Yellow Jackets

**richhitch** · 08-21-2009, 09:12 PM

I have yellow jackets trying to get into my hives. We allways have problems with them from Aug--oct's first good frost. Is there anything that I can do to help my bee's?

**Klaus** · 08-21-2009, 09:29 PM

The first thing to do is reduce the entrance to the hive so as to make it easier for the bees to defend themselves.
Then the next thing to do is built traps by cutting the neck off a 2 liter plastic soda bottle , invert the top of the soda bottle into the body of the bottle and bait it with a little bit of raw hamburger. Mount this trap near the hives. You will be surprised at the number of yellow beasties you will catch.
This year has been especially bad on the Olympic Peninsula.
The third thing to do is try to locate the yellowjacket's nest, look for small
1/2 inch sized holes in the ground and seal up the entrance. Some people will even put a few drops of gasoline down the hole.

Good luck.

**RayMarler** · 08-21-2009, 09:36 PM

Hi Rich,
Try reading this thread...
http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php?topic=23633.0

I found this reply by GWalker314 to be quite interesting, I want to try it here but have not made it to the store yet to get the materials.

Before I became a Beekeeper this year I waged all out war on Yellow Jackets. I had several underground nests in my yard. I read a researcher in CA found that Frontline dog & cat flea killer (1-2 drops to a can of cat food or tuna) will kill the nest by the foragers taking baited meat back to the nest where they feed the brood. I tried the method a year & half ago and I have not had a yellow Jacket problem since. I would only do this towards the middle or end of summer because thats when the YJ's are searching for meat more than sweets. To keep local pets and critters from getting the baited meat I placed the can in a birdgage to allow the YJ's in and out.
I tried the store bought traps and they captured a lot of yellows jackets but just like honeybees the YJ's kept putting out new foragers. Hope it helps

GW

**Hambone** · 08-21-2009, 09:47 PM

in that thread. Ray said:

The last nest I found got a can of hairspray flame thrower treatment!

That is the fun way.

**sjbees** · 08-21-2009, 10:06 PM

Google 'robber screen' and build one for each hive.

Drives the YJs batty, and doesn't bother the bees.

**thelorax** · 09-14-2009, 01:33 PM

Originally Posted by Klaus

cut the neck off a 2 liter plastic soda bottle , invert the top of the soda bottle into the body of the bottle and bait it with a little bit of raw hamburger.

Hi, do you have a picture of this you can post? Assuming the hamburger is at the bottom?

Thanks

**Terry Small, Jr** · 09-14-2009, 06:03 PM

If I could have a superpower, it would be to have every yellow jacket & ant within 20 feet of me die, now.

We have about a half dozen YJ traps from Home Despot around the honey house. They make a HUGE difference. Eating lunch outside is not an option without them.

If I'm lucky enough to find a YJ nest, it receives a gift of about a half-pint of gasoline & is promptly covered up.

**justin** · 09-14-2009, 10:36 PM

it seems to be the year for those things.i was away from my yard for a week right around the time they must have had a brood boom.i made 30 traps, spent 4 days with the shopvac, and still lost 11 hives. anything that wasn't a huge hive ( this years splits) got completely killed and mostly robbed out.we usually have a frost by now and i am definatly wishing it would.

**Jer733** · 09-15-2009, 01:44 PM

I took some tuna in the bottom of a water bottle and sprinkled Sevin dust on it.

Foragers toook home and no more YJ's.

Do not use any sweet baits as the bees will come too.

Traps in the spring may net the queens that both forage and lay in the spring. Get her and no nest to worry about.

J

**treeoflife** · 09-15-2009, 05:24 PM

I would imagine that a few drops Sevin liquid would work as well?

**mobees** · 09-15-2009, 08:20 PM

Its funny i came upon this thread today. I stepped on a YJ nest underneath a pallet
today and had a couple of dozen crawling up my pant leg all the way to my crotch.
They stung me all the way up as I was slapping my legs. 1 more inch and I was gunna be in allot of trouble.

**thelorax** · 09-16-2009, 11:41 AM

I went to the pet supply and got a couple cans of cat food. Okay no problem $1.50 for that. Then they said Frontline drops are at the front....hmmmm. Well they wanted $39 for them, not an affordable solution for me. I guess I'll look for Sevin.