wiegie Posted August 26, 2008 Share Posted August 26, 2008 So, while cutting the grass for the first time at my new house yesterday, I discovered that there is a really large nest of yellowjackets living in the ground on the side of my house. (Thankfully I only got stung once, although so did my 2 year-old who was outside later on... at least we now know that he isn't allergic to yellowjacket stings.) I know the nest is large because when I was standing about a yard away from the small hole that the yellowjackets were flying out of, all of a sudden the ground beneath one of my feet began to sink and sure enough I opened up another hole that more yellowjackets started flying out of. I went to the store last night and got two cans of wasp and hornet killer and emptied them into the holes, but it didn't seem to have any effect. Then this morning I stuck a hose it into one of the holes and flooded it so much that water was bubbling out of both holes. This evening I might go back to the holes and squirt a lot of dish-detergent into them and then flood the holes again (I read on the internets that some insect professor had recommended this method). Anybody got any good ideas on how to kill off the nest? (In my younger days I would have approached the problem with gasoline, an aerosol can, and a match.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmarc117 Posted August 26, 2008 Share Posted August 26, 2008 1. consume 8-10 beers 2. wizz on whole 3. take benadryl for multiple stings Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big John Posted August 26, 2008 Share Posted August 26, 2008 Related bee killing thread Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Holy Roller Posted August 26, 2008 Share Posted August 26, 2008 It's not cheap but it's fun. Fire extinquisher. Or hairspray and lighter. Your 2 year old will think you are AWESOME when he looks out the window and you're doing the flamethrower bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big John Posted August 26, 2008 Share Posted August 26, 2008 It's not cheap but it's fun. Fire extinquisher. Or hairspray and lighter. Your 2 year old will think you are AWESOME when he looks out the window and you're doing the flamethrower bit. And wiegie will have a fire truck parked on the street waiting for him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperCharger Posted August 26, 2008 Share Posted August 26, 2008 Depending on how close to the house it is you can buy a gallon of gas and pour it down the hole. Throw a match on it if you feel so inclinded. Dealt with many in my lifetime this way but only lit them in my younger days. Drenching with gas is plenty good enough. You'll need to probably re-sod the area next spring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azazello1313 Posted August 26, 2008 Share Posted August 26, 2008 I had a similar problem a couple years ago, the can of spray took care of them for a little while (or so it seemed), but before long they were back strong. I put out some traps and that really decimated them. to finish them off I used the shovel, filling everything in with dirt and really packing it down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bengal Mania Posted August 26, 2008 Share Posted August 26, 2008 to finish them off I used the shovel, filling everything in with dirt and really packing it down. they tried that with Godzilla in ice, but it didn't help.....only made him a mean sombitch when he thawed out........if I were you, I'd move out of town Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimC Posted August 26, 2008 Share Posted August 26, 2008 Park your car next to the nest and they'll leave so they don't have to be seen next to it. shrug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiegie Posted August 26, 2008 Author Share Posted August 26, 2008 Park your car next to the nest and they'll leave so they don't have to be seen next to it. shrug: Alas, the '94 Tercel did not come with us to the new house. We gave it away to a family we know that is really down on their luck (so much so that even getting a 14 year-old tercel was a cause of some happiness). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Czarina Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 Congratulations on the new home! A friend of mine inadvertently stuck a shovel into a yellowjacket next last weekend. Half a dozen stings later, her leg was so swollen she couldn't wear shoes for nearly a week. They tried boiling water but that didn't do too much. I think their next plan involves some sort of insect poison and a bucket over top of the exit so there's nowhere for them to go. Apparently, part of the problem is that the bees dig downward initially, but the the nest curves back upward, so many liquid involved solutions don't do the trick. I'll suggest the gasoline to them though.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billay Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 (edited) I deal with this every year or so in my yard. I now walk the yard every spring looking for nests before I mow for the first time. Gasoline definately works(you don't light it) so long as you can live with the environmental guilt of pouring a significant amount of gasoline directly into the ground. Wait until dusk, as the yellow jackets are less active and presumably, back for the night. All in the hole will die. Those outside the hole won't try going back in. Edited August 27, 2008 by billay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowboutthemCowboys Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 I went to the store last night and got two cans of wasp and hornet killer and emptied them into the holes, but it didn't seem to have any effect. Buy the good stuff that kills black widow spiders, scorpions, etc. Wait until dark and spray an entire can into each hole. That will work. If you can't find the good stuff, call Ehrlich or whatever local exterminator you have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiegie Posted August 27, 2008 Author Share Posted August 27, 2008 Went to the store and bought a few more cans of wasp and hornet spray (including some stuff from Ortho that foams up). A little after sunset I went out and sprayed both holes with a can of the Ortho stuff. Then I dumped a bunch of topsoil to cover the hole I created by mistake last night. There were still some yellow-jackets flying around, so I shot them down with a different can of spray. Then I went back inside for a while. When I went back out later it was pretty dark and I didn't see any yellow jackets flying around. I unloaded a hole can of the foaming Ortho spray into the original hole (which is what the spray's directions said to do). Then I dumped dirt onto that hole as well. I stomped down the dirt over both holes. Then I hung up one of the yellow-jacket traps that Az was talking about 20 feet from the nest. We'll see tomorrow if I had any success. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtomicCEO Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 Meh. It's been done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polksalet Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 2 gallons of gas, funnel, and hose. Plug one hole and pour it down the other. I have done this a multitude of times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Itals Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 Bulldogs seem to do a good job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEC=UGA Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 Just keep running over it with the mower, eventually they will all be chopped up and nicely bagged for disposal. Don't let their swarming and stinging scare you, they are actually quite fragile creatures and will eventually be chopped up by the mower blade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Front Row Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 Bleach or pool chlorine will work , but it's not as much fun as the Gas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiegie Posted August 27, 2008 Author Share Posted August 27, 2008 well, I saw one yellow jacket flying around the hole this morning but he couldn't seem to find his way in. I'll see what happens when I get home this morning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimC Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 Alas, the '94 Tercel did not come with us to the new house. We gave it away to a family we know that is really down on their luck (so much so that even getting a 14 year-old tercel was a cause of some happiness). Well, that's great!! Did you replace it with the Chevy or the Ford???? :lmao: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Wolf Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 Lot of tips found in this Google link http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=k...+nest+in+ground Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missoula Griz Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 I have this problem every now and again. Last year I had a huge nest underground. I used THIS. I bought the concentrate and mixed up about 5 gallons. I waited until dusk and poured it all over the place. Killed them all. BTW, with hornets I have not had good luck with the powder. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chargerz Posted August 28, 2008 Share Posted August 28, 2008 I have used hornet/yellow jacket traps in the past with great success. Safer environmentally than gasoline, and they don't smell as bad! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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