Killing hornets/wasps

[Wagtail]

I was visiting friends in Queensland, sitting out on the veranda drinking beer in the evening, when a wasp nest was spotted above us. Insecticide was going to really agitate them unless we got them all so I suggested a simple solution...

Hairspray. It doesn't irritate them but it does coat them and their wings = can't fly and they drop like a stone. It will also gum-up the nest entrance so that you can safely knock the nest down. You do have to monitor the nest site as the ones who weren't there when the nest was destroyed will return to that exact spot and start re-building.

Stomp on the nest & incapacitated ones when they're on the ground. Job done... and the area smells nice too!

 

[MossRoad]

I 2nd the Raid Wasp and Hornet spray.

Raid(R) Wasp & Hornet Killer 33 | Products | Raid(R) brand | SC Johnson

Pick up a two-pack at Walmart. Use one and keep the other in-stock in your garage.

I've used it a couple dozen times over the years. Its incredibly effective and fast. Wait until it gets dark. Go out with a flashlight. Shake the can good, then spray the entire contents of the can onto the nest from 10-15' away without stopping. Should any of them try to come out, they'll hit the ground before they get 5' from the nest. Its kind of sad, really, to see just how effective this stuff is on wasps and hornets. They pretty much die instantly. I just used a can of it on a ground nest of yellow jackets in my woodpile about two weeks ago.

 

[David P]

If you find a yellow jackets nest in the ground, I've found that a glass container covering the entrance will kill the entire hive/nest within a day or so. I think they die of dehydration.

We have a bald-faced hornets nest at the peak of our pole barn and I've noticed them following the white electric fence around looking for flies to eat. I'm also seeing yellow jackets flying around the cows trying to pick off the flies to eat. I think that's the only good thing I've ever associated them with!!

 

[joefromga]

We have many wasp nests and I kill wasps almost weekly during the season. Just took down two nests last week, actually.

All the wasp sprays work well and raid is one of them. The best I've used is Bengal. They also make a very expensive roach spray too. It's powder like and not very wet.

Wasp/hornet sprays work just like roach sprays using ethryns but wasp spray has petroleum distillates in it and that's what knocks them down immediately.

The story is roach spray used to also but it was banned but you need a fast knockdown with wasps so it's still allowed.

I've found that anything containing petroleum distillates will knock down wasps if that's all you have but it won't kikl them so you'll have to stomp them or whatever.

Most tractor guys have stuff around the farm containing it. Just about all spray lubricants have it and it can get you out of a pinch.

 

[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.

Failure! After I 'bought' the CRC and got home with it, I discovered that I had picked up Spectracide - not CRC. I went ahead and unloaded both cans on the nest anyway. All seemed to be good in the world.

Bonk! Went out early this morning, fired 3 shots from my pellet gun into the nest, and dozens of those nasty critters started coming after me!!!

I don't know how may I laid to rest, but not nearly all of them. I'll be going back to the hardware store today and try to get the right brand. If no CRC, I'll see about Raid. Those little devils HAVE to be killed; they're not just bad - they're hateful.

 

[oosik]

Sounds like you have bald faced hornets/white faced hornets. I tangled with a small nest of them several years ago. Got stung 2X but finally got rid of them. First can of "20 foot bug spray" - they followed the spray stream right back and nailed me. Waited until night and nailed them with the second can. Second can got the job done. Experience showed that the hornets are much more aggressive than yellow jackets. I've had these hornet come at me so hard & fast that they will feel like a small piece of gravel hitting me and they will bounce right off.

I had several hornets at the hummingbird feeder this year - never did find the nest. Cold wx here will soon get rid of them.

 

[motownbrowne]

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!

Why would they want yellow jackets and hornets?

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.

That guy is who I used to work for! Mike Juhl aka "the Bee Man". He's a top notch guy. Two guys that I know still work for him. Mapper has got it right, there's a few companies that buy the insects for venom extraction. Since Mike sells the bees, he can the service for free.

There are some species with limited demand. 90% of the time, we'd still remove them for free, but a tip never hurts. When I was there, there was a couple other things that I'd ask for money for. For example, I'm not going to crawl under your trailer home to remove a small nest that's not worth much to me. $50 would change my mind, and is much cheaper than a pest control company.

Thanks, mapper for mentioning Mike. I miss working for him. Funny that you live in Yelm, that was the area that I got dispatched to pretty often. On the summers of 2010, 11, and 12, I spent a lot of days out there. Lots of incredible "estates" out there. Saw some stuff I'll never forget...

 

[rox]

We have those paper wasps. They build really small combs, not more than 10 or 15 to a colony. They are not very aggressive and when stung if you immediately put ice on it and hold the ice on the bite for 15 minutes there is basically no after effect. Maybe a slight itching for a few days. Over the years we have found their nests/ sprayed and that is that. This year we only sprayed one. Other years we would hit 4 or 5 per year. They are only aggressive if you walk by their nest, other than that they just fly around not attacking people at all. If I am forced to have wasps, the paper wasp is my wasp of choice :laughing:

 

[mapper]

That guy is who I used to work for! Mike Juhl aka "the Bee Man". He's a top notch guy. Two guys that I know still work for him. Mapper has got it right, there's a few companies that buy the insects for venom extraction. Since Mike sells the bees, he can the service for free.

There are some species with limited demand. 90% of the time, we'd still remove them for free, but a tip never hurts. When I was there, there was a couple other things that I'd ask for money for. For example, I'm not going to crawl under your trailer home to remove a small nest that's not worth much to me. $50 would change my mind, and is much cheaper than a pest control company.

Thanks, mapper for mentioning Mike. I miss working for him. Funny that you live in Yelm, that was the area that I got dispatched to pretty often. On the summers of 2010, 11, and 12, I spent a lot of days out there. Lots of incredible "estates" out there. Saw some stuff I'll never forget...

Nice to here from someone who knows of our area, I'm afraid I am not one of the incredible estates that you speak of. Our place is a bit more humble than that, but it suits our needs quite well.

 

[Gem99ultra]

Down to three warriors! Boy howdy, that Raid is some kind of bad stuff. Hornets just don't like that stuff at all. It ain't cheap though... almost $6 a can around here.

Yesterday I pumped 3 pellets through their nest to be sure there was still somebody at home. Yep! They're all still there, just waiting to burn my butt . So I bathed the hornet nest down good with about $4 worth of Raid. Went back this morning about sunrise and pumped 5 more pellets through their pretty sphere of a house. Only 3 came out to welcome me. I went ahead and dumped the last $2 worth of Raid on their front porch, just to be sure.

So - I think the Raid did the trick. In a few days I'll tear down the nest, but in the meantime, me and spouse won't have any qualms about going past there on our walks. I will however, certainly stock up on some CRC and/or Raid for future use.

 

[sidecarist]

I'd get rid of that nest asap. If there is any brood still viable and any foraging wasps return, then you could be in for a surprise...

Pop it with the pellet gun and if there is no response get rid of the nest now. I prefer to burn them to be sure...

 

[Aquamoose]

I used to encounter lots until I started putting out traps very early in the spring to catch the queens. I also pre-spray their favorite spots up in the eaves. The rest of the summer I just look for the nests and spray them in the evenings. Dramatically reduces the numbers.

 

[Gem99ultra]

I'd get rid of that nest asap. If there is any brood still viable and any foraging wasps return, then you could be in for a surprise...

Pop it with the pellet gun and if there is no response get rid of the nest now. I prefer to burn them to be sure...

You bet sidecarist! I've instantly developed a hate for those nasty critters... just about the time I got 10 painful stings by them the other day. As you suggested, I'll knock down that hive, stomp it, and burn it. I will have my revenge!

 

[EddieWalker]

Here in East Texas, I think I have just about every type of wasp and hornet out there. By far, the very worse is the Mahogany Wasp. They are pretty much everywhere, but mostly they love the heat of the attic and you find them on the eaves of a house. During the morning when it's still cool out, they are fairly docile, but once it warms up, they become aggressive. As a contractor that does remodels for a living, I have to deal with them fairly often. I've tried every brand of wasp spray out there and haven't found a single one that will kill them. They will all knock them down, and then you have to step on them quickly to kill them, or they fly away. I rarely see the next since it's inside a small opening in the house, so I just spray the entire can into it and kill what comes out and hope that whats left leaves on their own. This usually works, but it's not 100%. If I can find the nest, saturating it with the spray works better then anything else.

I've been trying to find something to spray on my house and gazebo's that will deter them from building nests. I've been reading labels for awhile now and have never found one that specifically lists Mahogany Wasp's. Seems like all the others are fairly easy to kill, or deter, but not these devils!!!!

 

[Gem99ultra]

Bonk! ANOTHER failure! I sure thought I had those devils cleared out yesterday. This morning I went out to cut off the tree that they'd built their kingdom on, and low and behold - they came out swarming all over the place.

What a disappointment. I finished off my second can of Raid on their sphere, but they just acted like it was some sort of skin lotion. So, I went back to the shop and filled up a sprayer with diesel, went back and soaked their hive down good. I have doubts that the diesel will kill them off, but at least it'll make it uncomfortable for them.

I may end up having to wait for a freeze to come along before I can do much about them. At least, I was able to identify them though. They're what is listed as bald faced black hornets, otherwise known as white faced hornets. Whatever they're called, they're a mean bunch of SOBs.

 

[check]

The thing I worry about is all the poison in all of those sprays. Did you ever read the warning labels on them?

 

[CobyRupert]

Does hairspray really work?

(I mean as a glue/irritant/poison; versus using it as a flame thrower to burn them out)

 

[Gem99ultra]

The thing I worry about is all the poison in all of those sprays. Did you ever read the warning labels on them?

yeah, but I think I'm good. This little sprayer is on of those that you get Round-Up in. I've been using it a couple of years with just diesel in it for use when burning logs and limbs. But your caution is certainly noted. The last thing I'd want to do is to get Round-Up in my pond and kill of the perch and bass.

Those little 1 gallon Round-Up sprayers that you buy with Round-Up are really handy though. If I recall, it was difficult to open it up the first time. They aren't meant to be reused I'm sure. But, they're nice to keep around when you just need a little diesel or whatever and don't want to mix up a large quantity.

 

[Gem99ultra]

Gone. GONE!!! Went back around lunch time. Saw one WF hornet buzzing around. Sprayed again with diesel. THEN... in my 12 year old mentality, I figured I needed to punch the nest with a long stick.

Found a 7' stick, albeit rotten, and whacked the nest real good. No sign of life. So, I took the opportunity to knock it down. After the required amount of stomping it, then re-spraying it with diesel, I struck a match to it. End of story.

(I'm sure that was the last I'll ever see of White Face Hornets?) (NOT)

 

[Garandman]

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.

You beat me too it. That's what birdshot is for.....