Comments on: An Effective and Non-Toxic Solution for Getting Rid of Yellow Jackets’ Nests http://www.thegreenspotlight.com/2009/07/non-toxic-yellow-jacket-solution/ snippets on sustainable solutions :::: green living, design, building, and business Wed, 11 Aug 2010 19:33:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: BugBarb http://www.thegreenspotlight.com/2009/07/non-toxic-yellow-jacket-solution/comment-page-1/#comment-1531 BugBarb Wed, 11 Aug 2010 19:33:25 +0000 http://www.thegreenspotlight.com/?p=111#comment-1531 I have a yellow jacket nest 15 feet behind my back door, three feet away from the back walkway, in a retaining wall. The wall is "dog bone" style, long block of cement, with a space of dirt and rocks, another long block of cement...etc. I can't pour anything down the hole as it is in a wall. I put one of those disposable $5 yellowjacket traps and it was working. I think I needed about ten of them. I almost bought the reusable $15 trap. I'm glad I didn't. A bear came and ruined the trap last night. I don't want my husband to use poison, as we live in the national forest and risk killing beneficial species. After reading about how to invert the top of a 2 liter soda bottle and fill it with sugar/soapy water for a trap, I may try that. I think I would take a 1x12 plank and set it in front of the nest with about six traps (or as many as I can make). Every night I will have to take the traps inside the garage to avoid pillage by the bears. We have a second nest in the log type steps leading away from our front yard. I like the idea of pouring non-toxic liquid down the hole. Mint oil was mentioned as being toxic to many insects. I wonder if a combination of eucalyptus oil (have a bit on hand), orange oil (heard of that being used on termites), etc would work....? Next time I'm out shopping, I'll check to see if I can find PURE orange oil. I've been stung once, minding my own business, standing in the parking lot. I've seen one of these critters down a honeybee in flight, cut it in two and fly off with the meaty half. They are mean, nasty and are occurring in numbers too large to be beneficial to the environment. I don't feel bad at all about killing them. I have a yellow jacket nest 15 feet behind my back door, three feet away from the back walkway, in a retaining wall. The wall is “dog bone” style, long block of cement, with a space of dirt and rocks, another long block of cement…etc. I can’t pour anything down the hole as it is in a wall. I put one of those disposable $5 yellowjacket traps and it was working. I think I needed about ten of them. I almost bought the reusable $15 trap. I’m glad I didn’t. A bear came and ruined the trap last night. I don’t want my husband to use poison, as we live in the national forest and risk killing beneficial species. After reading about how to invert the top of a 2 liter soda bottle and fill it with sugar/soapy water for a trap, I may try that. I think I would take a 1×12 plank and set it in front of the nest with about six traps (or as many as I can make). Every night I will have to take the traps inside the garage to avoid pillage by the bears.

We have a second nest in the log type steps leading away from our front yard. I like the idea of pouring non-toxic liquid down the hole. Mint oil was mentioned as being toxic to many insects. I wonder if a combination of eucalyptus oil (have a bit on hand), orange oil (heard of that being used on termites), etc would work….? Next time I’m out shopping, I’ll check to see if I can find PURE orange oil.

I’ve been stung once, minding my own business, standing in the parking lot. I’ve seen one of these critters down a honeybee in flight, cut it in two and fly off with the meaty half. They are mean, nasty and are occurring in numbers too large to be beneficial to the environment. I don’t feel bad at all about killing them.

]]> By: mlandman http://www.thegreenspotlight.com/2009/07/non-toxic-yellow-jacket-solution/comment-page-1/#comment-22 mlandman Tue, 25 Aug 2009 18:32:59 +0000 http://www.thegreenspotlight.com/?p=111#comment-22 I just heard from a friend who successfully killed all the hornets in a huge hornet nest with just hot soapy water (and these hornets had actually developed a resistance to a chemical insecticide spray!). So...it's quite possible that hot/boiling soapy water alone will work on most yellow jackets' nests, too; perhaps the mint oil additive is not necessary. I'd be interested in hearing what's worked for others. I just heard from a friend who successfully killed all the hornets in a huge hornet nest with just hot soapy water (and these hornets had actually developed a resistance to a chemical insecticide spray!). So…it’s quite possible that hot/boiling soapy water alone will work on most yellow jackets’ nests, too; perhaps the mint oil additive is not necessary. I’d be interested in hearing what’s worked for others.

]]> By: mlandman http://www.thegreenspotlight.com/2009/07/non-toxic-yellow-jacket-solution/comment-page-1/#comment-20 mlandman Mon, 03 Aug 2009 21:32:29 +0000 http://www.thegreenspotlight.com/?p=111#comment-20 Hi. When I poured this solution into the nest, the mint oil didn't seem to kill any of the flowers in the area (but boiling water does). I haven't tried spraying the solution over a broader area, so I can't say whether or not that would be OK for the flowers or whether it would scare off the yellow jackets. You might want to give it a try with a more diluted version of the solution. Or try to prune back some of the overgrowth at dusk and see if you can find the nest entry/exit holes. Or put up some of the non-toxic Rescue traps (or use bottles of sugar water as traps -- as suggested on many other sites). I hope one of those things will do the trick! Hi. When I poured this solution into the nest, the mint oil didn’t seem to kill any of the flowers in the area (but boiling water does). I haven’t tried spraying the solution over a broader area, so I can’t say whether or not that would be OK for the flowers or whether it would scare off the yellow jackets. You might want to give it a try with a more diluted version of the solution. Or try to prune back some of the overgrowth at dusk and see if you can find the nest entry/exit holes. Or put up some of the non-toxic Rescue traps (or use bottles of sugar water as traps — as suggested on many other sites). I hope one of those things will do the trick!

]]> By: christina speer http://www.thegreenspotlight.com/2009/07/non-toxic-yellow-jacket-solution/comment-page-1/#comment-19 christina speer Sun, 02 Aug 2009 15:35:01 +0000 http://www.thegreenspotlight.com/?p=111#comment-19 This sounds great, but what if you can't see the nest. Mine is in an overgrown flowerbed. I know that they are in there. Not only can we see them fly out, but we can hear them. Can I use the same solution and spray the heck out of my flowerbed? This sounds great, but what if you can’t see the nest. Mine is in an overgrown flowerbed. I know that they are in there. Not only can we see them fly out, but we can hear them. Can I use the same solution and spray the heck out of my flowerbed?

]]> By: Craig Miller http://www.thegreenspotlight.com/2009/07/non-toxic-yellow-jacket-solution/comment-page-1/#comment-18 Craig Miller Sun, 26 Jul 2009 18:00:59 +0000 http://www.thegreenspotlight.com/?p=111#comment-18 Interesting. One caveat: Yellow jackets like to make nests inside exterior walls, and often the point of entry is up in the eaves, where introducing the soap to the nest might be difficult and more dangerous (but the inside of your walls would be minty fresh). I've had pretty good luck with the Rescue commercial traps, which are non-toxic, reusable and pretty effective if you get them up early in the season. http://www.rescue.com/products/yellowjacket.asp?gclid=CIbhyoD8zZsCFShRagodC2GKKQ I hang one in a tree, near to where I think the nest is. This way there's no direct confrontation with the nest. Of course, they have to find the trap so it does take longer to get the job done. You bait them with a sweet syrup (included) early in the season and can switch to bits of grilled meat (not included) in the fall. Hail Miriam! Protector of the bees! Interesting. One caveat: Yellow jackets like to make nests inside exterior walls, and often the point of entry is up in the eaves, where introducing the soap to the nest might be difficult and more dangerous (but the inside of your walls would be minty fresh). I’ve had pretty good luck with the Rescue commercial traps, which are non-toxic, reusable and pretty effective if you get them up early in the season.
http://www.rescue.com/products/yellowjacket.asp?gclid=CIbhyoD8zZsCFShRagodC2GKKQ
I hang one in a tree, near to where I think the nest is. This way there’s no direct confrontation with the nest. Of course, they have to find the trap so it does take longer to get the job done. You bait them with a sweet syrup (included) early in the season and can switch to bits of grilled meat (not included) in the fall. Hail Miriam! Protector of the bees!

]]>