I have a wasps nest that has formed inside a cast iron fire pot. The pot
is approx. 2.5' high & sits on the ground. It is a filigree enclosed pot
with a removable lid. The wasp nest has attached itself to the inside of
this pot & I'm at a loss as to how to get the wet foam spray to the opening
of the wasps nest. Any suggestions?
Cheryl
Yellow Jacket Nest
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 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
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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.
Comments
Cheryl L
20 Jul 2008, 20:19
20 Jul 2008, 20:19
Ask The Exterminator
21 Jul 2008, 09:00
21 Jul 2008, 09:00
This can be a very dangerous process, so proceed with caution. Pest control
professionals would use an extension wand on a pressurized sprayer to
puncture the outer wall of the nest and drench it with pesticides. In
addition, many pest control companies supply their service technicians with
bee suits to protect them from angry, swarming wasps.
If the situation presents too much risk I would suggest paying a professional to resolve the issue.
If the situation presents too much risk I would suggest paying a professional to resolve the issue.
Marc S
24 Aug 2008, 13:39
24 Aug 2008, 13:39
I have a wasps next underneath the siding on my garage. It seems like the
nest has grown alot this summer. I have hired an exterminator to "dust" the
wasps but I want to destroy the nest itself completely. How do I do this
without spending too much money?
Ask the Exterminator
24 Aug 2008, 16:33
24 Aug 2008, 16:33
If the exterminator did his job properly, dusting the nest should have
destroyed the whole thing. Even without the treatment, you can remove the
nest safely when winter comes. All the adult yellow jackets die off,
leaving just the larvae in the nest. You can remove the nest without
encountering hordes of angry wasps and save money, too.
Be sure the nest is inactive before you try the removal, otherwise, you'll find yourself in a situation that you will wish you hadn't.
Be sure the nest is inactive before you try the removal, otherwise, you'll find yourself in a situation that you will wish you hadn't.
Barbara
01 Sep 2008, 01:37
01 Sep 2008, 01:37
I have a nest of yellow jackets under the siding near the ground right by
my main door! I'm terrified every time I have to go in or out. It sounds
like the dusting method is the most effective and I have contacted an
exterminator (no way am I going to try this) to come out next week but I
have a concern. I have two dogs and I worry about the pesticide getting on
the grass and making them sick. I should add, they often eat grass. Any
advice, information you can give me would be appreciated.
Ask the Exterminator
01 Sep 2008, 21:24
01 Sep 2008, 21:24
Highly toxic pesticides have, for the most part, been removed from the
market. Most insecticides used by professionals today are some form of
synthetic pyrethroids. These materials rate very low on the toxicity scale.
Your pet would have to be covered in the pesticide dust to have any negative effects. If you are concerned about the pesticide residue simply hose off any that you see on the grass.
Your pet would have to be covered in the pesticide dust to have any negative effects. If you are concerned about the pesticide residue simply hose off any that you see on the grass.
Kelly
22 Sep 2008, 16:29
22 Sep 2008, 16:29
I have a yellow jacket nest in the wall of my house. Wasps are constantly
flying in and out. The entrance is at the line of where the concrete meets
the siding. We have sprayed in and around the small hole 4 times and
still, they live! Which leads me to believe, they are higher up in the
wall where the spray doesn't reach. The last time we sprayed, last night,
three wasps came into the basement and four came into the livingroom, I
believe through gaps around the fireplace mantel which is about 1 1/2 feet
away from the entrance to the nest. Can I get rid of them somehow? Can I
get rid of teh nest? and/or Will they die over the winter? Please help! I
have two children who are now petrified of wasps coming in teh house and
stinging them while they are asleep.
Ask the Exterminator
23 Sep 2008, 09:31
23 Sep 2008, 09:31
Yellow jacket nests can grow to be very large. You never want to leave the
nest in the wall because once the nest is inactive other insects may infest
the nest. Those insects are often foraging for dead insects to eat. Once
they have consumed the available food in the nest they will go in search of
other food sources in your house. That is often woolens, furs, leather and
so on.
To kill the existing yellow jackets in the wall you will need to treat the entry holes with an insecticide dust formulation. The dust coats the entryway and gets on the wasps as they come and go. Do not seal the hole until all wasp activity ceases.
You will probably end up hiring a drywall person to open the wall and remove the dead nest once the wasp activity has stopped.
To kill the existing yellow jackets in the wall you will need to treat the entry holes with an insecticide dust formulation. The dust coats the entryway and gets on the wasps as they come and go. Do not seal the hole until all wasp activity ceases.
You will probably end up hiring a drywall person to open the wall and remove the dead nest once the wasp activity has stopped.
Kim
07 Oct 2008, 20:10
07 Oct 2008, 20:10
Hi there, I have a similar problem, we have a nest in our board and battrn
home, the main entry point was a hole by our gas-fireplace exhaust, we
sealed that at night, they started to enter the home (people got stung, of
course) but then they found another entry point above the fireplace. Do we
have to actually remove the board and batten to remove the nest, or can we
just silicon the batten strip on each side???
Ask the Exterminator
08 Oct 2008, 08:56
08 Oct 2008, 08:56
You don't want to seal the exit holes for the wasps. They need to have a
way out, otherwise, they'll find other exit points and in your case, that
new exit path leads inside your house.
Like my article says, dust the exterior holes where you have seen activity. That will kill them. The onset of cold weather will also kill them.
Like my article says, dust the exterior holes where you have seen activity. That will kill them. The onset of cold weather will also kill them.
Sam
10 Oct 2008, 03:20
10 Oct 2008, 03:20
im pretty sure i have a nest somewhere in the wall between my daughters
room and my room and they keep getting into her room somehow and its like
their coming from the floor by the wall
and i set off 2 bug bombs in there and i find a bunch dead but then the next day i'll go in there and their will be live ones i cant find exactly where the nest is or where the entry points are and i have no money for an exterminator or pest control what do i do?
and i set off 2 bug bombs in there and i find a bunch dead but then the next day i'll go in there and their will be live ones i cant find exactly where the nest is or where the entry points are and i have no money for an exterminator or pest control what do i do?
Ask the Exterminator
10 Oct 2008, 10:11
10 Oct 2008, 10:11
Go to a drug store and purchase an inexpensive stethoscope, the listening
device TV doctors always wear around their necks. Use the stethoscope to
listen to your walls. You should be able to pinpoint the exact location of
the nest.
Drill a 3/16" hole in the wall and, using a billows duster, available at most hardware stores, pump in pesticide dust, also available at hardware stores.
Reseal the hole and wait until the wasp activity has ceased. You will no longer hear any noise. Once you are sure that has happened you will need to cut open the wall to remove the dead nest. If you don't remove the nest you will attract other insects that will feed on the dead wasps and eventually enter your house to feed on woolens and fur clothing.
Drill a 3/16" hole in the wall and, using a billows duster, available at most hardware stores, pump in pesticide dust, also available at hardware stores.
Reseal the hole and wait until the wasp activity has ceased. You will no longer hear any noise. Once you are sure that has happened you will need to cut open the wall to remove the dead nest. If you don't remove the nest you will attract other insects that will feed on the dead wasps and eventually enter your house to feed on woolens and fur clothing.
Eric
17 Oct 2008, 19:45
17 Oct 2008, 19:45
Yellow Jackets found their way through the air inlet to my crawl space
under my house.
After finding a few in the house I tracked down where they were coming in. I went in to my crawl space only to find they have built their nest in the insulation in the crawl space against the floor held up with thin wires between the floor joists. With there only being a 36" area to move around I don't want to pull the wires to drop the insulation only to set them all into attack mode.
I bought a HotShot brand fogger. I crawled down and set it off under the nest area. Left for 2 hours and upon return to air out the crawl space a lot are dead but some are still alive. I removed the 1st fogger and set off a 2nd. Upon returning I figured that was enough for one day and opened all the air inlets to the crawl space and all the windows in the house to let it air out.
Not crawling under the house yet, but watching their entrance path to the crawl space air inlet. They are still coming and going. Reduced numbers but still enough to count.
Any suggestions? My next thought is I will have to remove the insulation and possibly bag it while in the crawl space to remove it. Unfortunately the only access to the crawl space is through the master bedroom closet.
After finding a few in the house I tracked down where they were coming in. I went in to my crawl space only to find they have built their nest in the insulation in the crawl space against the floor held up with thin wires between the floor joists. With there only being a 36" area to move around I don't want to pull the wires to drop the insulation only to set them all into attack mode.
I bought a HotShot brand fogger. I crawled down and set it off under the nest area. Left for 2 hours and upon return to air out the crawl space a lot are dead but some are still alive. I removed the 1st fogger and set off a 2nd. Upon returning I figured that was enough for one day and opened all the air inlets to the crawl space and all the windows in the house to let it air out.
Not crawling under the house yet, but watching their entrance path to the crawl space air inlet. They are still coming and going. Reduced numbers but still enough to count.
Any suggestions? My next thought is I will have to remove the insulation and possibly bag it while in the crawl space to remove it. Unfortunately the only access to the crawl space is through the master bedroom closet.
Ask the Exterminator
17 Oct 2008, 23:50
17 Oct 2008, 23:50
All I can say is you are a lot braver than this exterminator. Or, crazier!
I wouldn't go into any crawl space with yellow jackets, at least not
without putting on a full bee suit. Super dangerous!
During the fall yellow jackets days are numbered. First couple of frosts will do them in. I suggest waiting until all wasp activity stops. Then, you can remove the entire nest without getting a single sting.
During the fall yellow jackets days are numbered. First couple of frosts will do them in. I suggest waiting until all wasp activity stops. Then, you can remove the entire nest without getting a single sting.
Buck
24 Oct 2008, 12:41
24 Oct 2008, 12:41
I have similiar issues as stated above - we have an exterior yellow jacket
access point on the side of the house between the 1st and 2nd floors where
the second floor siding meets the first floor brick. The entry point is
where a first floor office is and the second floor bedroom is. We have
been seeing 6-12 yellow jackets in these rooms for the last few days.
Before calling an exterminator, I used RAID Wasp killer to spray in the hole. Finally called an exterminator and he dusted however commented that the RAID may have pushed them in further. Is this true?
My main question is this: I currently have the heat off in those rooms. If I turn on the heat, will it keep the yellow jackets active/alive or will they still die due to the outside temperature?
Also, many of the yellow jackets I am seeing inside are on the floor moving slowly - is this the dust taking effect or the cooler outside temperature effecting them?
Thanks!
Before calling an exterminator, I used RAID Wasp killer to spray in the hole. Finally called an exterminator and he dusted however commented that the RAID may have pushed them in further. Is this true?
My main question is this: I currently have the heat off in those rooms. If I turn on the heat, will it keep the yellow jackets active/alive or will they still die due to the outside temperature?
Also, many of the yellow jackets I am seeing inside are on the floor moving slowly - is this the dust taking effect or the cooler outside temperature effecting them?
Thanks!
Ask the Exterminator
24 Oct 2008, 15:11
24 Oct 2008, 15:11
The RAID contains materials that irritate the insect so it repels it away
and possibly deeper into cracks and crevices. Still, the yellow jacket is
coming to the end of its life cycle (heat or no heat) and it will continue
to harvet food, meaning it must leave the nest.
The insects you are discovering may have been affected by either pesticides, or they are just dying naturally. Difficult to say which.
The insects you are discovering may have been affected by either pesticides, or they are just dying naturally. Difficult to say which.
daniel
24 Oct 2008, 17:52
24 Oct 2008, 17:52
Dear Exterminator,
It is October 24th in North-East Pa, I recently discovered that I have a yellow jacket wasp problem. They are entering my house in a crack in my siding 3rd floor up. I sprayed as best as I could. They are in my bathroom walls, so I used a stethoscope, drilled hole and let loose with foam. I am getting them in my kitchen, and basement which are both underneath my bathroom. I already bought and used a fogger in my basement and bathroom and will be bombing again tonight. my question is, with colder weather coming will the rest of the nest die, and what will I have to worry about come spring. I have poor insulation in my bathroom and it will be next to impossible to get at the nest without major complications. what esle could i do?
It is October 24th in North-East Pa, I recently discovered that I have a yellow jacket wasp problem. They are entering my house in a crack in my siding 3rd floor up. I sprayed as best as I could. They are in my bathroom walls, so I used a stethoscope, drilled hole and let loose with foam. I am getting them in my kitchen, and basement which are both underneath my bathroom. I already bought and used a fogger in my basement and bathroom and will be bombing again tonight. my question is, with colder weather coming will the rest of the nest die, and what will I have to worry about come spring. I have poor insulation in my bathroom and it will be next to impossible to get at the nest without major complications. what esle could i do?
Ask the Exterminator
24 Oct 2008, 23:14
24 Oct 2008, 23:14
You are not reading the article. No sprays! Pesticide dust only. Do not
seal the entry hole.
The nest will die soon and you have no choice, but to open the wall and remove the nest. If you don't remove the nest you will get other types of insect infestations. Insects that eat wool, linen, fur and leather. You must remove the nest.
The nest will die soon and you have no choice, but to open the wall and remove the nest. If you don't remove the nest you will get other types of insect infestations. Insects that eat wool, linen, fur and leather. You must remove the nest.
Jeannette
27 Oct 2008, 22:17
27 Oct 2008, 22:17
We keep spaying the nest of yellow jackets that have a nest in the house
siding and they keep getting in the house. Its last week in October how
much longer will they live
Ask the Exterminator
10 Nov 2008, 15:40
10 Nov 2008, 15:40
Please read the article on this page. Use dust, not sprays. The yellow
jackets should be dead in the next couple of weeks. You still need to
locate and remove the nest once they are dead.