Yellow Jackets

Joy seems to be a popular brand for killing ants, too, but I think most any detergent would work. The detergent is a surfactant that breaks the surface tension of the water and effectively cuts off the ability of the insect to breathe. That does them in pretty quickly.

There were some ole' boys that went fishing on the river around sunset. They ran right up on some nasty yellow jackets. The stinging was so intense that the party of fisherman jumped into the river, still being stung even as they reached the other shore.

The ole' boys ran over a ditch bank in the woods and the yellow jackets seemed to have finally left them. Night was falling. The head of the party said, "Junior, go out on the bank and see if you see them dang yellow jackets still out there."

Junior returned after scouting and exclaimed, "Hell, I ain't never seen nothn' like it!!! Now they're carry'n lanterns look fir us!!!!"

Jim Frame, post: 438407, member: 10 wrote: Joy seems to be a popular brand for killing ants, too, but I think most any detergent would work. The detergent is a surfactant that breaks the surface tension of the water and effectively cuts off the ability of the insect to breathe. That does them in pretty quickly.

I have used hot soapy water in a spray bottle to kill ants/earwigs/spiders many times. What astounded me was how fast these yellow jackets fell to the ground. Most of the time when you use the wasp killer, you spray, then run. Some say it is because the
"good stuff" has been outlawed. I say soapy water is more effective and better for the environment.

Ether seems to be about the fastest remedy. We used to have to get rid of the wasp nests in the top of the tobacco barn before we started hanging tobacco up under the roof. A splash of gasoiine from a soup can was the usual method. Had to make sure you weren't standing directly under it tho.

I was cutting some willow bushes with a chain saw on a pond bank the other day so they wouldn't interfere with one of my irrigation pivots. Got them all down, but there was a small sycamore on the other side I figured I might as well cut while I was there. Just as I got it cut I felt what I thought was a briar on the calf of my leg (only had on shorts and tennis shoes, was about 110 in the shade). Then there was another stick, then it started on the other leg. Instant fire. Was standing in some knee high grass, and starting looking for a snake, but never saw anything. I assume it was wasps or yellow jackets, they got me several times but I never saw whatever it was.

imaudigger, post: 438406, member: 7286 wrote: Not referring to those nasty buggers that live in the ground under tripods, but the ones that build nests under the eves of buildings.

The most common accepted method to get rid of them is to run into the garage and grab a can of your favorite wasp and bee killer.

This weekend I noticed a bunch of nests in the eves of my garage. I didn't have any spray, so I improvised.

I took a 32 ounce cup and dribbled some dish soap into it and filled it to the brim with water, stirred it up. Tossed the whole thing onto a nest and the yellow jackets instantly dropped to the ground unable to fly. Any that didn't receive a full shot of soapy water, proceeded to climb all over the nest and fell to the ground within 10 seconds. It killed them much faster than any spray I have ever tried.

I used Joy Ultra Dish Soap - Lemon scented.
Anybody want to check their eves and give it a try with some other brand dish soap? I already killed all the ones around my house.

My younger son, who was just "initiated" (by getting into a nest of the ground variety yellow devils) and is now officially a crew member, wants a solution to the "issue" ASAP. He says they ALL must die. They got him 13 times and he didn't want to get back in the brush. He climbed back up on the horse though....

Stacy Carroll, post: 438434, member: 150 wrote: My younger son, who was just "initiated" (by getting into a nest of the ground variety yellow devils) and is now officially a crew member, wants a solution to the "issue" ASAP. He says they ALL must die. They got him 13 times and he didn't want to get back in the brush. He climbed back up on the horse though....

Must be flat ground...around here you run downhill as fast as you can yelling - bees!!!
The bees don't seem to want to follow you down the hill. 13 times! That is quite a few stings.

I found when being stung if you throw your hat, they will chase it. Then run the opposite direction.

I always carry some stuff called After Bite Stick, basically fairly strong ammonia, works pretty good at reducing the sting. I had on guy that I worked with that if he got stung, we better head to the hospital. We tried the After Bite Stick on him and did not have to go to the hospital. Hornets are sneaky little buggers that do not deserve to breath air in my opinion. I have been stung way too many times over the years.

Many years ago we were cutting brush in the hills near Greeneville Tennessee, north of the Smoky Mountains. The new guy started rolling down a hill that was about a 30 degree slope with a machete in hand. I wasn't about to stop him with the machete slapping the ground every turn. As he got just past me, he landed on his feet and kept running. Thats when I figured out he was being chased by a bunch of hornets. I took off perpendicular to the line being cut and never got stung.

James

I've run into just as many nest as most of you - but I have never been stung. I have some kind of flight reaction that starts me running before I even know why. By the time I realize what's happening I have dropped everything (except the gun!) and am down the road. I have no idea what it is, but I don't think a face to face meeting with a bear would motivate me more quickly. Come to think of it, I've had a few of those and I am curious enough to look at the bears - but not those damn wasps!

Jim in AZ, post: 438459, member: 249 wrote: but I have never been stung.

I don't think Wendell allows the telling of that size of lie. And, if it's not a lie, then, I am sure it is breaking SOME rule to post stuff like that.... 🙂

A long time ago, maybe late 80's, me and a mate went to a Paul McCartney concert at Western Springs stadium, Auckland NZ. Being social lepers we naturally relegated ourselves to the far side of the grass embankment and sat down to wait for the show. It was still daylight, being summertime and surprisingly a few minutes later a group of girls sat near us. Didn't last long - a guy in another group nearby said to them "don't pull that paper cup out of that hole" . Naturally, one of the girls immediately did just that and released a swarm of 50 or so of the angriest wasps that ever lived. Naturally they ignored the girls and attacked me and my mate. I took about five hits on the head and arms and they hurt like hell but my mate copped a lot more and a few got inside his shirt and he bolted downhill for open space, arms and legs and everything else flailing like a crashing helicopter. He didn't go unnoticed and the crowd in our area surged to their feet and cheered, which got the attention of half the rest of the crowd, maybe 10 thousand people cheering and jeering at this madman on the run. He made it into a clear area on the grass track and spontaneously spun to face the crowd and with an almighty roar ripped off his shirt to release those demons but at the same time reveal his crop of black chest hair so thick that it could only be described as a pelt and the crowd fist pumped the air and roared back. Cured my pain.

Jim in AZ, post: 438459, member: 249 wrote: By the time I realize what's happening I have dropped everything (except the gun!) and am down the road.

Yep, I've had to retrieve many an item dropped by my I-man / Rodman at the nest once they took off running. 1st Rule of BEES don't drop your axe. 2nd rule don't run back down the cut line. 3rd rule if I'm running something is chasing me!!!!

Nate The Surveyor, post: 438460, member: 291 wrote: I don't think Wendell allows the telling of that size of lie. And, if it's not a lie, then, I am sure it is breaking SOME rule to post stuff like that.... 🙂

I promise you, it is not a lie. I did feel a very, very sharp pain at the back of my armpit once, but I attributed it to an ant, as I never saw or hears a bee/wasp that entire day.

Dead center in the middle of the back when I leaned back against the back cushion on the driver's seat of the 1951 B John Deere tractor I was driving on a hot summer day in 1987. Never saw that rascal either, but I have no doubt it was some brand of wasp. That don't crush quite as easily as one might think.

I always make sure I run right toward anybody else with me. I figure I can loose at least a few of those nasty things if I get close to someone else.
I don't have to outrun the bear I just have to outrun you and a swift kick to the side of your knee will assure that I'm faster than you.

I was riding my motorcycle once and had one hit me in the neck and fall down the front of my shirt. I'm sure I was quite a sight for passing motorists as I ripped off my shirt while dancing around slapping myself silly.

On the way to the office one evening with the vent windows turned out to give us as much air as possible with the bench seat full with me and the two crew members when something came in and hit the back window.
We all looked at each other and gave a WTF was that and nobody knew nuffin'.
About 10mins later the largest bumble bee any of us ever saw came buzzzzin out from under the seat, bounced off the windshield and all of us went to swatting with our caps aiming it out the window.
Was a flurry of commotion for what seemed like minutes and was actually maybe 5 seconds and it was a good thing we had plenty of road and no traffic cause we crossed some lanes.
Nobody got stung and bumble bee was smashed everywhere............

Q:What's the last thing that goes through a bee's mind when it hits the windscreen of a car?

A: Its arse