F-ing Yellow Jackets

[storm6490 2,768]

i put cheap borax on top of wasp and ant holes in the ground. works good.

 

raid non foaming spray for paper nests on the house. one small squirt kills all. you can dissolve the nestwith a full can. shoots like a luger at 20 feet and kills the pheremone scent thingy. no rebuild.

[mancat 2,368]

I've had bad luck with yellowjackets/wasps. They seem to always get me on my feet.

 

Couple years back, I stepped on an underground nest at my father in law's house. They swarmed one foot, and by the next day I couldn't fit a shoe onto it any longer and was downing Benadryl like it was going out of style.

 

Last year, we rented out my grandma's old house to save some money before buying our own.. Nobody had been living there for a while, so I went over to mow the lawn. I was mowing under an apple tree and noticed something moving out of the edge of my vision. About five seconds later my foot lit up like it was on fire. I had pissed off an entire nest of bald-faced wasps, and they went right down to my pant leg and found the patch of exposed skin where they could all sting and bite me at once.. Again I was not able to wear a shoe on that foot by the next day.

 

I should probably carry an epi-pen.

 

A friend's mom stepped in and collapsed an underground wasp nest when she was young and was stung so many times that she suffered a heart attack and nearly died.

[YOT 3,743]

I hate those little white-assed hornets that live in the ground. Seems like I always pick up the bail of hay that's sitting on their hole. It REALLY pisses them off that they can't get out. Extreeeeeemely aggressive little fuckers when they're upset.

[mancat 2,368]

Yeah.. We're probably talking about the same little fucker: the bald-faced hornet/wasp.

 

They are known as the most aggressive wasp in North America

 

 

I forgot one my dad's stories about wasps. He bought his first house on a lake and had a problem with wasps/hornets. He had a huge one that he found out on his wood shed, and decided to light it on fire with a torch. Knowing my dad at that time, he had probably had a couple beers or smoked a bowl, so I guess that seemed like a great idea. Burned down his entire wood shed.. The fire truck could not get to his house so he had to stand out there with a hose and keep it from jumping across the lawn to his house, but the hose wasn't strong enough to stop the fire, so he had to just stand there and watch it burn. Take that wasps?

Edited July 30, 2013 by mancat

[Ronin38 2,117]

A friend of mine used to be a medic with a fire dept. They found a big wasp nest up in the eaves of the station house once. The younger guys wanted to hit it with a hose, but one of the old-timers stopped them. He got a ladder and a CO2 extinguisher, and laid in to the nest with it.

 

The wasps falling out of the nest SHATTERED when they hit the concrete floor!

[jwulf 179]

We have a burrowing one that is bigger than my whole thumb... Scary looking huge thing. I googled it and it turns out that it is a cicada killer. Solitary typically and is generally not aggressive towards people. Supposed to be very beneficial. I won't be testing that theory.

[Shotgun12 205]

Went to get my truck inspected today and the lady doing the inspection told me she opened a person's fuel tank door earlier and a whole swarm came buzzing out. She got stung a few times and she showed me a pile of dead yellow jackets on the ground.

[YOT 3,743]

We have a burrowing one that is bigger than my whole thumb... Scary looking huge thing. I googled it and it turns out that it is a cicada killer. Solitary typically and is generally not aggressive towards people. Supposed to be very beneficial. I won't be testing that theory.

 

They were buzzing around the softball fields all last summer. HUGE, but very docile.

[mancat 2,368]

We have something similar to the cicada killer here. In late summer they're all over the yard, hunting spiders and cranefly nymphs. They look mean as hell, like a red wasp, but they fly away when you come near them instead of buzzing you like asshole wasps..

[breid1970 327]

Only thing I hate more then wasps, are Fire Ants. Those, are some mean mother fuckers.

[{ROS}_me 32]

Got attacked by some "wood bees" about 15 or 20 yards from the crawl space door ,

Hit every other floor joist on the way out with my head .....helper bailed , wasn't a happy camper

Give me snakes,spiders, dead cats , anything but bees .

[Sim_Player 1,939]

Was painting a house and found a huge nest inside the ridge vent. I hooked up a small shop vac to a 10' tube and taped it in place at the entrance. Every one that came out got sucked in. Vac was full in half an hour.

Edited July 31, 2013 by Sim_Player

[mancat 2,368]

you should come up to my place with that sort of rig, jeez. I suspect I may have some in mine but I haven't gone up into the attic to check it because it's a bitch to walk around the skylight framing.

Edited July 31, 2013 by mancat

[JESS1344 508]

GUYS,
MANY YEARS AGO, WHILE STATIONED AT QUANTICO WITH THE PISTOL TEAM, ONE OF THE GUYS DISCOVERED A FOOTBALL SIZED HORNETS NEST UP UNDER THE EAVE, ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE PISTOL RANGE TARGET SHED.

WELL, NEEDLESS TO SAY, YOUNG MARINES BEING WHO THEY ARE, IT WAS AGREED IN THIS SMALL GROUP THAT WERE AWARE OF ITS EXISTENCE, THAT THIS "ENEMY" HAD TO BE EXTERMINATED.

VARIOUS METHODS OF ATTACK WERE DISCUSSED, WITH SOMEONE FINALLY COMING UP WITH FIRE.

SOMEONE ELSE ALLOWED AS HOW THEY HAD AN UNUSED LARGE CAN OF STARTING ETHER IN HIS VEHICLE.

THE ONLY THING LEFT TO DECIDE, AT THAT POINT, WAS WHO WAS TO BE THE 'TRIGGER MAN".

EVERYBODY KINDA LOOKED AT EACH OTHER FOR A FEW MOMENTS, EACH SILENTLY WEIGHING-OUT THE POSSIBILITY OF MUFFING THE JOB AND GETTING STUNG, ACCIDENTLY BURNING DOWN THE TARGET SHED, AND THE RESULTING OFFICE HOURS, ETC.

FINALLY, ONE OF MY "BUDDIES' POINTED TO ME, AND DECLARED "HEY, YOU'RE A '51, WHY DON'T YOU DO IT" (FOR THE UNINITIATED, MOS 0351, "ANTI-TANK ASSAULTMAN" SPECIALIZED IN VARIOUS ROCKETS, MISSILES, AND IN THE OLD DAYS THE 3.5" BAZOOKA, THE 106mm RECOILESS RIFLE, AND...............THE FLAMETHROWER).

SILENTLY VOWING TO RETURN THE FAVOR SOMEDAY, I SAID "SURE, I'LL DO IT".

IT WAS AGREED THAT OUR LITTLE GROUP OF BUG ASSASSINS WOULD MEET BACK AT THE TARGET SHED, AFTER WE'D SECURED FOR THE DAY, AND EVERYONE ELSE HAD CLEARED THE PISTOL RANGE FOR THE DAY.

I DIRECTED ONE OF THE OTHER GUYS TO CUMSHAW A 5LB CO2 FIRE EXTINGUISHER FROM THE RTE SHOP, AS BACKUP, IN CASE THE PLAN WENT AWRY, AND THE TARGET SHED ITSELF CAUGHT SOME COLLATERAL DAMAGE.

HE WAS ALSO TO ACT AS ANTI-AIRCRAFT ARTILLERY, IN THE EVENT ANY LATECOMERS ARRIVED TO THE NEST TO FIND THEIR "HOUSE" AFLAME, OR ANY GOT OUT PAST THE FLAMES.

SO, AFTER "TEST FIRING" THIS THING, USING MY LIT ZIPPO AS AN IGNITION SOURCE, TO DETERMINE THE LENGTH AND WIDTH OF THE FLAME, WE PROCEEDED TO THE LINE OF DEPARTURE.

I EASED UP TO ABOUT 4 FEET FROM THE NEST, FIGURING A BIT OF OVERKILL NEVER HURTS (OUR SIDE ANYWAY) AND NOTED THAT THERE WERE 3 OR 4 RESIDENTS, EITHER ON OR FLYING IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE ENTRANCE.

I FIGURED THAT WITH THE FEROCITY OF THE FLAME, AT THAT RANGE, THEY WOULD BE IMMEDIATE TOAST, SO NO PROBLEM THERE.

I FIRED A QUICK BLAST, TOASTING THOSE GUYS, THEN PUT ABOUT A 1 SECOND BLAST OF PURE ETHER IN THE ENTRANCE HOLE, TO INSURE INSTANT FLAME PROPAGATION UP INSIDE THE NEST, WHEN I HIT THE ZIPPO.

ONCE I WENT TO FULL FLAME-ON, THERE WAS THE MOST ALMIGHTY BUZZING AND HUMMING YOU EVER HEARD, COMING FROM INSIDE THE NEST, AND THE NEST ACTUALLY SEEMED TO JIGGLE AND JUMP AROUND ON ITS STALK, AS IF THE RESIDENTS INSIDE WERE BANGING AGAINST THE WALLS TRYING TO BUST OUT.

AFTER ABOUT 15-20 SECONDS OF THIS, THE DEAD BURNT BODIES OF THE RESIDENTS BEGAN TUMBLING OUT OF THE ENTRANCE HOLE, ENDING UP AS AN OVERFLOWING DOUBLE HANDFUL, ON THE DECK BENEATH.

WHEN I WAS DOWN TO ABOUT 1/4 CAN OF ETHER, I BACKED OFF THE BUTTON, SO AS TO ADMIRE MY HANDIWORK, AND SEE IF ANY SURVIVORS WERE FOOLHARDY ENOUGH TO STICK THEIR HEADS OUT FOR A LOOK-SEE; NONE DID.

NOT WANTING TO LEAVE THIS JUST TOASTED HORNETS NEST ATTACHED TO THE EAVE OF THE WOODEN TARGET SHED, JUST IN CASE IT SHOULD FLAME-UP AFTER WE LEFT, I HAD ONE OF THE GUYS LOOK IN THE TARGET SHED TO FIND SOMETHING TO KNOCK THE NEST OFF THE EAVE WITH.

HE RETURNED WITH A SECTION OF 1"X2" TARGET FRAME/STAND THAT AN ERRANT .45 BULLET HAD CLIPPED.

I TOLD HIM TO CAREFULLY BUMP THE NEST LOOSE, SO THAT IT WOULD BASICALLY FALL STRAIGHT DOWN, AND THEN I WOULD STEP IN READY TO FLAME-UP ANY SURVIVORS THAT GOT KNOCKED LOOSE.

 

HE DID, AND I STEPPED IN AT THE READY, BUT NOTHING WAS MOVING.

 

I THEN TOOK THE 1"X2", AND WITH THE BUTT-END OF IT, POUNDED THE NEST FLATTER'N A FLITTER.

 

ONCE SATISFIED THAT THERE WERE NO SURVIVORS, NOR ANY SPARKS TO SET THE GRASS AFIRE, THE NOW SOOTY END OF THE 1"X2" WAS WIPED OFF ON THE GRASS, AS BEST AS POSSIBLE, WE SURVEYED THE AREA ONE LAST TIME, AND REPAIRED TO THE CHOW HALL, TO FILL OUR EMPTY MARINE TUMMIES, AND DISCUSS THE POSSIBILITIES OF A LITTLE LATER, EASING UP I-95 NORTH TO CAESARS STEAK HOUSE (AND TITTIE-BAR).

 

THE NEXT DAY, AT THE END OF SHOOTING, AND AS WE WERE SECURING OUR PISTOL BOXES FOR TURN-IN TO THE ARMORY, THE PISTOL TEAM NCOIC, TOP ROBBINS, WALKED UP TO ME, ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FIRING LINE, AND SAID 'HEY, BEFORE YOU TAKE OFF, COME WITH ME, I WANNA SHOW YOU SOMETHING.

 

I SAID, IN MY BEST "NOT GUILTY" VOICE "YES SIR", AS HE TURNED AND PROCEEDED IN THE DIRECTION OF THE AFOREMENTIONED TARGET SHED.

 

AN ICY FURBALL BEGAN TO FORM, ABOUT HALF-WAY BETWEEN MY BELLYBUTTON AND SOLAR PLEXUS, AS I FOLLOWED HIM.

 

WE WALKED AROUND THE BACK OF THE TARGET SHED, AND TOP ROBBINS POINTED TO THE STILL FLATTENED HORNETS NEST AND THE PILE OF DECEASED HORNETS.

 

"KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THAT"?, HE SAID.

 

ASSUMING WHAT I HOPED WAS MY BEST LOOK OF INCREDULITY, WITH JAW DROPPED AND EYES BUGGED-OUT, I STAMMERED "W-WH-WHAT'S THAT"?

 

TOP ALLOWED AS HOW IT WAS THE REMAINS OF A HORNETS NEST AND ITS FORMER RESIDENTS THAT SOMEONE HAD "TORCHED-OFF".

 

I PROFESSED TO HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE THAT THERE WAS EVEN A HORNETS NEST BACK THERE.

 

TOP GAVE ME A SQUINTY-EYED GLANCE, MADE A NOISE THAT SOUNDED LIKE "HRMPHF", AND SAID 'SEE YOU IN THE MORNING", TURNED AND STEPPED OFF.

 

I SWEAR HE WAS SNICKERING AS HE TURNED, POSSIBLY REMEMBERING HIS DAYS AS A CORPORAL..............

 

JESS1344

[Capt Nemo 882]

For ground nests, 5 lb block of dry ice and a tarp. LN2 works good too!

 

Anywhere else, Gumout Carb & Choke Cleaner. Drops them mid air instantly.

[Shotgun12 205]

There are always more entertaining solutions.

 

[breid1970 327]

GUYS,

MANY YEARS AGO, WHILE STATIONED AT QUANTICO WITH THE PISTOL TEAM, ONE OF THE GUYS DISCOVERED A FOOTBALL SIZED HORNETS NEST UP UNDER THE EAVE, ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE PISTOL RANGE TARGET SHED.

 

WELL, NEEDLESS TO SAY, YOUNG MARINES BEING WHO THEY ARE, IT WAS AGREED IN THIS SMALL GROUP THAT WERE AWARE OF ITS EXISTENCE, THAT THIS "ENEMY" HAD TO BE EXTERMINATED.

 

VARIOUS METHODS OF ATTACK WERE DISCUSSED, WITH SOMEONE FINALLY COMING UP WITH FIRE.

 

SOMEONE ELSE ALLOWED AS HOW THEY HAD AN UNUSED LARGE CAN OF STARTING ETHER IN HIS VEHICLE.

 

THE ONLY THING LEFT TO DECIDE, AT THAT POINT, WAS WHO WAS TO BE THE 'TRIGGER MAN".

 

EVERYBODY KINDA LOOKED AT EACH OTHER FOR A FEW MOMENTS, EACH SILENTLY WEIGHING-OUT THE POSSIBILITY OF MUFFING THE JOB AND GETTING STUNG, ACCIDENTLY BURNING DOWN THE TARGET SHED, AND THE RESULTING OFFICE HOURS, ETC.

 

FINALLY, ONE OF MY "BUDDIES' POINTED TO ME, AND DECLARED "HEY, YOU'RE A '51, WHY DON'T YOU DO IT" (FOR THE UNINITIATED, MOS 0351, "ANTI-TANK ASSAULTMAN" SPECIALIZED IN VARIOUS ROCKETS, MISSILES, AND IN THE OLD DAYS THE 3.5" BAZOOKA, THE 106mm RECOILESS RIFLE, AND...............THE FLAMETHROWER).

 

SILENTLY VOWING TO RETURN THE FAVOR SOMEDAY, I SAID "SURE, I'LL DO IT".

 

IT WAS AGREED THAT OUR LITTLE GROUP OF BUG ASSASSINS WOULD MEET BACK AT THE TARGET SHED, AFTER WE'D SECURED FOR THE DAY, AND EVERYONE ELSE HAD CLEARED THE PISTOL RANGE FOR THE DAY.

 

I DIRECTED ONE OF THE OTHER GUYS TO CUMSHAW A 5LB CO2 FIRE EXTINGUISHER FROM THE RTE SHOP, AS BACKUP, IN CASE THE PLAN WENT AWRY, AND THE TARGET SHED ITSELF CAUGHT SOME COLLATERAL DAMAGE.

 

HE WAS ALSO TO ACT AS ANTI-AIRCRAFT ARTILLERY, IN THE EVENT ANY LATECOMERS ARRIVED TO THE NEST TO FIND THEIR "HOUSE" AFLAME, OR ANY GOT OUT PAST THE FLAMES.

 

SO, AFTER "TEST FIRING" THIS THING, USING MY LIT ZIPPO AS AN IGNITION SOURCE, TO DETERMINE THE LENGTH AND WIDTH OF THE FLAME, WE PROCEEDED TO THE LINE OF DEPARTURE.

 

I EASED UP TO ABOUT 4 FEET FROM THE NEST, FIGURING A BIT OF OVERKILL NEVER HURTS (OUR SIDE ANYWAY) AND NOTED THAT THERE WERE 3 OR 4 RESIDENTS, EITHER ON OR FLYING IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE ENTRANCE.

 

I FIGURED THAT WITH THE FEROCITY OF THE FLAME, AT THAT RANGE, THEY WOULD BE IMMEDIATE TOAST, SO NO PROBLEM THERE.

 

I FIRED A QUICK BLAST, TOASTING THOSE GUYS, THEN PUT ABOUT A 1 SECOND BLAST OF PURE ETHER IN THE ENTRANCE HOLE, TO INSURE INSTANT FLAME PROPAGATION UP INSIDE THE NEST, WHEN I HIT THE ZIPPO.

 

ONCE I WENT TO FULL FLAME-ON, THERE WAS THE MOST ALMIGHTY BUZZING AND HUMMING YOU EVER HEARD, COMING FROM INSIDE THE NEST, AND THE NEST ACTUALLY SEEMED TO JIGGLE AND JUMP AROUND ON ITS STALK, AS IF THE RESIDENTS INSIDE WERE BANGING AGAINST THE WALLS TRYING TO BUST OUT.

 

AFTER ABOUT 15-20 SECONDS OF THIS, THE DEAD BURNT BODIES OF THE RESIDENTS BEGAN TUMBLING OUT OF THE ENTRANCE HOLE, ENDING UP AS AN OVERFLOWING DOUBLE HANDFUL, ON THE DECK BENEATH.

 

WHEN I WAS DOWN TO ABOUT 1/4 CAN OF ETHER, I BACKED OFF THE BUTTON, SO AS TO ADMIRE MY HANDIWORK, AND SEE IF ANY SURVIVORS WERE FOOLHARDY ENOUGH TO STICK THEIR HEADS OUT FOR A LOOK-SEE; NONE DID.

 

NOT WANTING TO LEAVE THIS JUST TOASTED HORNETS NEST ATTACHED TO THE EAVE OF THE WOODEN TARGET SHED, JUST IN CASE IT SHOULD FLAME-UP AFTER WE LEFT, I HAD ONE OF THE GUYS LOOK IN THE TARGET SHED TO FIND SOMETHING TO KNOCK THE NEST OFF THE EAVE WITH.

 

HE RETURNED WITH A SECTION OF 1"X2" TARGET FRAME/STAND THAT AN ERRANT .45 BULLET HAD CLIPPED.

 

I TOLD HIM TO CAREFULLY BUMP THE NEST LOOSE, SO THAT IT WOULD BASICALLY FALL STRAIGHT DOWN, AND THEN I WOULD STEP IN READY TO FLAME-UP ANY SURVIVORS THAT GOT KNOCKED LOOSE.

 

HE DID, AND I STEPPED IN AT THE READY, BUT NOTHING WAS MOVING.

 

I THEN TOOK THE 1"X2", AND WITH THE BUTT-END OF IT, POUNDED THE NEST FLATTER'N A FLITTER.

 

ONCE SATISFIED THAT THERE WERE NO SURVIVORS, NOR ANY SPARKS TO SET THE GRASS AFIRE, THE NOW SOOTY END OF THE 1"X2" WAS WIPED OFF ON THE GRASS, AS BEST AS POSSIBLE, WE SURVEYED THE AREA ONE LAST TIME, AND REPAIRED TO THE CHOW HALL, TO FILL OUR EMPTY MARINE TUMMIES, AND DISCUSS THE POSSIBILITIES OF A LITTLE LATER, EASING UP I-95 NORTH TO CAESARS STEAK HOUSE (AND TITTIE-BAR).

 

THE NEXT DAY, AT THE END OF SHOOTING, AND AS WE WERE SECURING OUR PISTOL BOXES FOR TURN-IN TO THE ARMORY, THE PISTOL TEAM NCOIC, TOP ROBBINS, WALKED UP TO ME, ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FIRING LINE, AND SAID 'HEY, BEFORE YOU TAKE OFF, COME WITH ME, I WANNA SHOW YOU SOMETHING.

 

I SAID, IN MY BEST "NOT GUILTY" VOICE "YES SIR", AS HE TURNED AND PROCEEDED IN THE DIRECTION OF THE AFOREMENTIONED TARGET SHED.

 

AN ICY FURBALL BEGAN TO FORM, ABOUT HALF-WAY BETWEEN MY BELLYBUTTON AND SOLAR PLEXUS, AS I FOLLOWED HIM.

 

WE WALKED AROUND THE BACK OF THE TARGET SHED, AND TOP ROBBINS POINTED TO THE STILL FLATTENED HORNETS NEST AND THE PILE OF DECEASED HORNETS.

 

"KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THAT"?, HE SAID.

 

ASSUMING WHAT I HOPED WAS MY BEST LOOK OF INCREDULITY, WITH JAW DROPPED AND EYES BUGGED-OUT, I STAMMERED "W-WH-WHAT'S THAT"?

 

TOP ALLOWED AS HOW IT WAS THE REMAINS OF A HORNETS NEST AND ITS FORMER RESIDENTS THAT SOMEONE HAD "TORCHED-OFF".

 

I PROFESSED TO HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE THAT THERE WAS EVEN A HORNETS NEST BACK THERE.

 

TOP GAVE ME A SQUINTY-EYED GLANCE, MADE A NOISE THAT SOUNDED LIKE "HRMPHF", AND SAID 'SEE YOU IN THE MORNING", TURNED AND STEPPED OFF.

 

I SWEAR HE WAS SNICKERING AS HE TURNED, POSSIBLY REMEMBERING HIS DAYS AS A CORPORAL..............

 

JESS1344

You were a 0351? Damn me too. Do you remember the big range fire out in Camp Pendleton in 89? I hate to say it but my unit......well. LOL. I remember when we were going through how to rig C-4 daisy chains. After we blew a few trees they had us all line of for "explosive" amnesty. We had been using C4, Det cord, and m700 wire. Needless to say quite the small pile was left on the ground at the amnesty check point. It was pretty funny as we walked away Top was heard mumbling. "No wonder the explosions seemed smaller than usual."

Which weapon did you prefer, the SMAW or the Dragon? Im a smaw man myself. I liked to knock really loud on reinforced doors.

[patriot 7,197]

For fire ants, a bottle of Tannerite is great revenge by DESTROYING the mound, but they rebuild it by the next morning. Industrious little fuckers.

 

Oh...VERY important: Make SURE the wind is NOT blowing TOWARDS you when you blast the nest. The cloud of fire ants and dirt blown up in the air is a truly awe-inspiring sight.

 

A more permanent fix involves a length of pipe, a funnel, a can of kerosene, a 5 minute wait, and a road flare.

[Maxwelhse 1,285]

Not as glorious or fun as fire and chemicals but a county ag extension agent shared an excellent remedy with me for big underground nests of any kind. Wait til after dark when most of em are back inside and throw a cup of sevin dust over, around, & down in the hole. They get the fine powder all in their hairy bodies and carry it deep inside the nest, killing the queen and everybody. Doesn't take long in dry weather.

 

Delta Dust does a bang up job as well, with the exact same application technique and principals at play.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Delta-Dust-Multi-Control-Insecticide/dp/B002Y6B4A8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375318985&sr=8-1&keywords=delta+dust

 

I couldn't find the hole(s) so I just canvased a 4'x4' area with about 1/2 the bottle... With in 2 days there were no more bees... That was last summer, still no bees in that area.

 

Prior to that I sprayed about 4 cans of Raid Wasp spray over that area with 0 effect...

 

..,Delta Dust, or similar, for the win!

[Deadeye 325]

Last week while hanging a new rope in a tree for the kids swimming hole. half way up in a knot hole was a yellow jacket nest. one got me in the arm befor I could get back down. The sting got all nasty and infected from that dirty little bastard. It is still healing up. They eat dead shit all the time. I hate bees!!