Get Rid of Yellow Jackets
We’re coming at you today with an article about how to get rid of yellow jackets, as part of a 3-4 part series on getting rid of wasps. It’s about that time of the year when wasp queens come out of their winter-long dormancy and start looking for a meal and place to make their nest. So, in the spirit of getting rid of things, we’ve decided to get this article out ASAP, so that you might be able to prevent a bigger yellow jacket problem down the road. Lord knows you don’t want to be messing with yellow jackets later on in the summer. Right around then they start to get so crazy that they’ll attack just about anything that moves and crazier still, they’ll start feeding their young to their other young. The days between late August and early September is like their “time of the month”. So put out the wasp traps now, and maybe you can spare yourself some yellow jacket drama this season.
May 8th, 2007 at 8:20 pm
We let our grass grow [I’m allergic and mowing aggravates it] and when the grass gets long and falls over, it is an invitation for yellowjackets to make a nest. Keeping the grass around paths, gardens and play areas cut short will help keep them away; we have had two nests like this and both were in the tall grass.
August 9th, 2007 at 7:26 pm
We have a Yellow Jacket’s nest in the concrete foundation of our home. There is a small hole they fly in and out of. To date, they have been harmless. However, I’ve read they will become more aggressive as we move to late summer and early fall. My husband was told to spray insecticide or lighter fluid in it and just plug the hole with caulk. Something tells me that is way to easy or very dangerous. Any suggestions?
We live in Columbus, OH and it can stay warm here into October.
Thank you
August 9th, 2007 at 7:41 pm
Hi Kate,
What you read about the aggressiveness of yellow jackets is correct; they will get more and more aggressive as the warm season starts to end. Some studies suggest this is due to a natural decay in the yellow jacket colony’s social order toward the end of the season.
Anyway, I can’t think of something more dangerous than squirting lighter fluid on a house. I think that might be akin to setting fire to your house to smoke the yellow jackets out.
Any conventional wasp killer or wasp spray will do the trick, but if you want to go the organic/household route, try simply dusting some boric acid (20 mule team borax) into the hole with a rubber ketchup bottle. Though the traditional wasp killer (Raid) approach is probably going to end your little yellow jacket problem more quickly, Borax is a very effective, organic/natural way to accomplish the same objective: getting rid of yellow jackets.
So, remember, of course, to do this at night–and wear plenty of protective clothing (just in case).
Hope this helps,
Jonathan
August 21st, 2007 at 12:57 am
Hi,
We have had a yellowjacket nest in the cavity wall of our house for the last few months. They were a real pain as there have been so many of them but they didn;t seem to sting or anything so I just left them. However, they now seem to have found there way into my house and I am finding several of them inside every day even though I keep all the windows clsed and even the plugs in the sink (I found one trying to get in this way). Is there any other way I can stop them coming into my house? Tonight for the first time, my husband was stung by what looked like a Queen wasp whilst watching tv in the lounge. THey have started to get more agressive and I am now very worried that they will attack my two year old daughter. Can anyone offer advice on to how to get rid of them. The nest is in a low cavity wall and it is quite an awkward stot. I read somewhere that they can get into the attic and this really worries me.
August 23rd, 2007 at 9:17 pm
I have a question. Ive got a serious phobia of wasps, and I really need to get rid of them. I want to get rid of them the safest way possible, because they are starting to attack me on sight. I usually just spray the nest with wasp killer, but the wasp in this case is no where to be found. I really need to get rid of those pests. Can you tell me a safe way to rid myself of them? And why are they being so aggresive towards me?
August 26th, 2007 at 3:44 pm
To Isaac and Nikkdf,
Sorry about my late response, but I was on vacation. Nikkdf, if you haven’t taken care of the problem, I would call a professional to take care of your problem. Otherwise, if you want to do this yourself, you’re looking at insecticidal dust like Sevin or Dursban (or even Boric Acid) being dusted into the cavity at night. Wear protective clothing while you do this, and if that doesn’t work, you might want to try a traditional Wasp spray directed into the wall.
Isaac, the safest way to get rid of wasps is described in the article How to Get Rid of Yellow Jackets, and chances are if you can’t find the nest and they’re starting to get more aggressive later in the season, you’re dealing with an underground yellow jacket nest. Read the article. It talks about how to find the nest and what to do once you’ve found it.
- Jonathan
July 30th, 2008 at 9:15 am
We’ve had a horrible problem with wasps of all types at our home in Wisconsin. My husband killed off some of them but they were still flying around the door leading out to our deck. I watched one for a while as he was buzzing around the gutters and went inside from the top. I stuck my can of spray out the door and sprayed it up in the air so it fell right into the gutter where he landed. I soaked it good up there and haven’t had any wasps flying around the door area since. We still do have some wasps in the trees and in between the wood door frame of our garage but haven’t had time to get the nest yet. I have made sure I know exactly where it is this time though. They will be history soon too!
Signed,
Been Stung too Many Times