Do you have a Yellow Jacket problem?

[Norcal707]

Well, I've got your solution!

Summertime has returned and with it comes the scourge of Yellow Jackets. For those of us that live in areas infested with the evil Yellow Scourge, here is a very simple method proven to be effective in wiping out any Colonies/Nests within a 1/4-1/2 mile of your home, campsite, etc.

Supplies/Ingredients needed:

Fipronil 9.8% - This is the active ingredient in common topical Dog Flea/Tick medications like TevraPet FirstAct Plus for 44-88lb Dogs which is 9.8% Fipronil in 0.091 fl oz doses. You can also buy Taurus SC for Ant/Termite control in larger 20oz+ lifetime-supply quantities. The bulk stuff is roughly the same percentage of Fipronil as the 44-88lb Dog medication.

Bait/Attractant - You want to use a Bait that YJ's will smell and be readily attracted to and be able to chew off a chunk and fly back to the Nest with. A 12oz container of Canned Chicken or something like a couple of 5-6oz cans of Friskies Whitefish & Tuna cat food will be enough to split into four bait stations.

Bait Stations - You can use something as simple as the cut-off bottom 2-3 inches of a plastic water or soda bottle and a piece of baling wire to hang them from a tree limb, etc.

Directions - Using only one 0.091 fluid ounce dose of Fipronil, mix it thoroughly into your chosen 12oz or so of bait. When preparing your bait source, don't over-process it. YJ's have jaws for biting/cutting chunks of meat off small enough for them to fly back to the nest with. If you over-process/liquefy the bait, it will make it hard for them to carry it off.

Placing the bait stations out early in the morning or late at night will probably work better to avoid getting stung. Try to place/hang bait stations where Cats/Raccoons/Opossums can't get to/eat bait. Don't be tempted to use more than one dose - if the concentration of Fipronil is too strong, it will kill the forager before it gets back to the nest.

Results - Within 24 to 48 hours, you should see a marked reduction in foraging YJ's. If you are in a area that has a large amount of Colonies/Nests, you may have to bait them again from orbit. Once they get bait back to their Nests though, it should be Hasta la vista for the Yellow Scum for a minimum of two months!

I first tested the stuff out on a 4 day camping trip to our local lake. Woke up the first morning to the sound of the YJ's already out searching for food just as the sky was getting light so knew that they were going to be real bad.

Got up, jumped in my truck to escape the Yellow hordes and got busy whipping up a batch of bait and four bait stations. For the bait, I took a fried Chicken Thigh, chopped it up into pretty small pieces with a knife and mixed in one 2.68ml dose of Fipronil.

Divided the bait between the four containers and hung them in different areas around our camp. Almost got stung a couple of times, the YJ's were so aggressive. All four bait stations were busy all day but by late afternoon/evening we were noticing a definite drop in the number of foragers.

The next morning, as dawn broke and I was laying in my tent, I realized I wasn't hearing hardly any sound of foraging YJ's. I would guess we saw at least a 60% reduction in numbers the first 24 hours and by the time we left to go home, I would say it was more like a 90-95% reduction so yes, the stuff definitely works!

From now on, we will never go on another multi-day camping trip without this stuff!

[Polymath]

Thanks, I'm going to try that. I don't like to kill everything, as they do go after aphids and other bugs.
It looks like it's going to be a bad year for them up here too. Starting to see MANY Yellow jackets and Black and White hornets very early in the season.

[Tatume]

In northern Japan where the Japanese beetle is native, they have a number of natural enemies that keep the populations in check. When the beetles were first detected in the United States they had no natural enemies and were able to grow unchecked. One such enemy, the Japanese yellow jacket paper wasp, was deliberately introduced in the U.S. in an effort to control the damage caused by Japanese beetles. At this they are fairly effective. I prefer the wasp to the beetle, and leave them alone.

[jeepyj]

Marked as a referance. Thank you for posting

[MaryB]

I just have paper wasps... they are more annoying than anything. Have to be careful with open cans of pop or beer because they will crawl in and then you get stung as you drink. They do pollinate some, I see them on the clover and in the garden.

[Tatume]

I just have paper wasps... they are more annoying than anything. Have to be careful with open cans of pop or beer because they will crawl in and then you get stung as you drink. They do pollinate some, I see them on the clover and in the garden.

Like the Virginian said when asked why he has a 458 Win Mag rifle: it works, we have no elephants here.

[farmerjim]

One of the LSU entomology professors told me to do a similar thing. He said to use a can of dog food and Sevin. Essentially the same procedure. Food with a slow poison.

[dagger dog]

I've been stung so many times while mowing, running a trimmer that i'm highly allergic to yellow jacket and paper wasp stings, the yellow jackets let off a pheromone that leads others to the threat and they swarm, paper wasps are downright mean and will sting multiple times.

Probably have to get a epi-pen prescription from my doctor, benadryl helps for the pain but does nothing for my shortness of breath.

Will try the poison food this summer for around the house and lawn.

[WheelgunConvert]

If you know where the hole in the ground nest is, a couple tablespoons of orthene dust sprinkled in and around the entrance will knock out the colony in a few hours. I tape a cup to a pole to keep my distance and it has worked every time. Technically you are treating for the cohabitation ants as off label use is frowned upon.

[Adam20]

Fipronil works great for ants also, i use taurse SC to spray around house. I try not to use alot of it kills honey bees

[badguybuster]

Thats not as much fun as pouring a gallon of gasoline down the hole and lighting it

[Norcal707]

Thats not as much fun as pouring a gallon of gasoline down the hole and lighting it

Ditto - As a kid in the 60's/70's, I lived on a small 12-acre Ranch here in Northern California. We would regularly run across large in-ground colonies when cutting firewood/clearing land. My Dad would mark the location with a piece of bright colored rag then would come back well after dark with a quart of gasoline, pour it in, wait five minutes and light them suckers up. Was fun watching the occasional few that made it out fly a couple of feet and go down in flames like a Vietnamese MIG Fighter. He'd pump 25 gallons or so of water from our tractor's sprayer tank into the hole afterwards to make sure a smoldering root didn't spark a wildfire.

Miss you, Dad...

[NyFirefighter357]

Sounds interesting!

[Three44s]

A good jag of diesel works and don’t have to light it.

I have been told that canned cat food, stinky fish flavored is best and a relatively small dose of Sevin blended in is great. If you get carried away with the poison, the “jackets” will shy away because they can smell it.

Sevin is a low odor product contrary to the likes of Diazion or Malathion which are more foul but even the low odor insecticides can be detected and therefore repel your target species if you over load the bait with them.

The tool I like around home and farm buildings is the Yellow Jacket trap that uses their fight pheromone for bait. I use it when the YJ’s get obnoxious as their food supply (other insects) get thinned out. We need to remember that YJ’s that are behaving themselves are doing good work. When their food supply gets thinned out is the best time to lower their numbers.

The trap gets the overall numbers in check without losing the queens for next year if used late season. If you need to whack some queens the trap can do this in the spring.

I qualify my above comments to not apply if you have special issues with YJ’s such as health concerns and understand the need to beat them back more under those circumstances.


Three44s

[PNW_Steve]

I have been stung by YJ's while I was sleeping! Definitely a rude awakening.

I believe that they are the spawn of Satan........

Thank you for the tip. I will be putting out bait stations this weekend.

[dverna]

I do the same with a product called Onslaught. It seems to work reasonably well. It was recommended by someone on the tractor forum I am a member of. The product can also be mixed with water and sprayed on the porch, deck and furniture and is pet/kid safe once it dries.

https://www.domyown.com/onslaught-in...tent=Onslaught

[bakerjw]

I could post my favorite yellow jacket meme but would get a warning.

There are several videos on youtube of people that kill and collect yellow jacket nests. I am keen on keeping their numbers down as well as bald faced hornets as they will mess with honey bees.

[badguybuster]

Carburator cleaner (spray can) kills bees on contact. As soon as the mist hits them, they drop dead

[namsag]

This looks like a great solution, does it affect honeybees? ETA: I know the fipronil will kill them, but are they drawn to the bait? Or do they stick to flowers? Just wondering about collateral damage.

[Norcal707]

This looks like a great solution, does it affect honeybees? ETA: I know the fipronil will kill them, but are they drawn to the bait? Or do they stick to flowers? Just wondering about collateral damage.

Never heard of honeybees eating meat so highly doubt they'd be attracted. A unattended open can of sweet soda, yes.