Bees/Hornets

[Freds]

Well, I'm finding out why this was such a hot topic a while back. Two days ago I did in about a dozen hives that were being built where the house siding meets the foundation and also under the eaves. Why they can't build one big nest instead of building small ones a few feet from each other is beyond me. Used up a whole can of the Raid in the black can. That evening while playing fetch with my dogs I noticed what looked like a small rabbit hole at the base of a dirt pile, so did my one dog and when I saw hornets start buzzing around the hole he just relieved himself on I knew what it was and we all beat feet for the house. I inspected the hole later on and saw a one inch hole surrounded by flattened grass that gave it a larger appearance. I had never seen or heard of an undergrgound nest before reading about it here, but I knew what to do to get rid of its occupants because of that thread. Fire in the hole!
So now I see them going up behind my siding and I'll try spraying some "Viper" on that nest tonight. The Viper did a pretty good job of keeping the spiders off the porch and is supposed to keep the ladybugs from taking up residence again this winter. Hopefully it will keep the hornets from building their nests around the house, too.
I had a run in with them about an hour ago, also. I was playing with my new toothbar and doing a little hogging when I tried to lift a rather large cherry tree branch and push it into the brush. Thank god I lifted the FEL up higher than normal when I went to get another bite on it and got a good look at the branch. More yellowjackets! I put the pedal to the metal and started swatting. I had to stop to put the tractor in high range because I was still getting a few landing on me and was definitely out running them when I got going again. Unfortunately, the PTO was still in and I could hear the tractor's engine starting to bog down quite a bit so, I pushed the clutch in which of course stopped me entirely. No panic here, huh? That's all it took for a few to catch up with me again. We're talking about two hundred yards away from that branch by now so, I jumped off the tractor and started running and don't know how I didn't end up with a bunch of stings. I went back to the house, waited for a few minutes and took my truck (with the windows up) out to the field to shut the tractor down. I took a drive by the branch and saw them still buzzing around and couldn't tell if they were living in the wood or had a hive, but they were the black and yellow shiny ones that were landing on me. I'll probably get the tractor back in tonight.
So, why all of a sudden? Seems like I was just brush hogging and moving that branch a couple of months ago. I didn't notice any active nests around the house back then either. Any natural predators that can keep up with them (ducks, chickens, bears /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif)?

 

[DUMBDOG]

All you can do is keep spraying and spraying.

I wait until evening after I have spotted the hives, either on the buildings or in the groud, they do that here to. When it gets dark I spray which will kill most of them and eventually they just disapear.

 

[RichZ]

For some reason, this summer has produced a bumper crop of all kinds of wasps in our area. We have paper wasp nests all over the farm, and some kind of wasps keep making nests inside the walls of our horse barn. Normally I do not use pesticides, the only exception I make is for all these wasp nests. My wife and I have been stung, my horses have been stung and my dogs have been stung. I've never bought so many spray cans of wasp killer!! It's very strange!!

 

[Tractorgirl]

When we first started looking around the buildings that stand on our newly purchased land, I initially thought the hornets, wasps, etc were having a field day as the building had been deserted for 17 years. However, my parents, who live in the vicinity were having the same problem as you described. I spent a week, just spraying the phoey out of the nests.

I was wondering, what is "Viper"?

Thanks!

Rhonda

 

[Freds]

Rhonda,
Viper is some stuff I picked up at an exterminating shop. I think it was around $42 for 4 ounces. You mix it with water (maybe 1 oz./gal.?) and spray it out of one of those pump up sprayers. I sprayed it around the whole house where the siding meets the foundation, around the windows and around the basement and haven't seen a spider or carpenter ant since spring. It doesn't drop them dead right away unless it hits them wet, but leaves a residue that acts upon their central nervous system for a few months. If I had thought to reapply it a month or so ago I probably could have prevented the nests on the house. It just seems like the hornets appeared overnight.

Fred

 

[Tractorgirl]

Thanks for the info Fred. I'll keep the info in mind as we have four children and can forsee one one of them provoking a nest of hornets.

 

[Drago]

The yellow jackets are absolutely crazy around our house. Some nights/days it is hard for me to get any outside work done. I've had my fair share of stings and don't want anymore. It may be me, but it seems like there is a "bumper" crop of bees and wasps this year. Could there be a reason for it? I mean I expect to find these critters around and about, but not building nests in my siding, plant pots, etc.

Drago

 

[Freds]

That's what I was thinking Drago. I'll have to save my hogging and branch removal for when it's a little cooler and hope the dogs don't get bit while in the yard until the nest under my siding dies off. Also looks like I'll have to put more of an effort into cleaning up around the place in the spring and early summer since late summer seems to be the hornet's time of year. Live and learn.

Fred

 

[SANDBURR]

This thread caught my eye since I just got nailed today! I have lived on this little spread for 25 years and have never had a run in with "ground hornets" . Once is enuff to last a lifetime. I was hacking away at out of control mullberry tree when the first one got me one the hand and i got it twice more in the gut before i realized what was happening. At that point i dropped the chainsaw and ran. Any other time the cheap little saw would have died if left idling but oh no not this time . The hornets laid siege upon the saw , at this point i was wishing for a military grade flame thrower . I settled instead for a long stick which i used to kill the saw . I got one more sting right on the lower lip for my trouble. DOH !
I ventured back out there at about 2 in the morning and poured about a half gallon of gas down the hole after I was able to locate it. I would have lit it up but things are to dry.
I am wonder how big an underground hive gets on the average. Anybody got any input ?

 

[Freds]

Sandburr, I can relate to the sting on the lower lip. I got hit a couple years ago when one flew into a can of ice tea I was drinking on a golf course. It actually looked quite comical the way my face and lips swelled up.
I've been wondering how big a nest under house siding can get. I've been spraying one several times a day, but apparently haven't gotten much spray into the actual nest. Maybe it turns or something. A friend suggested I put plumber's putty along the edge where they are going in and out and when the sun comes out he said the heat will suffocate them. Worth a try.

Fred