check your wood stacks before moving. Bonk the stack, hit it with a leaf blower etc. The little bastages are a menace. Today it doesn't hurt, just itches and some hydrocortizone cream is taking care of it. But they are out there. And they just want to get you!

 

Doesn't sound like much fun. I seem to get stung at least 1 time per year. Lately have been hitting holes with the weed eater.

 

Johnny Dangerously!

 

I stepped in a nest a couple years ago and that turned ugly quick , those things stung me multiple times in the neck and head since that was the only exposed skin. It ended up with a trip to the ER when my throat started swelling up. I have been stung many times prior but never like this , it was bad.

The funny part is when I went running with my arms flapping like I was trying to fly around the side of the garage into the front yard the was 8=10 guys working right next door paving the driveway , they were like what in the heck is wrong with this guy , more than half just burst out laughing.

 

They do suck! They built a nest right next to the door of my barn loft.



I waited for a nice cool morning, and took them out

 

golf66 I feel your pain.
Hate the little bastages.

 

Once ran over an unseen ground nest with tractor and bush hog. The darned things came up after me and I had to stop, get to high gear and high tail it! I hate them too

 

I'm planning to try Boric Acid and juice in a used soda can. As I understand it will take out yellow jackets, hornets, ants, etc but won't impact the honey bees. We had a huge nest above the front door and a ground nest last year that took most of the summer to eliminate. Don't want a repeat of THAT this year.

 

You can make a bottle trap. Two liter bottle, put water, sugar, apple cider vinegar and a banana peel in it. Cut a hole about the size of a grape in the top third of the bottle and hang the bottle up from a tree limb or whatever (dont put it near a place that you don't want the insects to be drawn to). It will catch wasps, yellow jackets and moths, but honey bees won't go in it.

 

Please tell us you have security cam footage to share. The chase scene sounds downright entertaining

Sorry

 

When we first moved in there was a ground nest. I found a nice flat rock, and stuffed a lit highway flare in the hole, then capped with rock. I thought there was a secondary hole, juts capped that with a flat stone (with a little force).

highway flares cure all manner of vermin, wood chucks, skunks, yellow jackets....

 

Early for them. Usually late Summer into the Fall when nests pop up and in the ground. I find plenty of snakes and their skins in my stacks but rarely any bees luckily.
Learned a Valuable Lesson!

 

Those look like white faced hornets. Nasty bastages. Much bigger than yellow jackets and their stings hurt far worse. They usually keep to themselves unless provoked. Yellow jackets will attach from a distance. Funny story, I was playing in a corporate golf outing and hit my ball into a creek that crossed the fairway. The ball somehow landed on a gassy bank and it was playable. I go to hit the shot and get stung on the calf by a yellow jacket. And then another sting. And another. I start swatting at them, runnnig around, trying to get away. The foursome behind us didn't know what was happening and thought I was going looney tunes.

 

Last summer the nasties invaded my home built a big nest behind the siding. I attacked with various items and ended up calling in a pro out fit as I just could not seem to kill them all off. Same summer found a ground nest the hard way just off the deck, that one I was successful on eliminating. On different property a few years back it was Bald faced hornets, again the hard way.

 

Yep. Spotted a hole in the ground with them flying in and out last summer right at the corner of a pallet at one of my stacks. A little diesel in their hole after dark usually fixes the problem.

 

Also ... can (after dark) squirt a good amount of Dawn dishwashing liquid soap down a hornet hole, and then chase it with the water hose. Did that here years ago... killed the nest no prob. I hates yellow jackets...

 

I made bee killer that way and was squitting them in a couple nests in our stone wall last Fall.

 

If you can find the hole to the nest of ground nesting yellow jackets fill up a 5 gallon bucket with water and a few squirts of dawn dish soap, wait till night and dump it in the hole. If they are still alive the next day repeat the next night.


Cheap and no pesticides.

 

A lot of good suggestions here.

We had a yellow jacket hole a few years back... our dufus golden retriever managed to get stung INSIDE his throat, which caused it to swell up and impact his breathing. Had us nervous for a time, but he recovered. He's approaching 14 by the way, so takes a licking but keeps on ticking, as the saying goes.

Now the bald face hornets... they love the south-side overhangs of my house. Every year, they nearly get me. But as others have said, they're not quite as aggressive, so I usually strike first. I understand their stings are next level.

 

In deed they are.
It's been a while but I haven't forgotten what it feels like.