I've found that getting traps out EARLY in the spring helps a lot. If you
can get the queens you'll have a lot fewer hives around later in the year.
I hate yellow jackets. Any bug that goes actively on the attack needs to be
wiped out. Funny, I don't remember so many being around when I was a kid.
Must have been the DDT that took care of them back then :-).
As for what spray to use, I really like the foaming spray. That does a real
number on 'em and tends to keep them cooped up nicely.
In a pinch, brake clean works well too. Just don't let it get on anything
plastic as it'll often melt it.
laters,
marlon
----- Original Message -----
From: "chas" <chasm@texas.net>
To: "Roger (K8RI)" <K8RI-on-TowerTalk@tm.net>; "towertalk"
<towertalk@contesting.com>
Sent: Saturday, August 21, 2010 9:34 PM
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Yellow Jackets
Roger (K8RI) wrote:
> A day or so ago I responded in a private e-mail about having the bees
> and Yellow Jackets related to the "Adolph's" and "flying critters
> thread(s)
>
> I thought this part might be pertinent along with some caveats I didn't
> put in the other reply.
>
>
> Last fall, (DO NOT DO THIS IN WARM WEATHER WHEN THEY ARE ACTIVE! )
>
> THE REASON for not doing this in warm weather when they are active is
> thus:
> BTW when shooting bees with that "bee killer" ALWAYS have a way out if
> you miss some. A second can for backup can sometimes be handy too. I
> 73
> Roger (K8RI)
Here in Houston (where summer lasts from Mar thru Dec) wasps are always
active. I am not about to let them have 10 months of reprieve. Anyway, the
only bugs I go after are those which act like africanized bees... that means
yellowjackets... or paper wasps as we tend to call them down here in
Southernized Texas... anyway, I had three nests with about 2 doz wasps
which
speaks towards my diligent efforts for the last 20 yrs. To fight them, I
have two cans of spray in each hand, the left hand (weak hand) is a can of
Flying Insect killer and my strong side is a can of 20' stream or "wasp
killer". I ease in and gas them from about 3 feet away with my left hand
then quickly step back. Last time I had one land on my eyebrow and walk down
over my eye until I could gently remove my eyeglasses. next time, wear
goggles.
The distance is important. if you spray from too close, they feel the cold
jet from the can and they leave Dodge like the proverbial cloud in the
Cartoons. What you want to do is to get the left hand spray into the target
without getting them up. three feet is about right but if it is breezy, you
may have to get closer and shoot downstream. THEN you soak the paper nests
with the 20' stream and wait a couple of hours and a few will come back,
they
get my left hand again. THEN you knock the nests down into a fire ant mound
and feed/poison that hazard.
Other wasps will leave you alone if you do the same. I am speaking of the
large RED wasps and some Black wasps. Another one that I will treat like a
yellowjacket is the metallic blue/black mud dobber. Those will chase you.
But the Red and the large black are mostly interested in eating lawn
parasites like aphids, mealy bugs, etc and so on. They are beneficial and
will even get out of your way while mowing. And then there are the
BUMBLEBEES, both the all black and the strain with a yellow band across the
thorax. Those generally nest in the ground. if you find one of those, get
your dedicated to the purpose cannister vacuum cleaner and turn it on with
the hose right on top of the hole. you will not pull a vacuum because there
is another hole not too far away. then you seal up your hose to keep the
bees in the can and set it out in the 110* sun and let it bake for a week.
Empty the bag and load another, shake out the hose and secure the can-vac
for
the next excursion or whenever you need to vacuum your car out.
This should work well for your towers, etc where the nasties are nesting in
pipes, etc. TIP - keep your duct tape handy to seal off the hose end.
good luck and happy hunting.
chas k5dam
Hou߆on, TX
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