Yellow Wasps

[katharinad]

I was out in the duck daytime area (1 acre in size) to dump their poo and pine shaving from the duck house. I have there a 200 foot hedge were I simply spread it out underneath. I'm getting to the end of the hedge when I've heard a lot of buzzing. Turns out I have a big yellow wasp nest underground. Well I don't want anyone to get stung, ducks, dogs, or even us. Any idea what I can use to kill them. I hate to use poisons, but this needs to get removed. Would DE work? It's less of a poison issue to me then the pesticides they sell at the store. My ducks free range in that area.

 

[toadbriar]

Fence off the area to keep the ducks away. I know you don't like poisons - I don't either - but yellowjackets are fierce and sting repeatedly, and whenever they sting they release a pheromone that encourages the rest of the hive to attack too - that's just too dangerous to have around, especially considering you can stumble over one of their grass nests before you know it, unlike a hanging paper hive. So - I'd use the stuff you spray from 20 ft away and soak the hive entrance at dusk, or after dark with a flashlight. When you're sure the hive is dead (the next day) soak it with the water hose to rinse away the nasty stuff. Pretty sure those are mostly waterbased, The can will say so.

 

[katharinad]

You have a good point. We had those suckers in the porch rafter behind the wood that covered the rafters. Well our porch was sinking and had carpenter ant damage in the foundation, so we tore it down. That's when we found those yellow wasps. At least it was late September when the nights are around 40 or below. So my husband came out early in the before it got warm to tear it down. Those wasps were so stiff they could not fly and all he had to do is squish them dead. So we will get the stuff you attach to your hose next time we go to town. At least I know that most of those poisons are gone within 6 weeks, so it is not a permanent toxic site. Blocking it off is also not an issue with some stakes and a temporary fence quite easy to be done. We will do that tonight when it is to cold for them to fly.

 

[HottentotTeal]

I use the spray can that was suggested above.

It works and kills them within half a minute. If you get a direct shot on one, it is out for the count within 2 or 3 seconds and falls to the ground and curls up to die.

Spray the nest if you can, but if you can spray some individually, that is good too.

Also, whenever you are killing wasps, i recommend slinging a shower towel over your shoulder.



If they get near you, just throw the towel flat at them and they will normally stick to it and the towel will fall on them and they will be underneath it.

If they fall on the topside of the towel when it hits the ground, their legs may still be stuck to the towel threads for a second or so, giving you time to flee or kill them.

You can also use this method to kill one wasp at a time (indoors), but it's pretty dangerous to try outside.


The spray can works like a charm.

Yellow Jackets/ hornets are very aggressive, more so than red wasps.

 

[katharinad]

We had to strip down the green house to build the duck house 3 years ago. I actually got stung by one of them into the neck. Man is that painful. My neck was swollen for days, even with orally taking anti histamine and put it also onto the spot.

 

[Imp]

It might take a few applications to kill the nest. I had one in the yard that I would go up to the entrance at night and stick the nozzle down the hole, and spray away. Took a few weeks and about 5 applications before the nest died.

Imp

 

[HottentotTeal]

The best time to kill them is of course dawn/dusk or even night.

The bad part is that you can't really see them very well in case they "wake up" and you can't take them all out in one fell swoop.

Normally when I attack a nest, I will spray all of them at the nest and if any manage to flee, i will back off for a minute and after they are gone, i go in and destroy the nest.

If one or a few get away, one will usually return to rebuild the nest within a day or 2 and that is when you take them out again.


You can also just use a water hose if you just can't afford to use poisons, but i recommend making that a 2 or 3 person job. One person sprays them to keep them wet so they can't fly and the other swat them with a broom or just step on them if you are brave.