Yellow jackets in chicken run

[pockerse]

Hey all. I’m new to the forum and chickens so thanks for your patience.

We have a massive hornet problem in our chicken run. So much that my kids no longer want to get eggs.

I have looked through other forums and they discuss spraying if you can find the nest but, we can’t seem to find one. I have looked everywhere around the coop and fences.

Any advice on looking for a nest or preventing them would be helpful. We have traps out that are filling up but still have 40-50 hornets at a time around the run.

Luckily, the girls don’t seem to be bothered and strangely, the hornets are never inside the coop.

(From Utah)

 

[FnWeirdo]

when looking for the nest you have to be patient and observant. I'm new to chickens but not to bees lol. my nephew is extremely allergic so i can't have them anywhere on my property. if i notice one i will watch and follow it for a bit if i don't see a nest. ill put out a couple containers with " bait" ( cut a 2 liter and pour some in the bottom left over area) you can fill it with some sugar water or just dump some of the mountain dew in lol. mountain dew i find attracts them very well. ... sit outside observe and follow. move the containers closer in to where they fly after visit they will keep visiting as its an easy close by source. i usually zero in on them in a day or 2. hope this helps, good luck with the wasps.... oh yea and you might be dealing with a mud wasp as well

 

[PirateGirl]

Yellow jackets (if this is actually the wasp variety you have) live underground so finding a nest can be extremely difficult. The only sign will be a small (maybe the size of a quarter) hole that they fly in and out of. Perhaps with patient observation you can see where they are coming and going from.

 

[RollTideChicken]

Yellow Jackets are indeed hard to find. Wait until almost dusk and go out and watch. They should all be coming in to sleep for the night so there will be mostly activity going into the nest not out. Follow them in and start watching the ground. Be aware there is always a guard at the entrance and they get mad easy.
Here's the one I had to find.

 

[FnWeirdo]

a semi dangerous way to find mud wasps..... if you find an area you think they might be.... disclaimer don't do this if you are allergic or afraid of getting stung. ...
pound on the ground with the back of a shovel or something similar. bees hate vibrations and will start swarming out of the hole.... id have a can of spray with a wide spray nozzle handy tightly tied shoes and an escape plan ready though lol.

i had to do this once cause i couldn't find the hole and yeah... i was stung a few times but i knew i would be doing this.... use caution...