Killing hornets/wasps

[Gem99ultra]

Two weeks ago I was chopping down sticker vines around the pond and was attacked by what I thought was yellow jackets. They swarmed on me like lightning'; got hit about 10 times before I could get away from them.

So, being a brave soul (or just plain stupid!), I've been back there several times trying to find their nest, which is usually in the ground. But failing that, I just sprayed the area with some Seven Dust liquid thinking that'd run them off or kill them. Yesterday I went back and again started chopping down the sticker vines when my partner hollered - RUN! Without hesitation, I took off. She then pointed out a huge hornet nest in a tree next to where I was working, with hornets swarming all around the nest. The hornet nest is about 12 inches round and strangely, fastened to the tree trunk.

What I need to know is what/how is the best way to get rid of those critters. I have the usual little spray can of hornet/flying insect spray, but that's just not going to do the job. The nest is about 8' off the ground and not a clear shot. Is there anything else I could use?

I do have a tank sprayer that will reach about 12' of liquid. I need to be careful though with just shooting a lot of liquid insecticide out there for fear that it'll wash into the pond and killing off the fish. Flame thrower is out as well due to the dry pine trees. Suggestions?

 

[jack707]

What about smoking them out

 

[CalG]

I've been hit twice while mowing around the rhododendron this summer. On reading, it seems that yellow jackets and that plant have a thing ...;-0 I had not noticed all the years before.

Any way, there was a mud nest hanging in the foliage. I sprayed it with a hard stream of water from the garden hose until most of it was knocked down. The hornets rebuilt! I thought they would have gotten the message. Instead they got revenge stinging me the second time. ;-)

Weather is turning cooler, and It's supposed to frost soon.... that 'll get 'em.

 

[sidecarist]

If they are white faced hornets. Hire a profesional, or talk to a bee keeper. With a full protective suit they usually vacuum them from the nest with a shop vac, then tear the nest apart and soak it in soapy water to kill the larva. They are VERY NASTY and can sting multiple times.

They are actually benificial as they eat tent catapillars etc, but if they are near humans they have to go. If you don't go near that area much wait for a frost then cut the nest down...

 

[M5farms]

this is the best I have ever used , It kills on contact . the wasp on the nest die and never fly and stay stuck 2 the nest. Its has a little straw that helps with the aim. I would get 2 cans and spray the **** out of them.

 

[Gem99ultra]

I suppose I could stupefy them with some smoke, if I could get close enough without getting stung some more. (That wasn't fun!)

I have no idea if they are white faced hornets or what. While ducking and running while getting stung all to heck, I forgot to check Those guys are also real angry. They get real defensive when you get within 6 feet of the tree.

Their nest is in a tree right next to our pond. Waiting until cold weather might be the only solution, I don't know. But I hate to let them dictate our use of our favorite walking trail for several more months.

 

[CobyRupert]

Sure.... poison might work, but not as fun or satisfying as blasting the comb with a 12 gauge (w/ #6's or #8's) from close range, but far enough away it makes about a 5" hole straight through.
Repeat as necessary.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

FWIW...I have posted this before, but it bears repeating. If you will put a drop or two of juice from an onion on a bee/wasp/hornet sting, it will stop the pain immediately. It won't stop the resultant swelling, but sometimes just stopping the pain is enough. I found this out one day when I was mowing; brushed a trumpet vine out of my lap and a bumble bee got me in the palm of my hand. My Dad was living with us at the time, said "put a little onion juice on it and it will stop hurting". Yeah, right. Old wives tale...but to humor him, I followed his instructions...and to my great surprise, it worked!

 

[Gem99ultra]

hehehe, CobyRupert - your method does sound like fun. Nothing better than a little revenge. But M5Farm's suggestion on the CRC stuff that shoots 20' is more my style. I'm a quick learner So, I'm off to the hardware store to get a couple of cans of CRC Hornet killer.

 

[motownbrowne]

Yes, the 12 gauge will work.

I was a professional yellowjacket and hornet exterminator for three years. The BEST thing to do is to borrow or buy (then you'll be ready next time) a bee suit. Then you can pretty much do whatever you want, bring over your shop vac, walk right up and spray pesticides in the nest, whatever suits your fancy.

Next best thing is to go out at night with a trash bag. No flashlights, or at least not on you. A lamp on the ground is okay. Bag the Sucker, close the bag, and toss it in the chest freezer. This is very effective, but you only get one chance. It works for some nests, but not for others. If there is lots of vegetation around, it might be in the way. It's very exhilarating, but can go awry.


Oh, I almost forgot. The easiest thing to do is nothing. They'll die off as the temps drop. They don't over winter in the nest. If you leave them alone, they'll leave you alone.

 

[George2615]

I use Raid wasp and hornet spray. It shoots a stream about 20'. I'd saturate that nest several times before attempting removal. You could also hire a professional to remove it. I recently cut down and dug out 6 tree stumps. 2 of them had nests in the ground and I got hit about 5 times before I could get off the BH. Went to the store and bought 6 cans and when I came back I saw where the hole was and used up 2 cans directly in the holes. Came back about 4 hours later and used 2 more cans. The next day I didn't see any activity but used 1 more can before starting to be sure. Maybe I got lucky but I was able to remove the rest of the stumps without incident.

 

[davesl708]

Don't rule out the flame thrower on a propane tank as a quick fix to the problem.

 

[downsizingnow48]

View attachment 482103

this is the best I have ever used , It kills on contact . the wasp on the nest die and never fly and stay stuck 2 the nest. Its has a little straw that helps with the aim. I would get 2 cans and spray the **** out of them.

I use the same stuff it is great.

 

[Pilot]

1. Get the foaming kind of spray. It says around alittle longer so that hornets leaving the nest come in contact with it and die. The non-foaming stuff evaporates too fast.
2. Low temps are your friend, especially around 45 degrees or so. I've run over YJ nests with the tractor, stopped the tractor, lowered the blade, shut it off, then got down & ran. 1 followed me for about 40 feet and a short run lost it. Another time I was on a slash pile; there was a nest in the pile. You have to get down off a pile carefully or you could break a leg; I didn't get stung. Had other events, never got stung with low temps. You might be safe at 50 degrees F but I wouldn't push it at any higher temps.
3 Exterminator: Twice, I had exterminators here to kill carpenter ants & asked if they would take on a hornet nest while they were here. Said, "Sure." & didn't suit up, just approached the nest carefully & sprayed away.

 

[Gem99ultra]

motownbrowne, I did capture a black hornet nest once like you described. HUGE nest - about 18 inches in diameter on a scrub tree. Sacked it up when the temp was down around 30 degrees. Took it home, put the sack in the shop. Behold - the next day all of those hornets came to life in the warmer shop. I carefully carried the sack outside and left it for about a month. Later, mounted the nest on a plaque, glued some of the hornets around on the nest, and used it for a conversation piece.

davesl780, I do have a propane weed burner. And believe me, that was exactly my first thought - burn those suckers! But, a forest fire in those dry pine trees all around gave me second thoughts... fortunately.

I did go ahead a pick up a couple of cans of the CRC hornet spray. Emptied both of them on the nest a while ago. I give them a couple of days and give them another bath. Hopefully that'll take care of that problem.

 

[mapper]

Around here there is a guy who collects yellow jacket and hornet nests, he comes out for free to do so. They vacuum up the bugs and collect the brood to add to a big colony that they keep back at their place of business. I have had them out a couple times this year, one was for a nest near the end of a branch on an Apple tree that I mow under, the branch had sagged under the weight of the fruit putting the nest at face level from the mower, I saw it just in time to swerve around it, don't want to think about what would have happened if I didn't see it in time!
For yellow jacket nests in the ground I have found that a couple of ounces of gasoline down the hole works almost instantly to kill them. And if you are feeling really vindictive a lit match will give you a warm feeling as well. Just make sure the fire danger is low so you don't light up a bit more than you intended!

 

[CobyRupert]

Around here there is a guy who collects yellow jacket and hornet nests, he comes out for free to do so. They vacuum up the bugs and collect the brood to add to a big colony that they keep back at their place of business.

Why would they want yellow jackets & hornets?

I just retrieved a swarm of honey bees from a house a couple weeks ago. I thought it was a swarm on the underside of the eve that I could easily knock into a box and take home, but after I got into it, it was really a big ball of bees covering up comb, with the rest of the hive, comb (and the queen!) inside the house and unobtainable (without taking apart a lot more of this strangers house than I bargained for.)

Needless to say the bees were very mad someone was coming for their honey, comb and half the colony. They were also very mad when I got them home in a hive without their queen. Must of got stung 20+ times over the course of 3-4 days getting them, bringing home and checking in on them and unsuccessfully looking for the queen. Actually got stung on a sting (from the day before)! Once they put that "sting here" pheromone on you it might as well be a bull's-eye.
I did get them a new queen, they seem better now. Will find out this weekend when I open the hive up.

 

[mapper]

They have contracts with a company that extracts the venom to produce allergy desensitization medications.
They will often not collect types for which there is no demand, there is a type of yellow jacket around here called the prairie yellow jacket, there is no demand (limited range? Only the folks living on the South Puget Sound Prairies that are affected?), so they won't collect them. Mind you these are just as aggressive and nasty as any other yellow jacket, so get out the poison.

 

[/pine]

FWIW...the larva worms inside hornet/yellow jacket nests etc...are great fish bait...trout love them...they are especially effective when a stream is slightly turbid after a storm...

 

[mapper]

FWIW...the larva worms inside hornet/yellow jacket nests etc...are great fish bait...trout love them...they are especially effective when a stream is slightly turbid after a storm...

We have a European paper wasp around here that's pretty docile, it builds a open paper nest without a cone around it. When I knock them off my eves the cats love the larvae in them - yum paper wrapped snacks. :garfield: