I don’t care if yellow jackets pollinate, kill earwigs, wash my dishes, and befriend me. they’re the one thing I can’t abide. I was about 8 or 9 when I stepped in a nest in the ground, and my foot got caught in the hole. I was stuck there for about 10 endless minutes while they stung me
I ended up in the hospital.
I like paper wasps a lot. they’re delicate and their nests are attractive to me. but they’ve never covered my entire body and bitten and stung me while I was trapped, you see?
also yellow jackets don’t seem to do much beneficial work. I know enough about other wasps to know that they like to eat other insects, or at least their larvae do.
yellow jackets like fruit and soda.
I’ve seen wasp spray. which you’re meant to spray directly on the nest, not randomly about the garden. I’ve got yellow jacket traps in my shed in case we get too many visiting. mechanical removal (destroying the nest) is how I’ve always removed them, no sprays. at night, maybe use alcohol or gas etc to stun them.
Not sure if you are ok but you replied to me. I didnt start this thread.
In defense of the OP Scott said this when he started this category
“If you don’t know what category to put your fruit-related post in, this is the one!”
I figured since you were a leader back in the old days that you saw that.
The OP asked what insecticides he should spray to get rid of them and i posted readily available things that were designed to do so. And are obviously meant to do so. These items can be found in Garden Centers with the other ‘sprays’ to be used in home orchards and gardens.
I believe that I have answered my parts of the questions.
The OP did not ask about homemade traps or other theories or off topic ramblings. That probably does belong in the Lounge.
I agree it does suck to get stung… but now that im older i do realize that i caused all of my own stings.
My dad and all of my buddies dads used to pour kerosene or diesel in a nest wherever we found them… even if they werent bothering anything… it was just what we did in the 70s.
Growing up as teenagers of course we wanted to be like our dads and we did it. Even looked for nests to burn out.
For now im leaving mine alone… and they are leaving me alone.
I had a really big nice bald faced hornet nest on the eve of my house last year… I swear i could feel them in my bed at 2am… thats how deep my thoughts go on being stung over 100 times and going to the hospital.
In the end they didnt bother me at all… and they moved on.
Bald faced hornets torture insects and flies… which is why i enjoy watching them.
I also enjoy watching butcher birds (shrikes).
I love nature honestly… and have a deep respect for predators.
It is aggravating that yellowjackets and myself love sweet nectar. But who else would eat the mummies and the rotten fruit? Tough decision to say that they dont have a role.
That reminds me of my daughter, who was probably 6 or so at the time. She stepped near a yellow jacket nest and being a bit of a timid kid, completely froze as they started to swarm her. Luckily I was close by and grabbed her up and scurried away. She only got stung a couple of times, fortunately. Later, when she’d calmed down, I brought her over and showed her the entrance hole, and told her that if that ever happened again, she should run!
Traps are the standard method for controlling yellow jackets in orchards and it has often come up in answer to questions on this site about yellow jackets. Some haven’t found them useful, but I am certain after using them for decades in many orchards that they are affective (at least in my region) if you give them enough time and have enough traps. Sometimes it takes as many as three per tree for me to get them under control and the juice needs to be changed as soon as it becomes unattractive. A dash of citric acid and detergent helps (to keep the juice fresh and cleaning easier). It’s also important to respond quickly before they get out of hand. If populations are high it may take 2 or 3 weeks to get them under control.
You seem to think this is some kind of competition when all I’m trying to do is get the tried and proven information out there- it will be yellow jacket season very soon.
I hate clutter that doesn’t really help, because trying to bring fruit to harvest in my region is really hard and folks need genuine info.
YJ, wasps, hornets… are welcome to live in my woods (27 acres)… or in my fields or orchard as long as they don’t bother anyone… as in sting or try to sting…
I don’t allow them to live in nest built onto my house or my shed not if they are in areas that I (or other family members) go to often to get stuff. If they are up high out of the way somewhere… fine… live, do your thing. If they build down low, in a area where any of us are likely to get stung if we “bother” them… too bad this is my place… and you are not welcome. I wipe them out.
Every spring thru early summer… paper wasps attempt to build nest on my front and back porch, and in the little sheltered area above my garage doors… and I wipe them out… until they finally quit trying.
I mean just go live somewhere else, or die.
YJ or Hornets Nest in my yard, orchard, any area that is mowed, are not allowed. They are going to hurt someone.
They are OK in my field, unless they aggressive enough to sting the guy that bushhogs for me… (which has happened) if they do they are toast. There is about a month in there when it first starts cooling off that YJ’s get very aggressive… they seem to be in a panic (for food) and very protective of their in ground nest… best to avoid bushhogging then. They will come up and get you on the tractor.
