A few years ago, I had an ongoing war with yellowjackets. I won, but it was close. I found them when I was trying to clear out a dead bush in my yard. Their nests (plural) were underneath it. They pursued me about sixty yards and got me about nine times. The worst part was that one of them got under my cap and then under my hair, stinging repeatedly until I could get him out.
I poured some gasoline in that night and went back out the next day to admire my handiwork. They swarmed me.
That night, I went out with powerful lighting and discovered multiple holes. I had only poured gas in one. They flanked me from multiple sally ports.
I bought some of the killer spray fogger from Home Depot and waded into them with that, about dusk, to try and flag the holes. Then I shot some other stuff in the holes that came out in a solid stream.
The next day, I was attacked again, but the numbers were fewer. I finally got a gallon of gas and poured it down all the holes I had located (four or five), as well as soaking the ground.
No, I did not light it. It would've probably blown up the neighborhood.
That did the job.
Later, I finished cleaning out the bush and dug up the nests with the roots. There were two, side by side, each with multiple entrances, each about the size of two basketballs.

Everyone pouring gas and other stuff down holes in the ground, aren’t you concerned with contaminating your soil???

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Originally posted by PASig:
Everyone pouring gas and other stuff down holes in the ground, aren’t you concerned with contaminating your soil???

Didn’t the gasoline originally come from under the ground?


I’ll see myself to the door

Done correctly, it takes very little gasoline to completely wipe out even a large yellow jacket nest.

The Sevin Dust method has worked for me many many times.

+1

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Originally posted by ridewv:

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Originally posted by frayedends:
I pour gasoline in the hole. It kills them. Never needed to light it. Wait until it’s cold and they will be slow.

This. It's the fumes that kills them all it takes is a teaspoon then plug the hole.

Along these lines, a few years ago I stopped my Kawasaki Mule in the woods near the driveway to dump the brush that was in the bed. It only takes a minute to unlatch the bed and tailgate, then lift the bed to dump, so I just put the transmission in neutral and left the motor running. As I lifted the bed there appeared almost a fog which I thought weird until I realized it was not fog but hundreds (thousands?) of insects all around me. I immediately ran away and from 50' or so could see the Mule was swarmed with yellow jackets and they looked pissed! I had stopped right over their nest. The Mule's running motor on top their nest really brought them out and they were looking for something to attack.
I had not been stung to this point but I had to retreat further since there were more and more every minute. Now how to get the idling Mule off the nest? After pondering for 10 minutes or so I realized I needed one of those suites beekeepers wear. I went to the motorcycle room and donned my one-piece Gortex riding suit, full face helmet, gloves, boots, wrapped a towel around my neck, and approached. Most seemed less interested in me and instead kept attacking the Mule as brushed them off the seat and got on. After I got around 100' away they abandoned the Mule and no stings had penetrated my improvised suit. Although the nest was near the driveway I walk on most every day they had never bothered me, in fact I hadn't realized it was even there. So I let it be and never noticed them again.

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Originally posted by honestlou:
Use a professional or friend/neighbor. All methods include the step “run like hell”.

If you don’t want the pyrotechnics or just want to be a little more environmentally friendly, a gallon of chlorox down the hole will do it. At night, while dormant, but still, run like hell.

I haven’t tried soapy water on a whole nest, but can confirm that it does indeed kill wasps. Certainly going to be the cheapest route, so I’d be tempted to try that first. Doesn’t need to be hot. Just heavy dish soap in a gallon of water.

run like hell,



was cutting the grass at our first house,, pushing the mower and heard and odd sound ,

about the time I thought WTF, I felt the stings on my legs,

I took off, I was young and skinny then, and ran down around the house to the creek,

wife saw this, well the me running wide open past the kitchen bay window and stuch her head out the back door,

asked WTF was I doing,, between panting, I said Fucking Yellow Jackets,

oh,, says she, and went back inside, (not the first time she had seen that)

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Originally posted by Schmelby:

Was that Gravelrama in Cleves? I used to go there 35 years ago. Amazing the Jeeps that could climb that hill.

Yes.

No one ever mentioned soap. Orange soap, 409, insecticidal soap, hot water with a high concentration of dish soap, Fastball cleaner. All less toxic to anything around the hole. I've read ground based nest's are always more aggressive so if you can't run, don't mess with them.

Yellow jackets are a challenge, but one I accept willingly, Allows me to get in touch with my barbarian side.. I've fought my way closer to a nest with WD40 and a lighter and finished them off with orange soap. Didn't have wasp spray handy......Improvise... I like exterminating pests in creative ways.

Tuesday Morning (10/18) update - It is a wonderful crisp 38F outside here as I type this (5:00 a.m. CST) and the local pest elimination representative will be here in 3 hrs to conduct what he identifies to be his first spraying.

Here is “his” plan of attack.

TODAY - He will spray the nest with 6-10 gallons of a specific termite spray that they are licensed to use that is approved for residential dwelling while also watching for any possible second openings for the nest. If any are identified those will also be sprayed with additional solution. He said this specific mix used in conjunction with an approved surfactant allows for in flight yellow jackets to be neutralized to prevent any pheromones (occurs when a person is stung or a bee senses a threat) from being released or applied to the person spraying. After today’s spray application he will leave. He will NOT disturb the nesting area.

TOMORROW Morning (same time as today) He will return and conduct a follow up spraying of the same concentrate. He will wait 15 minutes and watch for any possible second ground opening and apply additional spray as needed. After another 15 minutes he will strap on a back pack sprayer or have a hand sprayer in hand and proceed with careful opening of the identified opening(s) to source the primary nest. Once located it will be removed, sprayed, and the ground where the nest was located will also be sprayed before the entire area is then closed back up with the previously removed dirt.

I will do my best to take a few pictures during this process. My wife of 39 years has made it very clear that I will not be “up in this guys business” while all of this is going on because if a group gets out and decides to swarm or attack she said it will not be me. Keep in mind I am still 4 months from full recovery of my spinal surgery so any sudden unplanned movement by me could really mess up my situation……

The Pest Elimination Company owner, who I previously mentioned I have known for 40 years and who has treated my home properties for these 40 years exclusively, said that because the person spraying only lives a couple of miles from my house this two spraying process will run me $110.00 (pretty dang fair if you ask me considering my situation)…..

I do not know if the professional will be suited up in additional protective attire beyond what he wears when he treats my house each year for termites (complete water resistant jump suit, rubber gloves, and a respirator) but I will update everyone on this detail post spraying.

More to come on this developing story. I will be live on the scene (as close as my wife will allow) with semi-live updates. These updates may occur from the cab of my Toyota Tacoma pickup

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6-10 gallons

Holy Crap! . If the chemicals don't kill them, I imagine drowning will do the trick!

Prices for that are usually 500 dollars and up. Good deal there. Sounds thorough.

https://youtu.be/gZ298DT3JrQ

Just saw this (hope it posts) on what a nest looks like underground.

The BUG man just left and he knew what he was doing. I showed him the opening and he confirmed that these yellow jackets had taken over this abandoned hole in the ground created by some burrowing varmint. He suited up sprayed a pressurized spray up into the hole and also sprayed the surrounding area in the event there was another exit. I was working to get my truck in position to video tape this but missed it.

Here he is - POST spraying (you can see the opening in the ground to the left of the half cinder block) looking for any signs of yellow jackets and then he did something CRAZY….In the second photo this guy is taking a crow bar and poking holes in the three tunnels he found from the top - and after he did this, without putting his respirator back on proceeded to spray down into the holes he poked - nozzle in the hole.

After he finished I drove back around and he said it was an active nest and had what looked to be about 1000 yellow jackets in what he found today. He will return tomorrow and dig deeper to locate the primary nest(s). He told me that Steve (Company Owner) said to only charge me $93.40 for the two trips in total so this young man received a $20.00 cash tip today and he will receive another one tomorrow. Nope - I am not made of money but for $135.00 this guy is doing it right and not harming the environment.

He also gave me his cell number and said if I see any activity, at anytime, Steve said he could come back and manage to issue. The good news is he lives one mile from my home and carries the truck home at night….

I caught my nest early, two cans of Spectracide did a number on them.

Being that I usually stay up until one or two in the morning, I’d just go out there before bedtime and give them a treatment.

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The BUG man just left and he knew what he was doing.

Good! I'm glad you didn't try this yourself due to the surgery.

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Originally posted by HRK:
With your health, get a pro, no reason to hurt yourself during recovery.

This is my thoughts. Grab someone online to kill them for you. Probably do it pretty cheap or get a friendly neighbor to do it.

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Originally posted by ridewv:

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Originally posted by frayedends:
I pour gasoline in the hole. It kills them. Never needed to light it. Wait until it’s cold and they will be slow.

This. It's the fumes that kills them all it takes is a teaspoon then plug the hole.

Gasoline will do it, may damage vegetation. We have had 3 separate incidents over the years, and I found the thing to deal with these is one of those large insecticide spray cans. One that deposits a foam instead of just vapor. Spray the nest with a liberal coating of the foam, let it set. It that does not do the job, hit the nest again.