Yellow jackets

[labman]

The other day I noticed a big swarm of them around my porch eaves. I looked and they had found a chink in the trim and crawling in and out. I waited until night and risked putting a screw in to close up the gap. I first sprayed a good dose of ant and roach killer in it. The last several days they are still swarming around it. I have managed to kill some off, but more keep coming. Beside the ant and roach killer, I have tried malithion, soapy water, and windshield deicer. Today I tried the shop vac. It sucks them up pretty good. After I have a bunch of them, I shut it off and dump in a little lacquer thinner. Yes, I am being careful to clear it out before turnign the vac back on.

What will kill them and keep on killing any new ones?

 

[CivicFan]

You could burn the porch. That'll take care of them.

 

[wavinwayne]

You can buy wasp and hornet killer spray that will kill yellow jackets within just a few seconds. Like this stuff: http://www.killsbugsdead.com/fop_w_h_k.asp

 

[ViragoBry]

I have no idea how you managed to plug the hole, use the shop vac, etc. without getting stung. I can't get within 20 feet of them before they come after me...even when I'm minding my own business.

Definitely get the Raid stuff, or something similar, and since you're having such good luck, spray the hole full of it.

 

[tmorris1]

I had the same problem. The only thing that I found to work was the spray directly on the nest. They also make a dust. I was told not to plug the hole with them in there yet because they will chew through wood and everything. Not fun. I pretty much waited for cold weather and removed everything and plugged the holes.

 

[Dave Sherman]

I read somewhere that steel wool works nicely, if it's a hole they found. Stuff the hole full of fine steel wool, and it poisons them when they try to eat through it. I had some wasps nesting under the edge of the driveway, and even after spraying several times they kept coming back. When I finally stuffed steel wool under the gap, I never saw them again.

 

[Loobed]

Originally Posted By: wavinwayne
You can buy wasp and hornet killer spray that will kill yellow jackets within just a few seconds. Like this stuff: http://www.killsbugsdead.com/fop_w_h_k.asp


That stuff works good. They die almost instantly, and you can spray from a very far distance. I think I saw some yellow jacket specific spray at Home Debauchery.

I use to whack them with a leather glove, or badminton racket.

You can buy some disposable bags that you add water and hang near the hive. The more that go in and die the more it smells and attracts other yellow jackets.

 

[Drew99GT]

You could go with the Dave Rock method of bee control:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nG1RrzH7-cY&feature=channel

 

[oilyriser]

Mix some baby food meat with borax, and leave it out for them to munch on. just an idea

 

[saberz]

Napalm, lots of Napalm.

Seriously, get the bee/wasp spray and spray the whole can in the hole. Thing is, depending on how long they've been in there it could be a very big hive or a little one. You could wait until fall/winter then rip it open and get rid of the nest.

I personally would use the steel wool, but if there are any other openings they will make their way into your house as an alternate route.

 

[1maniac]

Get a commercial can of wasp and hornet killer. Half the can is propellent but they spray out to 12-15 feet. It's nasty stuff that kills instantly by screwing with the nervous system. I mean a little whiff of this and they drop dead instantly. Don't miss beacuse they'll be super pi$$ed and attack.

Look for a lable with this stuff:

d-trans Allethrin 28057-48-9

It is very nasty so wash it off if you get it on you.
I works like a charm.

 

[wantin150]

The spray has a residual effect as well and will kill those returning to the nest.

 

[labman]

Their behavior is different from everything I have seen before. Usually there are only a few going in and out the entrance and going on their way. I have a whole cloud of a couple dozen flying around where it was. They don't seem to pay much attention to me. I sucked up hundreds with the shop vac and as fast as I sucked them up, more came.

I will see if the hardware has that spray.

They never chewed their way out of the last nest I sealed up. It was in my garage foundation. A little mortar put it out of business for good.

 

[JHZR2]

it seems that yellowjackets are bad this year. I rode my bike over a nest a few weeks back...

 

[OVERKILL]

Burn them like it's 1942.

I have a vehement hatred for wasps and hornets. RAID + fire + "burn you wretched spawns of [censored]!" is typically the chain of events.

I accidentally lit one of our boathouse roofs on fire once because I doused a hornets nest in WD40 and then lit it. Let it go a LITTLE too long and the shingles started to catch! LOL.

 

[greenaccord02]

You ever spray brake cleaner on them? When I'm in the garage and I see one, I grab the most caustic bottle within reach. Brake cleaner does the trick as well as carb cleaner and ether. I like to set them on fire, too, but only once they're on the ground. Safety first, you know!

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: greenaccord02
You ever spray brake cleaner on them? When I'm in the garage and I see one, I grab the most caustic bottle within reach. Brake cleaner does the trick as well as carb cleaner and ether. I like to set them on fire, too, but only once they're on the ground. Safety first, you know!


No, never used brake cleaner, sounds effective! My grandmother used to stockpile the RAID Hornet and Wasp killer, so I rarely had a need to find an alternative. That stuff is pretty flammable too

 

[Pablo]

I always have a can of the 1000 ft WASP spray and the same stuff in foaming variety. Foam works pretty good at surrounding the nest with killer foam, and good for cracks and holes.

Our varieties aren't too aggressive, but we squatted here so find your own tree.

I worry a bit about the family when they build a nest in the eaves, etc.

 

[BrianWC]

Originally Posted By: labman
Their behavior is different from everything I have seen before. Usually there are only a few going in and out the entrance and going on their way. I have a whole cloud of a couple dozen flying around where it was. They don't seem to pay much attention to me. I sucked up hundreds with the shop vac and as fast as I sucked them up, more came.

I will see if the hardware has that spray.

They never chewed their way out of the last nest I sealed up. It was in my garage foundation. A little mortar put it out of business for good.


Yellow jacket nests/hives slowly grow in size through the spring and summer and reach their peak by this time of year. Soon, they will thin out.

 

[Kestas]

I just sprayed a nest at my mother's house. They settled in behind the window frame. The commercial spray killed them all dead with the first spray.

You must get rid of the nest because they can damage wood.