I have heard that dumping a strong concentration of dish soap down a
yellowjacket hole and following it up with a gallon or two of boiling water
should kill the hive. Would this work in your opinion?
Are there any non-toxic methods of dealing with yellowjackets?
Yellow Jacket Nest
Summary: Thinking of removing a yellow jacket nest yourself? Take some real care before taking on this task. Yellow jackets can be harmful to your health.
Grace M; Waterloo, Ontario asks: I have a yellow jacket nest above a soffit in the corner by a door that we use to get from the house to the pool. I have sprayed foam insecticide in the areas four times, but the next morning they are right back again. How can I get rid of these pests without removing the aluminum soffit?
Dear Grace: The most effective way to kill off a yellow jacket nest is by using pesticide dusts. You pump the dust into the entry hole of the nest with a powder duster such as those sold under the Centro Company bulb dusters name. For extra safety you can buy a Gotcha Sprayer Pro extension pole that
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holds the powder duster and keeps you fifteen feet from the wasp nest. You can purchase pesticide dusts at most lawn and garden stores, but the Gotcha Sprayer Pro extension is only available on-line.
The pesticide dust coats the wasps as they leave and enter their hive and kills them in short order. But, be very careful, as yellow jackets are very aggressive. They are not very social and often sting even when you haven't threatened them. Do the work in the dark using a flashlight and wear protective clothing. Or, call a pest control professional to do the work.
The longest surviving member of the colony is the queen, but she will die in the nest in the fall. All the adult reproductive wasps will leave the nest to mate. The remaining worker wasps will slowly die out as the weather turns cooler. The nest is never re-used by the wasps. So, once all wasp activity ceases the only task you are faced with is removing the nest from the soffit so it does not attract other insects that feed on dead insects.
Click here to watch my short video on how to control wasps.
Comments
Brad
09 Aug 2009, 22:57
09 Aug 2009, 22:57
Dan
11 Aug 2009, 13:50
11 Aug 2009, 13:50
Found a huge (talking 24+ inches) Yellow Jacket nest in the basement
between the Joist and the insulation. I had my wife pull the insulation
back with a hook on a pole while I double canned (raid wasp/hornet killer)
the nest. we pushed the insulation back to prevent any angry bees from
attacking. Then left on vacation for 2 weeks. I have watched the entry
point for 2 days and have seen zero activity. Do you think it is safe to
uncover the nest ans scrape it out? Could the queen still be hanging out
there? I literally emptied the cans on the nest!
Allyson
11 Aug 2009, 16:17
11 Aug 2009, 16:17
I have a yellow jacket nest that is somewhere in a wall void above my 4
year old daughter's bedroom. I can see them flying in and out through a
hole in the exterior of my house near the attic. AND I can hear them
during the day-it's a sort of crackling noise and then at night all is
quiet when they are sleeping I guess. From what I have read, the fact that
I can actually hear wasp activity suggests a rather large nest. I have
professionals coming tomorrow to do an exterior spraying and also they will
be dusting using some sort of clove-based product. I heard you don't HAVE
to remove a nest that is in a void, but I see you have mentioned to someone
else to do just that. Two questions: What problems would arise from just
leaving the "dead" nest in the void? and, is this clove-based dust
effective?
Kathy
12 Aug 2009, 14:51
12 Aug 2009, 14:51
Hello,
For about a week now I have noticed small yellow and black bee's going in and out of one of our bushes in the front yard. I do not see a nest ..but becuase of the density of the landscape I can not look to see if there are any openings or holes in the ground that they may be going into. They are very aggressive and will come after you if you even walk near the bushes. My husband has sprayed and soaked the bush with Wasp and Yellow jacket killer but to no avail...it dosent even effect them. How can I get rid of them? Do I need a professional?
For about a week now I have noticed small yellow and black bee's going in and out of one of our bushes in the front yard. I do not see a nest ..but becuase of the density of the landscape I can not look to see if there are any openings or holes in the ground that they may be going into. They are very aggressive and will come after you if you even walk near the bushes. My husband has sprayed and soaked the bush with Wasp and Yellow jacket killer but to no avail...it dosent even effect them. How can I get rid of them? Do I need a professional?
Linda
12 Aug 2009, 23:20
12 Aug 2009, 23:20
Hello. We have a lot of yellow-jacket bee activity above our front door at
the soffit. They are going in where the brick meets the soffit. They were
first going in at the back through holes in the foundation blocks and
bricks but my husband sealed them up and then we noticed increased activity
at the front door. We have emptied several cans of foam before closing the
holes up and he has even drilled several holes in the inside and outside
walls in the room opposite where they are going in and sprayed several cans
of foam into the holes. Nothing seems to work as the next day, the
activity continues. I don't see anywhere that we can buy the dust (we live
in Ontario Canada where pesticides are banned). My husband has just been
outside now, removing the vent at the soffit where they seemed to be
entering but could not see any nest. No bees came out either even though he
is using a light. He sprayed a lot of foam into the area and is in the
process of replacing the vent. Is it time to call a professional? We are
leaving in 2 weeks for a 2 week vacation and we are afraid to go.
Joyce
15 Aug 2009, 23:16
15 Aug 2009, 23:16
I have yellow jackets coming through a tiny hole in the corner of my window
pane. It is the type of window that does not open. I live on the 12th
floor of a large apartment building. I do not know where the outside hole
to the hive is or where, exactly, the hive is. I actually had a few yellow
jackets in that same location in my apartment for the last 2 summers but
now they are much more abundant and come everyday.
My questions are: I'm having a professional come over on Monday. Will he be able to find the hive? I am perfectly willing to have my interior wall opened to find the hive after treatment. The outside wall is brick.
Also, once this is all overwith, if the brick pointing is redone, will that seal off any holes in the outside brick wall and eliminate this from happening again?
My questions are: I'm having a professional come over on Monday. Will he be able to find the hive? I am perfectly willing to have my interior wall opened to find the hive after treatment. The outside wall is brick.
Also, once this is all overwith, if the brick pointing is redone, will that seal off any holes in the outside brick wall and eliminate this from happening again?
John Holzemer
16 Aug 2009, 14:21
16 Aug 2009, 14:21
I've read that fipronil (the active ingredient in some MaxForce products)
is effective against yellowjackets. While I know that the "sweet" Maxforce
products are designed for cockroaches or ants -- is there any reason that
they wouldn't be effective against yellowjackets?
Eli
16 Aug 2009, 21:09
16 Aug 2009, 21:09
We came home from vac and found numerous dead/ and live Yellow jackets in
our basement. found out they came in thru the ash clean out, from our
chinmey connected to wood burner. Went up last night on the roof with a can
of Bee killer and flahlight. emptied 1/2 can down the chimey, then the can
quit working because it was horizontal. I briefly saw that the nest was
about 2' down in the 8x12 chimney flue and took up over 1/2 the area of the
flue. Then I moved out quickly and hurried down the ladder not knowing what
good I did. Today, there was still YJ activety above the chimney. Now I am
wondering if I should pour a bag of sevin dust down, or wait them out until
colder wheather. I made several paperr fires thinking the smoke would scare
them off, but now there is'nt much draft due to the nest blocking over 1/2
the flue. WHAT NOW?
Brad
17 Aug 2009, 03:31
17 Aug 2009, 03:31
I am sick and tired of the yellowjackets. Last year through my own
engenuity i removed 2 yellowjacket nests without getting stung once. I had
one in the garage and one above my living room. This year they are 2 feet
over from the one in the living room last year. I have thrown everything
at them including raid spray, sevin dust, fumigator and fogger. The first
thing i usually do when i notice a bulge in the ceiling is poke a small
hole and spray expanding foam up into the nest this seems to work 2 fold by
stopping them from coming through the bulge and the stuff actually encases
the colony in sticky foam. Is this a good practice or is there some
problem with that? After i let that dry for a couple days i open up the
cavity slowly with a shop vac at hand and vaccuum out any live wasps and
also honeycomb. Then i cut out a rectangular section of drywall, remove
all of the honeycomb and insulation and re drywall. My question is why the
hell do they keep infesting my house in different locations? I am tired of
the house being invaded. What can i do to prevent this next year? I don't
have any accesable food sources for them i just don't get it.
Ariyan
17 Aug 2009, 19:19
17 Aug 2009, 19:19
Mr. Steinau aka Mr. "Ask the Exterminator",
Thank you for replying so quickly to my email. Thankfully, my apartment staff called an exterminator to remove the nest above my door, so I won't have to risk hurting myself!
If anyone is interested in getting help, be sure to click the "Ask the Exterminator" button above. Good luck!
Thank you for replying so quickly to my email. Thankfully, my apartment staff called an exterminator to remove the nest above my door, so I won't have to risk hurting myself!
If anyone is interested in getting help, be sure to click the "Ask the Exterminator" button above. Good luck!
Hunter
18 Aug 2009, 11:34
18 Aug 2009, 11:34
Hi, I am in Ontario Canada and just found out there are wasp activity above
my porch. They enter through a hole on the wall where the roof of the porch
meets the siding. Is the hive just in the area or it is far inside my
attic?
It seems that the tempo dust is banned here. I bought a spray and applied the whole can to the entrance place, but most of them did not flow into the hole but rather dripped onto the ground. The next morning I can still see wasps around the hole.
What are my options?
Thanks.
It seems that the tempo dust is banned here. I bought a spray and applied the whole can to the entrance place, but most of them did not flow into the hole but rather dripped onto the ground. The next morning I can still see wasps around the hole.
What are my options?
Thanks.
James
18 Aug 2009, 20:39
18 Aug 2009, 20:39
We have thousands of yellowjackets! Our roof is made of Spanish curved
tiles and the yellowjackets have nest ALL OVER the place. We have tried a
concentrated spary that we mix with water and spray all over the roof. We
have tried seeking out each and every nest and applying a spray insecticide
made specifically for wasps and yellowjackets and we still have them. In
the last 8 days I have been stung 5 times! Once we find a nest and spray
it that nest is no longer active but it seems as if more just show up over
night. I am at my wits end here!
Kristi
21 Aug 2009, 19:08
21 Aug 2009, 19:08
Hi Rick,
Great information on this site!!
My situation is this: a wasp nest is under the one step I have on my deck that is the entry way to my house. Being a deck there are several boards spaced about an 1/8" apart running perpendicular to the riser on the step so there are several points of entry to the nest area.
It looks like there is one primary hole they enter through but I will apply dust pretty much around the three sides of the step. What I'm wondering is if the wasps will leave the way they came in or if the dust will cause them to turn the other way and possibly find their way out...via my basement.
Great information on this site!!
My situation is this: a wasp nest is under the one step I have on my deck that is the entry way to my house. Being a deck there are several boards spaced about an 1/8" apart running perpendicular to the riser on the step so there are several points of entry to the nest area.
It looks like there is one primary hole they enter through but I will apply dust pretty much around the three sides of the step. What I'm wondering is if the wasps will leave the way they came in or if the dust will cause them to turn the other way and possibly find their way out...via my basement.
Jon
24 Aug 2009, 14:44
24 Aug 2009, 14:44
Hello, I have a yellow jackets nest inside my basement. The yellow jackets
entered into the house where the siding meets the concrete. From inside
the basement I can see the nest go up into the floor joist. There is also
pressure treat wood shaving visible as they apparently went through
it!There are many bees hanging outside of the nest and flying around my
basement. Since I can clearly see the nest what would be the best
treatment. I called orkin and they quoted me $450 over the phone! Thanks
nikki
28 Aug 2009, 14:01
28 Aug 2009, 14:01
Hi,
I discovered a yellow jacket nest in my basement. They are coming in through a hole made by the cable company, i went into the basement and there are dead wasps all over the floor and the nest is up on the wall by the insulation and a heating duct. the nest is prob about the size of a very large football. i'm afraid because they are getting in my home and my hubby is very allergic. from what ive read they useally die in winter but this looks like either they have reused this nest or moved from one location in the basement to another because of the amount of dead ones on the ground, Now i rent my home, the landlord didn't even know about the prob untill i told him so i know the dead ones aren't from a prior attempt to kill them, and i know my landlord is way to cheap to call a pro. what should i do?
I discovered a yellow jacket nest in my basement. They are coming in through a hole made by the cable company, i went into the basement and there are dead wasps all over the floor and the nest is up on the wall by the insulation and a heating duct. the nest is prob about the size of a very large football. i'm afraid because they are getting in my home and my hubby is very allergic. from what ive read they useally die in winter but this looks like either they have reused this nest or moved from one location in the basement to another because of the amount of dead ones on the ground, Now i rent my home, the landlord didn't even know about the prob untill i told him so i know the dead ones aren't from a prior attempt to kill them, and i know my landlord is way to cheap to call a pro. what should i do?
Ask the Exterminator
28 Aug 2009, 22:41
28 Aug 2009, 22:41
Hey Wasper! Read the bold red notice at the top of the comments. I can't
keep up with the tens of thousands of questions I'm receiving, so I'm only
answering those questions that come to me from the "Ask the Exterminator a
Question" button at the top of the page.
Tracie
02 Sep 2009, 17:00
02 Sep 2009, 17:00
I noticed yellow jackets coming in and out of a small hole in the
foundation of my house yesterday. I will try killing them off with
pesticide dust but do I need to remove the nest? I don't know how I'd go
about doing that since it is in the cement foundation. Thanks!
John
09 Sep 2009, 14:12
09 Sep 2009, 14:12
Big yellowjacket problem at our house. Sprayed the hole in our foundation
with spray, and then sealed it off with caulk. Then sealed off a secondary
exit in the basement. They are buzzing and mad. I can hear them. That
was yesterday. Will the nest die of starvation, or am I doomed to them
escaping and getting revenge?
Mindy
17 Sep 2009, 17:50
17 Sep 2009, 17:50
Where can I buy the temp dust spray? I have a very large yellow jacket
nest, approx. 2' x 3' in my attic. The nest is located about 12 to 15 foot
from the access door. The most important thing is that I have a child that
is allergic to bees. I need your help!!!
jerry
18 Sep 2009, 14:25
18 Sep 2009, 14:25
9/17/09 I have a yellowjacket nest in a wall and I can't get close enough
to the entry point to spray or dust the colony. Late summer and early fall
(September in NYC area) they've been getting into my house, a few a day,
mostly lethargic or dead when I find them.
Can I leave the whole nest to die this fall? I've read that I need NOT remove anything from within the wall; just caulk up the entry point once all activity stops. Thanks. Jerry
Can I leave the whole nest to die this fall? I've read that I need NOT remove anything from within the wall; just caulk up the entry point once all activity stops. Thanks. Jerry
Steve
03 Nov 2009, 11:13
03 Nov 2009, 11:13
We have tons of yellow jackets flying around the bushes that run along side
of our house. We have had some on our kitchen windows and on the basement
windows. I do not see any points of entry in these two rooms.
I have sprayed three cans of wasp/hornet killer into what I THINK is their entry way into the wall of our home. I have found some dead ones in the basement after doing this.
I also hung a bee trap on our bushes and have caught some this way. I don't hear any buzzing so I am hoping that means there is not a large nest. What would be the best way to kill these pests since I am not too sure of their entry way nor can I see a nest. Also, if I do succeed in killing them, do I need to hunt for the nest and remove it? Thanks!
I have sprayed three cans of wasp/hornet killer into what I THINK is their entry way into the wall of our home. I have found some dead ones in the basement after doing this.
I also hung a bee trap on our bushes and have caught some this way. I don't hear any buzzing so I am hoping that means there is not a large nest. What would be the best way to kill these pests since I am not too sure of their entry way nor can I see a nest. Also, if I do succeed in killing them, do I need to hunt for the nest and remove it? Thanks!
bridgette
08 Dec 2009, 22:03
08 Dec 2009, 22:03
iam having problem with bees in my kitchen i live in a apartment it all
started outside my livingroom balcony they came and sealed the hole but
they didnt remove the hive so im trying to find out what i need to do
because i think their coming through the heating vent in my livingroom and
they are coming more in my kitchen i called and told them but they say they
have to put in a work order do you think their going to get worser
k_debeau@hotmail.com
13 Jan 2010, 19:57
13 Jan 2010, 19:57
Hi there...so it's winter in Ontario and suddenly I keep finding wasps
flying around inside my house...where would I look for the nest? And is
there some kind of trap I can set up to attract them so there is less
chance my kids will get stung? Thanks....