Yesterday I noticed yellowjackets going under the siding on my workshop around back. They were not there or not active 2 weeks ago when I was trimming with the weed wacker, now there are at least 15 or 20 coming and going all the time. I went inside and turned everything off and can hear the buzzing inside the wall. The inside wall in that area is covered with plywood and it does have a small hole or 2 in it from previously bolted on items and while I was there 2 came out the hole, looked around and went back in. I put duct tape over the holes and called an exterminator. They sent an inspector out today and quoted me $425 to fog and dust the cavities. My old guy who went out of business and sold out to this larger company use to charge me $175 for a single treatment but I have not had to use him for the last 3 years. I know prices have increased everywhere but wondering if anyone has had this done recently and the cost.
Yellowjackets in wall
- Thread starter samven
- Start date
I just took care of the same sort of situation. Buy a duster $10 from amazon. Boric acid powder $6. Blow the powder into the hole after dark. Do this a few evenings in a row. Takes about a week for them to bite the dust.
https://www.amazon.ca/Harris-Diatom...0136939993-B01LRMN9ZM-&hvexpln=0&gad_source=1
https://www.amazon.ca/Harris-Diatom...0136939993-B01LRMN9ZM-&hvexpln=0&gad_source=1
We had some going in through a small hole in the mortar between bricks. I think the nest was behind some insulation in the rim joists as I was finding a few of them in the basement.
Anyway, I mixed up some insecticide in our garden sprayer and shot a stream into the hole. They came and went for a few hours after that but it stopped, and I then plugged up the hole in a couple of days when I was sure they were dead. No more in the basement either. I'll pull out the insulation later and see what was going on in that spot, but I don't like bugs and maybe I'll just leave the dead ones alone.
I got the insecticide on Amazon and mixed it double the label for what it's worth.
Anyway, I mixed up some insecticide in our garden sprayer and shot a stream into the hole. They came and went for a few hours after that but it stopped, and I then plugged up the hole in a couple of days when I was sure they were dead. No more in the basement either. I'll pull out the insulation later and see what was going on in that spot, but I don't like bugs and maybe I'll just leave the dead ones alone.
I got the insecticide on Amazon and mixed it double the label for what it's worth.
Thanks guys, I think I am going to get one of those dusters. I have a large container of Sevin dust and this looks like the right way to get it into the wall at night of course. I dont like yellowjackets in the fall. They seem to get very aggressive when the weather starts to cool off.
JTK
$100 Site Donor 2025
I've had good luck propping a shop vac hose right at the opening and let the vacuum run for an hour or two to suck up most of the yellow jackets. Then after dark, dust the hole with sevin powder or the product of your liking.
I think the modern formulation for Sevin uses bifenthrin, which is what I bought on Amazon. It dispatched them pretty well.
When I lived in Western Washington, this was the time of year to discover the underground nests of yellow jackets. I found a tablespoon of any powdered insecticide eliminated them by the next morning, every time.
See Post #11 in this previous BITOG thread about carpenter bee infestations for a 100% solution.
I did that the last time I had a small nest near my deck. I put about an inch of soapy water in the bottom of it and watched from inside while they tried to fly into the hole and would disappear up the hose, I got about 75 before they stopped, but this nest is much to big. From inside the shop the wall sounds like a fan is running in it and there is a constant mass of 20 or so coming and going all the time, they look like they are in a holding pattern waiting to get in.
Yeow.
JTK
$100 Site Donor 2025
I stuff a rag in the end of the hose and let the shop vac sit a few days, then remove and toss the bag. I don't know how long those suckers survive in the shop vac, but there's no signs of life after a few days.
Yellowjackets are the worst in the fall. Their after anything with sugar. Protein in the spring. Maybe that's why they so nasty in the fall. Jacked up on a sugar high. And I'm allergic to them to boot. I swell up like you wouldn't believe. Gotta go to Urgent Care to get a shot everytime. Be careful with them in the fall.
I use this if it’s still available.
https://store.parsonspestcontrol.com/apicide.aspx
https://store.parsonspestcontrol.com/apicide.aspx
I had the same problem 2 years ago. You want this stuff.
It's easy to use and wipes them out for 100% in less than 24 hours.
Demon WP 9.5 g Insecticide in Water Soluble Packets at Tractor Supply Co https://share.google/CyXBIs491WgZPNVD0
You mix a packet in a regular spray bottle with water. Spray all around where you see them entering/leaving. It crystalizes as it dries and leaves no visible residue. It's extremely effective.
The exterminator was here this morning. I showed him the issue and he got a duster just like
Wobbly posted and his bee suit. I gave him my cordless drill and told him to put holes anywhere he needed to. He started inside with the hole I put duct tape over then drilled another hole 1 bay over, he no sooner got the bit out of the wall and he got tagged. He got dust in there and put tape over it then decided to put the bee suit on. By this time the yellowjackets were getting a bit peeved and found some spaces to get into the shop. He went outside to treat the entrance and there was a cloud of them just looking to sting something. I backed off 40 ft or so and watched. He hit the entrance and said they were just dropping out the hole covered with powder. I asked what he used and he said they used Delta dust but were getting too many call backs lately, they thought they were building a tolerance so they switched to Apicid which is basically commercial Sevin. It rained about 3 hr after he left and I went out to see what was going on. there is still light activity outside the hole but inside there is no more buzzing. They told me give it 3 or 4 days and call them good or bad with the result. If I see any activity he will come back out. He mentioned that the queen is usually stuffed as deep in the nest as they can get her and if she isnt dead they will continue to build.
Wobbly posted and his bee suit. I gave him my cordless drill and told him to put holes anywhere he needed to. He started inside with the hole I put duct tape over then drilled another hole 1 bay over, he no sooner got the bit out of the wall and he got tagged. He got dust in there and put tape over it then decided to put the bee suit on. By this time the yellowjackets were getting a bit peeved and found some spaces to get into the shop. He went outside to treat the entrance and there was a cloud of them just looking to sting something. I backed off 40 ft or so and watched. He hit the entrance and said they were just dropping out the hole covered with powder. I asked what he used and he said they used Delta dust but were getting too many call backs lately, they thought they were building a tolerance so they switched to Apicid which is basically commercial Sevin. It rained about 3 hr after he left and I went out to see what was going on. there is still light activity outside the hole but inside there is no more buzzing. They told me give it 3 or 4 days and call them good or bad with the result. If I see any activity he will come back out. He mentioned that the queen is usually stuffed as deep in the nest as they can get her and if she isnt dead they will continue to build.
Even better, just vac up a little Sevin dust to keep them company (doesn't take much in that enclosed environment).
When the nest hidden behind a wall, the idea is to have a slow acting poison that is carried through out the nest and all the way to the queen. I "dusted" inside the entrance several nights in a row. Maybe one application would have worked but it took a week until there was zero activity.
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