Aerial yellow jacket nest

burn587

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Apr 14, 2006
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Denver, CO
Today while spraying for weeds I found a yellow jacket nest the size of a rugby ball underneath my deck stairs. I got out my wasp and hornet killer and put about half a can onto the damn thing from about 15 feet away.

I usually only have to deal with paper wasps so I’m wondering if that will take care of the entire thing or if I will need to take extra measures before the whole thing goes on the fire pit.

I briefly considered the “kill it with fire” method before deciding I like my deck.
 
Someone needs to link my experience via a thread called Bee Hive from several years ago. I would but idk how. There you will find extremely valuable information through my traumatic experience.
 
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I got nailed by the denizens of a similar nest several years ago while mowing. The football sized nest was under one of my fir trees. I waited until dusk for the activity to die down and then Raided it from 15 feet. It was extremely effective.

The last time I had a nest it was between my foundation and siding. I used a shop vac half full of water and left it running with the hose a few inches from the entrance. I captured and drowned everyone coming and going for several hours and then powder poisoned everyone else after dusk. Again, very effective.
 
Someone needs to link my experience via a thread called Bee Hive from several years ago. I would but idk how. There you will find extremely valuable information through my traumatic experience.

Ouch, right next to the ballsack. From all my googling I guess the yellow jackets that build hanging nests aren’t nearly as aggressive as the burrowing bastards. I literally had walked on top of the board these things are attached to 5 minutes prior to finding it.

The burrowing yellow jackets are a ***** though, I remember being stung by some at my parents house and the second time it happened my foot swelled up to the point I couldn’t put my shoe on for a day.
 
I just had one under my deck. Stairs as well. Of waspspsps.

Hot shot at sunset. Almost felt sorry for ‘em.
 
I use a product called Drione dust. It’s not an instant kill, so you want to puff it in the nest at night. It will kill them all as it spreads well into all the voids and will kill those that end up walking on it. By the next night the population should be mostly dead allowing you to remove the nest. Plus it’s pretty safe for humans and pets, except for birds.
 
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The burrowing yellow jackets are a ***** though, I remember being stung by some at my parents house and the second time it happened my foot swelled up to the point I couldn’t put my shoe on for a day.

Yes they are. I ran over a burrowed nest on my riding mower and they chased me across the yard so much, that I had a make a break for it and run inside. They got my thumb and elbow, which caused my arm to swell up so bad, I could barely move it.
 
Years back I had a yuge classic giant nest in my silver maple. Tried to spray it one night but it was a little too high in the tree and I wimped out. Called an exterminator the next day. Was money well spent. Did not have time to mess with it, neighbor was super allergic, carried an EpiPen and all, so it was too risky to have around (was near his property line to boot).
 
My neighbor just had a bald faced hornet nest removed the other day that was found in their tree. Thing was cool looking and huge. Not sure how we didn't see it earlier. We were going to take it down ourselves, glad we didn't.
 
Update: I’ve sprayed it about 3 times and the nest is still going strong. It seems pretty inactive at night, I think my plan is to tape up the hole and then burn the ****** to the ground. I’ll have an extinguisher at the ready.
 
I have killed a couple of yellow jacket nests with success. My recipe is old school: A small coffee can of pure, unadulterated gasoline right down the hole at sunset. Use a funnel for quick delivery and accuracy if needed.

No need to even think about lighting the gas. That is unnecessary and probably quite dangerous.
 
Finally finished it off. I took one last can of foam spray and got fairly close. Let loose then the spray was powerful enough to rip open the outer layer and coat the inside. Then I took a 2x4 to loosen it up, took it over to the patio and burned it to a crisp. Somehow did this without getting stung.