Before I add another painful but funny story to my already full collection, I thought I'd ask for any input the forum may have on eradication of a yellow jacket's nest adjacent to our pond.

I located the nest after getting nailed the last two times I've mowed and I counted 40 to 50 going in and out in the course of 3 to 4 minutes so I'd imagine it's a pretty large nest.

I have my coveralls,gloves, headgear and moonbeam ready for an evening assault on the colony but wondered if anyone could suggest a good product to use. I have an ACE and TSC nearby so if anyone can suggest something that's worked for them I'd be much appreciative.

Stay tuned this could get funny,

Chip

Perhaps I can assist in outlining how to get rid of this nest by describing one way NOT to do so.

When I was a kid, we had a hornets nest in a conifer-pine type of ornamental tree that was just off a corner of our house. The tree was about twenty feet tall.

I can't recall who's idea it was, but we decided to burn them out. We located a long stick about 10' long, tied a rag to the end, and soaked it in gasoline.

You know how conifer type trees or bushes are green on the outside, but dead & brown on the inside?

Well, that tree lit up like the 4th of July. The house survived, but the tree did not. No hornets left either.

Sunil,
That's exactly the sort of experience I was trying to avoid.
When I went over to find the nest I took a can of premix for the chainsaw with me but thought better after watching them a few minutes.I can picture how your tree must have looked. Your last name isn't Griswold by chance?
Thanks,
Chip

Had a yellow jacket nest inside a wall of my house a few years ago. A lady at a garden supply store said to take some Sevin powder and spread it where they enter the nest. They pick it up on their feet and then spread it around in their nest. It worked like a charm. In a few days they were all dead and never came back.

Thanks Tom,
I have Sevin dust,maybe I'll try that.
Chip

Where is the nest? In the ground? In a pile of rocks? I get wasp nests every year in a rock wall. I know when they've returned since they always get ticked off when I mow around the wall. I can see then coming and going in between the rocks. Since I know where they are I just use a can of any brand of wasp/hornet spray. The kind that can shoot 20 feet. I empty about 1/3 of a can each time they build a nest. The chemical acts quick and they usually drop within 1 second of the spray hitting them. I don't even wait for evening. If you know where the yellow jacket's nest is I would just unload a can of the spray on them.

I have used both gas and wasp spray and both worked. After dark pour about a cup of gas down the hole (just dump it there). Also have sprayed part of a can of wasp spray on the hole. Both worked.

The nest is in the ground. I waited till dark and belly crawled to within about 6 feet of the entrance and waited to see if any were moving around. When the coast was clear I flipped a pail with about a half pound of 5% Sevin dust over the top of the hole and left it covered up. I think I'll wait a day or so before mowing.
I was surprised I didn't get stung, thanks for the help folks.
Chip

Chip,

[EDIT: You posted just before I posted -- but here is one more solution if your's doesn't work. As they say in the fine print, please remember, it can be dangerous.]

For over 25 years I've used a variation of EWEST's method.

As EWSET said -- please wait until after dark. They settle in around dusk, and aren't much of a danger at night.

Find the hole, and pour in about a half-cup of diesel fuel or kerosene. Wet a paper towel with the same oil, and place it at the top of the hole. Light another dry paper towel, or a piece of newspaper, and drop in on the hole. It will gently burn for 15-30 minutes. It will suck all the oxygen out of the hole.

I've never seen them come back within about 50 feet of a hole that has been burned out.

NOTE: Through very painful experience, I've learned to squat and look before I mow or weed whack. From early August, well into October, I look for any activity over the whole area I'm about to mow, weed whack, or brush hog. Sometimes I'm lucky and I find a nest before it finds me.

Good luck,
Ken

Demon WP from the Ag store seems to do a pretty good job and they don't come back for a couple of months. I use it around the outside of the house and the barn.

KILL THE QUEEN! game over.
I dealt with the same problem, but they were in the wall of the house. I contacted a helpful guy that ran an exterminator business and he sold me a 4 oz (by wt) container of a product called Drione. It's like talcum powder. Lay a little at their entrance hole so they have to walk thru it. The inconsiderate little buzzers never wipe their feet. It is a timed release kill, so it takes a few minutes to kick their stinger. They head for the Queen to service her majesty. The rest is history.

Thanks fellas,
I read about the Drione and some others but couldn't get any on short notice. I like anything involving pyro-hehe. If they come back I'll get the weed burner out and see how they like that;nothing says stay away like scorched earth.
Chip

I guess I'm a little slow, but I don't quite understand what you mean by "kick their stinger".

I assumed that to mean "set them off".

bee-ese for arse...as in muerto
(Sunil; if you please)

ahhhhhhh,
As in dead; d'accord
Chip

If you look closely at the bee's knees, they have more fuzz and hair on their legs than JHAP's prom suit. When they walk thru the powder, it sticks to them like whiff on Scarface's nose. These players are as good as whacked; finito. The Drione kills slow, though, so the ill-fated mules carry the goods to their bee-ho. The last dance is performed, and the bee rave climaxes with the ultimate buzz.
Please don't make me go into the bee coronor chapter. The autopsies are grueling.

Bee-ho; that almost made me blow beer out my nose.
Good description Brettski.

...oh yeah...one more thing
while under the hypnotic state between bogartin' the candy and giving up the stinger, they go absolutely berserk over the colors red and white.

I read that light colors were best to wear so I wore my white Elvis jumpsuit left over from Halloween a couple years ago.. complete with the red satin cape and silver patent leather belt.
Chip

We have been 'attacked' several times, always this time of year. When you find the 'swarm' after the attack, with binoculars usually, my husband will take a small limb and lay it so that it points towards their entrance. That helps us find it after it starts getting pretty dark. Always wait till just before dark. He has a funnel that he fuels his lawnmower with. He puts a cup or two of gasoline in the funnel while holding his finger over the bottom hole. He puts the funnel over the whole and moves his finger, letting it drain down the hole, then pours a small trail of gas from the whole 3 or 4 feet away. Then we just light a piece of paper towel and toss towards the 'lead line' of gas. It will burn slowly for 15-20 minutes. You never see them again! Just be careful, we are around 40 days without rain, so everything is really really dry. Only want to burn the bees!

Good choice, Chip!
Don't forget the mask. They too will likely recognize that it's just a cheap knock-off from the Cats musical and will swarm it to help hide your embarrassment. Keep a paper plate handy and have some fun by gently arranging them on your face to create a bee-beard. It's a riot and many will think you look like Abe Lincoln.

We've been blessed with about 7" of rain in the last week but just North and West of us there was quite a bit of flooding. I hope the Sevin works but I have used gasoline on them before.My Grandmother used to mix gas + Joy soap to make her version of napalm then pour it down the hole.

Brettski,
I was told by the salesman in Mexico where I got the mask that it was an authentic "Juventud Guerrera" original, it cost big bucks.
Chip

ooops; my bad

-
-
-
-
seriously, the Drione works; quick and easy

no problemo Brettski,
I could let it go for say,,, 120 pesos. :-)
Chip

(holy smokes...that's less than the one I found on E-bay!)
-
Chip,
I would need another one in green for my pal in Ohio. He's building his second pond right now and it would look marvelous on him while he's on the vibrating sheep's foot. (why does that sound skewed?)

We get some ground bees here and they are mean little suckers. I generally wait until they are all down in the hole and pour it full of dishwashing liquid. It always works.

However, I had one that I couldn't get near. They were under a plow that I needed so I had to be mucho careful. I sneaked up and wrapped a chain around it and drug it about 50 ft. away. I came back a week later and found that an armadillo had found them, dug up the hive and eaten the whole bunch. Or, at least I guess he ate them. They are darn sure gone and lots of torn up comb around.

For wasp nests that I can see, I use a product called Enforcer Wasp and Hornet Spray. I got it at Ace Hardware. This stuff is a foam that shoots 15 to 20 ft. It works great.

At one time I had 25 bee hives. One was mean as the dickens and we couldn't even go near it. We tried requeening several times but couldn't catch the old queen to kill her. I found out on several occasions that they can swarm and sting just fine at night. You can get a pretty good adrenaline rush when a really upset bee gets inside your mask, at night or day, with some madder ones trying to sting thru your suit. I finally built a big fire, suited up, wrapped my leg and arm cuffs with duct tape and carried the hive to their final reward. When you have about 100 mad bees on and around your suit, there's not much sense in trying to get away from them. They will follow you for a long distance. If you run for the house, expect the door to be locked.

-Dave Davidson, Gentleman Apiatrist

For those of you choosing to not reap the benefits of learning a second language, Brettski is saying "dead."

I may be a city boy but I know how to kill some bees.

First ya get a good bee costume.....




By the way the costume looks better on her than me. Go figure.

Thank you kindly, Brettski. My dream of becoming a Mexican wrestler will at long last be realized. Move over Nacho Libre, here comes El Chupanibra!



Must be an idiomatic expression that doesn't translate well from Illinois.

My way is not the best way, but it's the most entertaining way I have seen.

I take a propane torch, turn the flame to ~2" making sure the flame is very quiet. We don't want to hear any hissing or rushing sound. Then you sneak up on the hole, and place the flame about 1" above and directly over the hole. Every single 'jacket that enters or exits the hole will have his wings singed, and will tumble out of control and crash. After an hour or so, you will have a nice pile o' jackets. Then you can use one of the better methods above to get rid of the rest.

Those are some pretty "deep thoughts".

-
-
...isn't that Miss South Carolina?

No.. she's gone back to school.

...to get ready for the spelling bee?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZABeQ5vkpXM


I want to know what any of this has to do with not owning a map.

Poor thing.

I know. I've even felt guilty for posting that. Maybe I should take it down.

OK, I'm editing the post.

A dumb questions begs for a dumber answer. A lot of people that are laughing at her really can't point out the S.A. err USA on a map. They also cant tell Warshington state from Warshington CD

I understood everything she said.

You're a deep guy, Bing!

See Burger...the power of morph. From off'ing a bee-ho to the new CD by Warshington. All in 2 pages. Nice work, guys!

Frankly, I didn't understand a thing that Burger said, and you know Burger and I are united in our plight for you to have added fathead minnows to your new pond almost a year ago.

OK, I feel much better now...Evidently her parents are quite proud of her.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQc6oBCuDXk&mode=related&search=

Yep - a phenomenal public speacher and a great USAmerican!

That warmed the cockles of my heart.

Hey Chip,

I'll trade ya two (2) of these for one of your Yellow Jacket holes......





I'll even throw in 50 pounds of freshly hatched and most definitely hungry Mosquitoes, no charge.

I met some yellow jackets this morning ....... matter of fact, it was 6 of them! I will have my propane brush burner(boo-koo BTU's) at their hole for a marshmellow roast about 6 am. Pay back is a b...h!

I've got a book of old Indian recipes that has one for Yellow Jacket Soup. No, I haven't and will not, but I'd be glad to share the recipe if you want it.................

Dan P.
I would love to find one of those hornet's nest empty, I'm going to hang it in my shed at a show piece. The one's you show have hornet's in them?

DP, we have something in common.

Nice one, GW. I've spotted 3 more since I took the Pic's but they are all up pretty high. The one in the pic's is only about 3 feet off the ground in a area I was mowing up 'till I spotted the nest. Won't mow around there 'till next spring.

Dan

I've been stung by Yellowjackets twice lately while marking trees along the waterline of Cindy's pond. It sucks.