I'm very allergic to yellow jackets. Got stung by 1 yellow jacket on my ankle back when I was younger. I had a severe allergic reaction to the sting. My throat started swelling shut and I had hives break out all over me. I was miserable for about 3 weeks. Went to the ER but I survived. So when I'm mowing I'm always on the lookout.
I think as long as it is cooler, morning or night, you can get rid of them. I just keep cans of cheap Raid in my truck to spray when I spot one. Usually it on the pass back through is when you get them. Got to watch for them light clouds around after you’ve mowed an area. That’s them usually waiting on you!😂
Funny you should mention 1977, the same year I had my first introduction to them. I needed to fix an exhaust leak on my car so I put my ramps down in the shade (we didn't have a paved driveway to do work on yet), and pulled my car up there so I could get underneath to see what was going on. I got underneath, was looking at the muffler and sizing up the repair and, WHAM, WHAM, WHAM, I was under full attack and had no idea from what. I came out from under that car so fast that I hurt myself on everything I could get caught on. I got away by running around the house. I went back a little while later and they were still flying around so I at least knew what it was then. I had parked the car over a nest and had been laying right next to the entrance hole. I guess they gave me a few minutes in order to get all their buddies together and ready to really light me up. I ran and got into the car as quick as I could, got it off the ramps and around the house. then went and got the gas can and doused them right then and there and lit it on fire and let it burn (I don't know if that made a difference or not, but it made me feel better). I've had to deal more with the red wasps where I live now. I've done the wasp sprays, and they seem to work alright. Last summer, though, I found a nest starting up about the size of a softball, and didn't have any wasp spray. I DID happen to have a can of RAID ant and roach killer (Nerve Gas for Bugs) on the kitchen counter. That stuff killed every one of those wasps in about 3 seconds. Well, maybe not killed them but every single one of them (there must have been between 30 to 40 or more on the nest) dropped from the nest to the ground instantaneously. Not a single one of them took to flight. They jiggled, wiggled, jerked and squirmed for about a minute and that was it. A few that came in returning to the nest and landing on it dropped to the ground shortly after they walked on it for a few seconds. Then there are the Fire Ants . . . . A couple of hundred of them can sneak up and crawl all over you while you are working under car without being noticed. Then, once the leader sees that all of his buddies are in place, will holler out, "NOOOOWWWWW", and every durn one of them bites at the same exact time and each one holds on until you can smack them off. oooohhh,, I hate those things. They can bite right through your blue jeans, too. I've killed them all sorts of ways but haven't had a whole lot of success in actually getting rid of them. Thanks for the Brake Klean and the Gasoline tips. I don't really worry about folks talking about being gasoline an environmental hazard by pouring it in the ground. I've told a few that "It was a whole heck of a lot dirtier when they first pulled that stuff out of the ground and cleaned it up good enough to put it in your cars. When the car gets done with it, then it's an environmental hazard." Take care and catch you later.
Wow that under the car story made my skin crawl! I need to do a vid on Fireants since they are everywhere around here and boy will they tear you up in a heartbeat! Hopefully, we won't get any more stings this season. Stay safe!
I always wait till dark my self. I use gasoline myself, pour down the hole and then I plug the hole with a stick and forget about it. Next day or 2 I'll remove the stick and the yellow jackets are no more.
I have yellow jackets in the ground in coming and going from a small hole they have between the end of the concrete for the garage and the beginning of the driveway. Not sure how the hole got there. Tried boiling water but realize after listening to you that I don’t use enough or dawn. Do you think it’s ok to use gas here and if so will 2 cups still be ok no matter how big the nest is?
I'm very allergic to yellow jackets. Got stung by 1 yellow jacket on my ankle back when I was younger. I had a severe allergic reaction to the sting. My throat started swelling shut and I had hives break out all over me. I was miserable for about 3 weeks. Went to the ER but I survived. So when I'm mowing I'm always on the lookout.
I think as long as it is cooler, morning or night, you can get rid of them. I just keep cans of cheap Raid in my truck to spray when I spot one. Usually it on the pass back through is when you get them. Got to watch for them light clouds around after you’ve mowed an area. That’s them usually waiting on you!😂
Funny you should mention 1977, the same year I had my first introduction to them.
I needed to fix an exhaust leak on my car so I put my ramps down in the shade (we didn't have a paved driveway to do work on yet), and pulled my car up there so I could get underneath to see what was going on. I got underneath, was looking at the muffler and sizing up the repair and, WHAM, WHAM, WHAM, I was under full attack and had no idea from what. I came out from under that car so fast that I hurt myself on everything I could get caught on. I got away by running around the house.
I went back a little while later and they were still flying around so I at least knew what it was then. I had parked the car over a nest and had been laying right next to the entrance hole. I guess they gave me a few minutes in order to get all their buddies together and ready to really light me up.
I ran and got into the car as quick as I could, got it off the ramps and around the house. then went and got the gas can and doused them right then and there and lit it on fire and let it burn (I don't know if that made a difference or not, but it made me feel better).
I've had to deal more with the red wasps where I live now. I've done the wasp sprays, and they seem to work alright. Last summer, though, I found a nest starting up about the size of a softball, and didn't have any wasp spray. I DID happen to have a can of RAID ant and roach killer (Nerve Gas for Bugs) on the kitchen counter.
That stuff killed every one of those wasps in about 3 seconds. Well, maybe not killed them but every single one of them (there must have been between 30 to 40 or more on the nest) dropped from the nest to the ground instantaneously. Not a single one of them took to flight. They jiggled, wiggled, jerked and squirmed for about a minute and that was it. A few that came in returning to the nest and landing on it dropped to the ground shortly after they walked on it for a few seconds.
Then there are the Fire Ants . . . . A couple of hundred of them can sneak up and crawl all over you while you are working under car without being noticed. Then, once the leader sees that all of his buddies are in place, will holler out, "NOOOOWWWWW", and every durn one of them bites at the same exact time and each one holds on until you can smack them off. oooohhh,, I hate those things. They can bite right through your blue jeans, too. I've killed them all sorts of ways but haven't had a whole lot of success in actually getting rid of them.
Thanks for the Brake Klean and the Gasoline tips. I don't really worry about folks talking about being gasoline an environmental hazard by pouring it in the ground. I've told a few that "It was a whole heck of a lot dirtier when they first pulled that stuff out of the ground and cleaned it up good enough to put it in your cars. When the car gets done with it, then it's an environmental hazard."
Take care and catch you later.
Wow that under the car story made my skin crawl! I need to do a vid on Fireants since they are everywhere around here and boy will they tear you up in a heartbeat! Hopefully, we won't get any more stings this season. Stay safe!
@@GwinnettLawns You, too. Catch you later.
Thanks Russell! I’m in upstate SC, yet to have run into a yellow jacket nest while mowing a customer’s lawn, but if I do, I now have a plan.
Your lucky
I've done it with gas in the morning,but it has to be cooler.Went back the next week and they were gone.
50 degrees in Aug, it's nearly 100 every day
Yes it was super cool this morning as well. Really weird but nice.
I always wait till dark my self. I use gasoline myself, pour down the hole and then I plug the hole with a stick and forget about it. Next day or 2 I'll remove the stick and the yellow jackets are no more.
I have yellow jackets in the ground in coming and going from a small hole they have between the end of the concrete for the garage and the beginning of the driveway. Not sure how the hole got there.
Tried boiling water but realize after listening to you that I don’t use enough or dawn.
Do you think it’s ok to use gas here and if so will 2 cups still be ok no matter how big the nest is?