Yellow Jackets

[HomesteaderWife]

So lately we have had a HORRIBLE problem with yellow-jackets around our house. I've been popped on the leg and arm in the past week with irritating results (mild allergy I believe- alot of throbbing pain/numbness in the area for the first few hours then itchiness/heat/swelling a few days after even with cold packs and Benadryl. If ANYONE has a natural remedy for the stings other than immediately applying tobacco to the spot please let me know) and now my mother-in-law just got stung. The dog has been harassed as well.

Any advice on a product/trap to use for them? Unfortunately, I cannot find their nest after intense searching. It's been frustrating, and the only thing I notice is their immediate swarm to the water when we water plants/change livestock water outside. However, they're starting to get inside too now! Thanks for any tips.

 

[so lucky]

There are instructions on the net for yellow jacket traps. Basically you bait them to crawl into a container they can't find their way out of. I hope you figure something out. Those things pack a real wallop.

 

[seedcorn]

Poison them. Or put up with stings...

 

[aftermidnight]

I found this deterrent works,

Make out of a stuffed t-shirt bag and painted grey I have one of these hung in my lath house where we like to sit. Yellow jackets seem to stay clear or you can spend the bucks and buy one but they don't seem to stand up to rain.
Annette

 

[flowerbug]

So lately we have had a HORRIBLE problem with yellow-jackets around our house. I've been popped on the leg and arm in the past week with irritating results (mild allergy I believe- alot of throbbing pain/numbness in the area for the first few hours then itchiness/heat/swelling a few days after even with cold packs and Benadryl. If ANYONE has a natural remedy for the stings other than immediately applying tobacco to the spot please let me know) and now my mother-in-law just got stung. The dog has been harassed as well.

Any advice on a product/trap to use for them? Unfortunately, I cannot find their nest after intense searching. It's been frustrating, and the only thing I notice is their immediate swarm to the water when we water plants/change livestock water outside. However, they're starting to get inside too now! Thanks for any tips.

i'm sorry you can't find the nest. around here they seem to like the eves of the house and in certain cracks. when i find something on the house they get into i caulk it to remove their access. we have many fewer getting inside now.

once i know where a nest is at i can usually knock it down in the morning when things are cool and the bugs are less active. then i step on the nest (with shoes on ) and squish them. no poison needed. that next night the raccoons will come around and eat it.

usually people get stung by disturbing their nest so observing where people are getting stung and looking all over is about the only way to find some of them. under the porch, on the undersides of rocks, under steps and railings, and if it is near the house making sure all the siding and any gaprs are sealed properly.

good luck and i hope no more stings will find you.

 

[digitS']

Annette (@aftermidnight ), what is in the bag?

We used to put a small piece of meat on a nail. Then, remove the top of a soup can with the opener. At the very top, drive the nail thru the metal from the inside, and into a post, tree, whatever. The can hangs or, at least, cannot be turned over.

Fill the can with soapy water. The wasps land on the meat, feed, and then fall into the water.

That's the theory but I noticed that about half of the yellow jackets do not fall into the water. What does that mean? Are they losing one out of 2 adults and the other brings home good food for the nest of babies?

There are different degrees of allergy. Be careful! DW was recently stung, twice on the back. I sprayed the sites with sunburn spray and, a few hours later rubbed in an antihistamine cream. All swelling and discomfort was gone the next morning.

DD is the same way. Me? DW once said that if I'm stung by 2 bees at the same time, I would die. Proved her wrong a couple of years ago.

Same treatment for me but I also took an antihistamine pill.

Steve

 

[aftermidnight]

Annette (@aftermidnight ), what is in the bag?
Steve

More t-shirt bags .

Annette

 

[majorcatfish]

since you can not find the nest would recommend putting up several bait stations on the property, you need to allow the jackets to take the bait back to the nest ,so when feeding the queen/young they die as well.

in a month or so the queen will start laying eggs that will become the next seasons queens instead of drones...would google baits for jackets

wish you the best on killing them..

 

[thistlebloom]

Sorry about the infestation HomesteadWife. Getting stung multiple times can be dangerous, I hope you find a good solution soon.

This year we have more bald faced hornets than paper wasps, don't know if that's related. I leave the hornets nests alone because they are great for hunting flies. The paper wasps that nest under the eaves are fair game and I will kill them because they're so aggressive.

 

[Collector]

We have tons of yellow jackets as well this year. I have been using these type traps

We don’t use any of the attractants sold at stores, just a piece of lunch meat and you have to empty twice a day. The homemade one I used a smart water bottle to make it works good, not as good as the yellow jacket traps though. These type do not catch honey bees or mason bees, not even wasps or hornets. To empty I just put in outside freezer for 20/30 minutes dump spray with bee killer and bury.