The one animal I would eradicate from the planet...

[Oscar1]

I have often thought about if I were God, where did I get a little carried away

Ticks and leaches would be my choices, but, good choices above as well.

Best,

ed

Fire ants are at the top of my list.

 

[SPYDERLK]

As I've gotton older, I'm not so much into killing things as I once had.

I'm at the point that if I'm driving, I'll help a turtle across the road or slow down for pretty much any animal if it's in the middle of the road (this morning, honking the horn for 3 Guinea hens who seem as smart as a box of rocks on the road).

I'll kill for food when I need it, but always give thanks for the sacrifice so I can eat. Hunted a lot when I was younger, now I'd rather get a great shot with the camera.

Don't get me wrong, last week had to get rid of a copperhead laying directly around the house that wouldn't move and I couldn't get to (first time in a while I used my Ruger lite with can, and it worked wonders for close up work), but for the most part, even in the back fields if I come across the same kind copperhead, I'll try to leave them be.

One thing I can't stand though is yellow jackets.

Wife got stung about 5 times in the garden yesterday. We will dispatch that ground hive tonight that she found by one of the raised beds.

Later yesterday, mowing a sidehill that I do ever so often every couple of weeks, I ended up getting stung by 7 different ones. Thing is, they are so vicious IMO anytime I've come across them. I got out of the area fast on the mower, and trying to drive a twin stick while trying to kill them with one arm off the stick makes for interesting driving going downhill pretty fast LOL It wasn't until about 75 yards and I got back to the house that they weren't around me anymore. I went up with the truck today (windows close), but couldn't exactly find where the ground nest was.

Both my wife and I were very sore last night.

Wifes Grandmothers brother was killed by yellow jackects back in the 30's or 40's. Wife was told that her grandmothers brother was stung so many times, they had to have a large casket due to the size of the body after all the stings.

Funny, out back mowing a field today, and I've mowed that field many times, never worried. Today, I was getting kind of freaked out by all the grasshoppers landing on me and every once in while biting me (sorry, forwhatever reasons, grasshoppers do bite more than naught IMO when mowing LOL).

I know God put animals on this earth for a reason, and although I can't stand snakes personally, they play a pretty big role in the Big book, but yellow jackets I have no clue why they are on this earth.

Thing about yellow jackets is I generally look up at the trees (as I've come across them mowing this way more than a couple of times), but when they are in the ground, it's like walking across a dormant minefield that you never think of until you hit them.

Perhaps I'd feel the sameway about hogs, but thankfully we don't have that problem LOL

This is the time of year that nesting insects become more aggressive. Their nests are mature and they are "protecting" imminent offspring. I dont think theres any logic - just mass numbers that cause the high activity and aggression. A surprise can be dangerous. When I encounter wasp nests in areas I frequent I knock them down at night even if fairly large. Theyre sluggish - just hold your breath so they cant follow your CO2 and move away. With no home they tend to disperse w/o problem. Yellow jacket or hornet nests in my space I destroy with an ounce of gasoline injected at night. No mercy.

 

[Diggin It]

I have a small bay window on the front of the house. Did a thread a while back about adding some copper trim to it. Few years back I noticed a few of those rust colored demons had found a way into a crack along one of the underside edges. I sealed the hole and left it. A few months later (while cool), I was doing some work that involved opening the cavity. I had forgotten all about the intrusion however. Let's just say given the size of the nest, it's mighty lucky I didn't do that job while it was warm and they were active.

 

[old and tired]

A can of Hornet and Wasp spray in each hand; going out hunting in the night... feel like Rambo!!! Every spring time, I hunt for nests in the usual spots. Getting rid of them early and small is better than having to fight a large nest.

Just a routine that I do a couple times each spring. Have one friend that's "found" a nest under the stairs two years in a row... She ain't been back since.

 

[Jstpssng]

I leave yellow jackets alone unless they are too close to the house or someplace else where I will be spending time. Last summer there was a small softball sized nest by the trail I was bringing wood out. For two days I carefully dragged trees past it, but then realized that it was in the way, so the nest time in I offset the tractor a bit and brought the hitch right across it... end of hornet's nest.

That's when the extra 100 feet of cable comes in handy.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

As I have said so often, "Don't forget, a little juice from an onion will stop the pain from a wasp or bee sting almost immediately".

 

[CADplans]

To "control" yellow jackets,,
Tie a piece of chicken to a board,, I think cooked chicken works even faster,,
place the board on a tub of water, chicken side down,,
Fill the tub with water, close to the chicken,, maybe a half inch gap.
Add a little dish soap to break the surface tension,,

The greedy yellow jackets will grab too much meat,
then as they "take off" they will fall into the water.

The "Mousetrap Monday's" guy on YouTube did a test,,
the chicken and board versus several commercial traps.

His final count was something like,,
5 in trap#1,, 25 in trap#2,,, and,, 750 in the tub with chicken and soapy water,,

I ran over a rattle snake in my driveway this summer,,
the NEXT day,, the yellow jackets were devouring the snake,, it did not last long,,,

I do not think yellow jackets have much interest in pollen,,
if there is meat around!!

 

[Hay Dude]

lyme ticks

 

[Root Cause]

I was soo afraid that this was a political thread.

Yellowjackets got me this weekend due to the proximity of the trash can and Momma's yellow jacket, I mean, hummingbird feeders.
Removing the feeders and spraying peppermint spray all around fixed it so I could finish the project the next day.

 

[Root Cause]

I am getting ready to bury a bunch of stumps and hear that yellow jackets like to set up inside them. Any ideas on how to make sure that doesn't happen is appreciated.