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Does smoking calm Yellowjackets?

22K views 26 replies 25 participants last post by  charliez 
#1 ·
I need to puff some powdered Sevin in hole in my friends house to get rid of a huge Yellowjacket nest. I know it would be better at night, but this won't be an option. After I suit up will smoking the hole calm them like it does honey bees?
 
#4 ·
I have just dumped the sevin into the entrance opening, some gets spilled around the entrance but it works--am estimating about half a cup or so of sevin dust.
When no yellow jackets are coming or going in a few days seal the entrance or dig the nest up-whichever suits. There will be capped brood inside the nest hatching so be careful.
 
#5 ·
The problem is I need to use a turkey baster and puff the sevin in a hole
that goes straight up. I have dumped it over a hole in the ground many times, and I know that it works, but since I will be puffing several basters full of powder, I need a way to calm them in the process. I know all the ways to kill them, all I want to know is if smoke calms them like a honeybee?
 
#7 ·
I tried smoking yellowjackets last year. I don't think it worked at all. Trouble is, I was smoking at an entrance that went into the basement area and wall cavity. Even if smoke was effective, I don't know how far it traveled and how many yellow jackets may have been exposed to it. I gave up.
 
#13 ·
The only smoke a yellow jacket respects is after a 1/4 cup of gas and a match.

I've found smoke doesn't work with yellow jackets.

I've also found that some gas without the match works just as well.

This year I tried placing a white plastic bucket over the hole for a few days. I watched as the yellow jackets bounced around inside, then I needed the bucket and removed it. Oddly, today I noticed no activity in the nest.
 
#11 ·
You have to remember that smoke really doesn't calm honey bees it makes them go down into the comb and ingest honey inorder to prepare to flee from the fire that they think is coming except for brood yellow jackets have nothing to protect but themselves so they will go into self defense mode and trust me they can defend themselves well.
 
#12 ·
Turkey baster.

You might consider using a 1/2" piece of plastic pipe with an "L" on the delivery end, charge the end, and blow it into the area.
I have used green Light Horticultural oil and it works too.
I have used a smoker in the past and it does not seem to make any influence on their behavior.
I do use WD-40 and apply it directly to them and it will knock them out of the air. Do not inhale the fumes!
Ernie
 
#17 ·
I have removed several yellow jacket colonies out of structures. Smoke does not do much and they can sting through the bee suit. I used a mixture of 1 cup 190pf vodka, 2 tablespoons of liquid dish soap and a quart of water in a pump sprayer. Calmed them right down......permanently.
 
#19 ·
Blowtorch worked REAL well, Toasted everybody that was home in seconds :eek: ( got them at night ) And it works real well in hard to reach places or as is usually found when the hive hole is at the bottom. Cant really use sprays or lawnmowers on those. LOL. Do bee aware that they WILL come tumbling out but fortunately without wings so you shouldn't have any attack issues but it is a surprise to have two dozen yellow jackets raining down on you. Just don't burn your house down! :no:
 
#20 ·
claytr, I know you know this, but be very careful about using smoke, fire, gas or anything like that in your friends house --- especially in the walls/attic. Smoke doesn't work on yjs anyway. On a big yj nest I have used a shop vac with the intake positioned to catch every yj as it exits/enters the hole --- soon there are very few yjs left looking for a fight! You may need to let it run for an hour or two. Then use the baster or a long tube to dust the nest area with sevin and seal the hole.
 
#23 ·
Smoking Yellow Jackets just stirs them up.

Can you attach a hose to the end of a funnel, charge the funnel and hose with Seven, seal around the hole and tube/hose, and blow the Seven into the wall with the blower side of a shop vacuum? That way you could get it further up into the wall; maybe.
 
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