Help! The Yellow Jackets are Coming~~

[chickens4me]

Yellow Jackets overran my whole yard last summer making it almost impossible to enjoy anything out there....kids won't play out there~~too many agressive attacks.

Does anyone have some really great ways of getting rid of them permanently or at least control them to a great extent???

Thanks so much. Any and all help is very much appreciated!

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

Other than lots of hanging traps and poisoning the hives (usually underground) I don't know of anything... but boy do I hate them yellow jackets and their nasty temperaments!

 

[lisahaschickens]

we had a nest living in the ground in our front yard last year but we didn't discover it until almost fall.... when I got stung in the leg. Apparently they are German wasps/yellowjackets and one sting can cause pain fo rmonths - that's what happened to me. I got stung in September and I still get days of leg cramps here in March. Scary. Anyway, I read up on it and they only thing you can do it hire a professional service to come in and scour your yard to find the nests and then they'll eliminate them for you. ITt's something I'll hate to do, but we'll do it this year if they show up again... they can be agressive, and they can actually kill you. Terrible! Just make sure that you're having them kill the right ones... yellowjackets are bad. Paperwasps are extremely non-agressive and are a great control for garden pests like caterpillars, etc. They are considered a gardener's friend and they are harmless unless you accidentally step on one of something like that.

 

[TXmom]

We've seen a few wasps around here lately too. They're not yellow jackets though...maybe those paper wasps. I saw one of my chicks jump up and try to eat one yesterday! Luckily the wasp flew away before the chick got it. What happens if my chicks actually catch and eat one??? They are almost 7 weeks old.

 

[lisahaschickens]

your chicks will be fine! They'll eat it and it will be gone

Chickens can eat all bug as as far as I know

 

[horsejody]

If you find the nest in the ground, pour vegetable oil in it. It kills them and destroys the nest without harming the enviroment.

edited because I forgot to proofread

 

[chickens4me]

Thanks for the tips so far! I really appreciate them.

 

[Imp]

My house and neighborhood gets covered with yellow jackets every summer. I just keep an eye out for the nests and pluck them down when they're small. The neighbors will ask me to check they're houses as well. I find them in the utility boxes, cars, gutters, just about everywhere. Last year they were trying to build a nest in the frame of my truck. everytime I got home they would swarm the truck. "YEAH Home is home! LOL! And I'm pretty sure there is a nest somewhere in my walls. I get the occasional yellow jackets in the winter in the house. Don't know where they are coming from. Ground nests are a pain. Had one in the backyard and it took months to get rid of it even with pesticides. I discovered it when I was building the compost bin and disturbed it. First sting in my life at 45 years old. Last year I was replacing the fence across the backyard and there was a big ground nest about a foot into the neighbors yard. They were not happy with my new fence. Like a B horror movie I got swarmed twice. Finally after getting stung a few dozen times I covered the entire area around the nest with tarps and blankets so they couldn't see the nest entrance. Kept them so occupied that I was able to hurriedly build fence about 10 feet past the nest, then they left me alone. All my life I've seen people really freak out about bees and getting stung. I don't think it's so bad. Yes it stings a little, but not bad. Hitting your finger with a hammer is worse.

Imp-wondering if I get stung by a radioactive bee, if I'll become BEEMAN superhero?

 

[horsejody]

Quote:
My brother was stung and nearly died. That is how he found out that he was allergic.

 

[okiemommy]

Great Question!! We have the same problem. They get bad around here. This was our first year in this house and by midsummer we saw the holes everywhere in our yard.