# ground hornets



## boatnut (Nov 22, 2006)

phew, what a morning. Son was helping me clean gutters with big extension ladder. In process of moving from one spot to another, he yells out he's been stung by something. I'm holding the ladder looking around then I get bit twice on my ankle. Drop the ladder, he runs into house thru garage, I run in the back way. Turns out he's still got several on his clothing. he get's stung several more times before I can dispatch them with a broom.
I go out on screen porch and sit down with laptop when i feel a sharp pain on my hip. I had one in my shorts! I jump up, threw my back out in the process, LOL.

Any ideas on how to get rid of them? this method sounds a little dangerous, but maybe i could substitute diesel fuel? http://www.ehow.com/how_4451236_get-rid-ground-hornets.html


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## Snakecharmer (Apr 9, 2008)

To bad you're not in Geauga County. There is a guy who collects them for medical purposes and will remove them for free. If they're in the ground, wait until dark and drop a bunch of Sevin down the hole. Or you can you the "wasp not" spray or charcoal lighter with a match....I've done all of the above at various times...

Gas is a bad idea...Way too volatile/ flashback problem...Could torch your house / melt your siding which way be ok if you're behind on payments.


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## hodslinger (Mar 19, 2008)

when i had a house in a 10 acre woods we would get them 2 3 times a year from in the yard to cracks in the sildeing so you can light the house on fire.what i would do is go out to the hole and put a shop vac at the hole and let it run all day it would suck them up as they fly in and out of the hole. shut off the vac and pour them on the ground and step on them some times burn them every now and a then there wood be enough to fill a 5 gal bucket 
its safe and fun to do


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## jeffmo (Apr 7, 2004)

last week while mowing i stirred up a nest of them by our planter at the end of our driveway.the neighbors must have thought i was a posessed person with tourrettes syndrome! a string of cuss words,1 less shirt,7 stings and a 250 yard dash later,i finally got away from them.the bad part was getting off of the mower and setting the brake without breaking my leg while getting stung.
i took great joy in emptying 2 cans of bee spray on them that evening!!


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## ironman172 (Apr 12, 2009)

I just got rid of a nest in a chunk of wood I would split other wood on....I was having some gutter down spout work to the street done and one of the workers bumped into the can ontop and that set them off....he got stung a bunch and started to swell....and left....that was my goal over the weekend to get rid of that wood....6 cans of hornet and wasp spray later....that night I went out and put a big trash bag over the wood and rolled it over to get it in the bag all the way....what a pile of hornets left on the ground that I sprayed some more..... as some were still moving....I'm glad they only had 1 way in that wood. took it to a local constrution sit dumpster....and for the next 2 days sprayed the ones that were out working and not in the nest...
That monday they finished the drain pipe to the street and the guy that got stung was ok...
My dog at our cabin down south came running once with them on his back stinging him... in a place he always goes to do his buisness, and never had problems in that area since...I think he just found some looking for a new area but didn't stay....I HATE HORNETS,WASPS, AND ANY OTHER THINGS THAT STING!!!!!


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## wader (Dec 9, 2004)

Sevin dust is the most effective, and benign method of getting rid of ground bees. If you have access to something that will spray the dust even better. As stated earlier do it on a cool night, they won't be as active, and get the sevin down into the hole. In a day or two they will all be dead.


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## wannabe (Dec 24, 2007)

substitute mixed gas it works the best just did it last night and all the bees are gone


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## Ducky (Feb 1, 2009)

Use the brake cleaner from NAPA, they will be dead in seconds


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## Marshall (Apr 11, 2004)

I had some a few years ago. I boiled a large pot of water and poured it into a 5 gallon bucket and went out at night and poured on the hole. Not one came out and cooked them all. The next day i took a look and nothing was going in or out so i dug it up and it was just underground a few inches and the size of a football they were all dead. Worked like a charm.


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## Nikster (Mar 14, 2007)

It's a cheap fix.

Go get yourself some Wasp (foam) spray, the stuff that shoots 20' feet.

Wait till night time & start shooting the *Yellow Jackets *at the opening of the crack. It will foam up to a point that will keep'em trapped in the crack. The foam will expand & its like expanding foam that on buys for a home. EMPTY the can over a period of 10 minutes or so. Don't be cheap buy 2 cans & keep filling that crack as the foam disapates.

Of course you'll have a 2 1/2 gallon of water & black dirt ready 0r 5gal., mixed up with water to a pancake type slop that you pour into the crack & fill it up. Keep filling it as the water dry's up till its solid dirt.

That foam (Wasp Killer) will fill the crack & keep them contained, so don't let up. Keep the foam IN THE CRACK.

Good Luck,

Nik

SORRY FELLOWS.
Bee's DO NOT NEST IN THE GROUND. Yellow Jackets do. Many mistake them as Bee's cause they are Black with Yellow marking & they are

*YELLOW JACKETS*/ Hornet Family


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## cheezemm2 (Apr 7, 2004)

They have foamer cans like stated above. Don't be stingy (also stated above) If it says to empty the whole can, do so. It'll seem like overkill, but you have to get that stuff all the way into the nest. I also like the idea of boiling water. I had to spray a nest 3 times before it was completely dead. The cans are $2-$4 so it's not a huge expense. Spray at sunrise or dusk, wear multiple long sleeve clothes/pants/high socks and a hoody. Yes, I got some strange looks going outside like that 2 weeks ago in 80 degree weather, but if the nest's sentry sees you or they have multiple openings to access you'll be glad that you were prepared. I've been swarmed by them while mushroom hunting and it's not pleasant

Putting chemicals (diesel/oil etc.) into the ground in a well water environment is a bad idea...I was even hesistant to use the can of spray.

Good luck, let us know how it turns out!!!


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## Troy Dave (Jan 26, 2007)

I have used sevin dust, hot water or ammonia at various times. they all work. Just wait until dark to do the job.


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## wannabe (Dec 24, 2007)

Nikster said:


> It's a cheap fix.
> 
> Go get yourself some Wasp (foam) spray, the stuff that shoots 20' feet.
> 
> ...


how about bumbell bees


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## iwdavefish (Apr 30, 2004)

You can wait until night and dump the gas down the hole and just leave it without lighting it. The gas does the job. No fire necessary. This will leave a small dead spot in the lawn but at least you will not burn the house down.


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## Nikster (Mar 14, 2007)

wannabe said:


> how about bumbell bees


Bumblebee's do, but they are the most PASSIVE flying critters out there. Their colonies are so small & pose NO THREAT.

Honey Bee's don't want anything to do with people, all they want to do is gather pollen, nectar, to sustain their hive. Screw around the hive & they can & will getya. They only sting once & die.

Hornets on the other hand are REAL DANGEROUS PESTS. A Yellow Jacket can sting numerous times. Now with Fall coming around the corner & your eating outside they are the ones buzzing around your food. Flying into soda, beer cans & are MISTAKEN for Bee's ALL THE TIME. 

So as a whole it's NOT Bee's flying around that give them a BAD name it's those pesky Yellow Jackets-Hornets.

Nik


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## BlueMax (Dec 3, 2006)

What species would bee the ones that start coming around now and love to gather and watch me clean fish?? They seem to like the flesh of the fish.


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## olwhitee (Apr 10, 2004)

Malathion is an excellent insecticide for killing a nest of hornets. Pick up a bottle at TSC or your local farmer co op, mix it as directed in a pump sprayer, give em a good dose.

Malathion will not hurt your house or plants, and unless you spray it in your eyes or drink it is not toxic to humans.


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## Nikster (Mar 14, 2007)

BlueMax said:


> What species would bee the ones that start coming around now and love to gather and watch me clean fish?? They seem to like the flesh of the fish.



Those are Yellow Jackets (Hornets) In the latter part of August with Summer coming to a end & into the Fall, They are fending fo themselves & gorging protein.


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## foundationfisher (May 12, 2008)

Nikster said:


> Those are Yellow Jackets (Hornets) In the latter part of August with Summer coming to a end & into the Fall, They are fending fo themselves & gorging protein.


later in the fall when the apples and pears start to rot, they get drunk on the fermented fruit and can get very beligerent.


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## misfit (Apr 5, 2004)

> they get drunk on the fermented fruit and can get very beligerent.


you just described my second wife


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## BigChumBucket (Apr 19, 2009)

Shovels and a flamethrower


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## duckman (Sep 18, 2004)

They left out the rake and the oil...

Jeffmo will love this ...lol

We used to take ziploc and fill it with gas put it in a second ziplock with a rag soaked in gas tied them both to a rake... lit them and lowered it into the hole... the rag burned first like a wick then set the gas on fire

very safe .... *NOT!!!!!!!!!* but it did work 

BTW it was trooper Jim's son and I that did that... how we survived our childhood I do not know



boatnut said:


> Any ideas on how to get rid of them? this method sounds a little dangerous, but maybe i could substitute diesel fuel? http://www.ehow.com/how_4451236_get-rid-ground-hornets.html


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## norseangler (Jan 8, 2009)

Just be careful. Most of us just find bee/wasp stings to be a momentary pain, but a couple weeks ago a guy I knew got stung and went into shock. He had to be revived on the way to the hospital and died three days later. He reportedly had been stung before and had no reaction.


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## PapawSmith (Feb 13, 2007)

norseangler said:


> Just be careful. Most of us just find bee/wasp stings to be a momentary pain, but a couple weeks ago a guy I knew got stung and went into shock. He had to be revived on the way to the hospital and died three days later. He reportedly had been stung before and had no reaction.


I second the caution warning. A friend of mine, just last week, was helping a friend of his on something outdoors when they upset a yellow jacket nest. His friend was stung only seven times and went into shock. I heard today that he has been in a coma since with little hope for recovery.
I have been stung several times and had no problems but will be more cautious going forward understanding that reactions can occur at any time. Like others have said, I would only treat them at night when they are somewhat dormant. There are supposed to be some very cool nights this week that would be perfect. I have personally had little luck with Seven dust on them they just seem too tough for that. I have had very good luck with much more stupid methods involving diesel fuel that I won't recommend.


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## jcustunner24 (Aug 20, 2007)

As the previous two posts stated, be VERY careful, and if you feel any ill-effects, be safe rather than sorry. My mother was stung five years ago and went into the early stages of anaphylactic shock. She never was allergic in the previous 50+ years of her life, but the paramedic told her that bees/wasps/hornets were constantly changing, and as a result something she was previously impervious to could pose a serious health threat. 

Ever since my mom's incident I've been extremely cautious in the presence of stinging insects.


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## BlueMax (Dec 3, 2006)

Nikster said:


> Those are Yellow Jackets (Hornets) In the latter part of August with Summer coming to a end & into the Fall, They are fending fo themselves & gorging protein.


Well then I suppose they could sting me but for over 30 years I have had them all around me, land on my hands, etc while cleaning fish and I have never been stung. Have I just been lucky?


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## boss302 (Jun 24, 2005)

BlueMax said:


> Well then I suppose they could sting me but for over 30 years I have had them all around me, land on my hands, etc while cleaning fish and I have never been stung. Have I just been lucky?


I've noticed that too. They are everywhere come perch time but seem to act more like flys than ornery stinging pests. I wonder if it's becuase they are activly feeding and not gaurding their nest? 

I want to know what it is about the flesh of fish that attracts them.....it seems to work WAY better than the attractant they use in the traps you can buy.


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## kennedy327 (Jul 12, 2006)

I mow lawns for a living and have gotten stung altealst 5 seperate occasions this year. I always hit those nests with my mower and haul ass the the truck and grab a can of spray and douse the hole until the cans empty. Come back the next week and they are gone.


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## Nikster (Mar 14, 2007)

boss302 said:


> I've noticed that too. They are everywhere come perch time but seem to act more like flys than ornery stinging pests. I wonder if it's becuase they are activly feeding and not gaurding their nest?
> 
> I want to know what it is about the flesh of fish that attracts them.....it seems to work WAY better than the attractant they use in the traps you can buy.


It's not only fish but as people try to picnic in the latter part of the Summer & into Fall they (Yellow Jackets) are just buzzing around & landing of the food. They are feeding.

A deterent helps but .....................

Cut up 2/3 cucumbers, slice 'em up & spread it on your table or work area near the grill. Seems to help, they just DON'T like them cukes.

Nik


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## ironman172 (Apr 12, 2009)

we had these at our cabin in Hocking county....was there the week before and no bees....this past weekend had a nest formed in the ground....that night after dark filled the hole with 2 cans of wasp and hornet spray....gave them an instant 3/4in. deep swimming pool of foam killer....nothing came from that hole the next day!!!! except for a couple stragglers that couldn't get back to the nest that night....I'm glad they hadn't created a second entrance or exit yet....It's amazing what they did in 1 week!!!

.


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## Stars-n-Stripers (Nov 15, 2007)

When cleaning fish, I will light a couple of those small bucket citronella candles, helps to keep them away while cleaning.


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## Snakecharmer (Apr 9, 2008)

There is still a couple in Geuaga County that collects them free of charge for medical purposes. Had a nest in the flower bed but a skunk or raccoon dug them out before the yellowjacket people could get them.


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## fishingful (Apr 5, 2004)

I had 2 yellow jacket nest in my yard. Still have one. Poured gas down the hole and then a line about 10 foot out from it and lit them up. got rid of one but the other must have been a big nest because missed the other entrance. different nest got me last year with the mower. not the most environmental way to get them but it works.

Poured a half gallon of gas down the hole. Burns like a torch. Have had bigger nest collapse the ground. Use caution.


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## Lowell H Turner (Feb 22, 2011)

A word of caution about the stings, a wasp or hornet can inflict multiple stings, which is bad, several individuals X 4-8 stings each is the same as being stung by 2 dozen honey bees. And after the 1st sting you are unlikely to feel more stings in the same immediate area. Very few known adult humans have survived more than 75 honey bee stings; getting stung multiple times each by even just a dozen yellow jackets/ wasps can be FATAL. If you are stung multiple times would STRONGLY recommend calling 9-1-1...if the victim is a child or elderly, it IS life threatening...


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## spikeg79 (Jun 11, 2012)

Just to remind some of you that pouring gas, oil etc... into the ground is not a smart thing to do especially if you have well water http://www.fws.gov/salmonofthewest/pdf/OIL_PSTR.pdf, http://www.idph.state.il.us/envhealth/factsheets/gasoline.htm.


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## FOSR (Apr 16, 2008)

Play it safe, fill a torpedo with nitro and lower it down the hole

http://aoghs.org/technology/shooters-well-fracking-history/


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## Ripley (May 10, 2010)

i have found the best way to get rid of them is to go out at night and take a wet dry vac... put the vac hose at the entrance and anchor it there... turn it on and let it run for a day or 2 or until no more activity... every once in awhile shoot a couple of quick squirts in the vacuum hose with some bee wasp killer..

what this does is ... it gets the scouts first... when the scouts don't come back the workers have to come out to look for them... when the workers don't come back the rest of the hive/nest start to come out and when it gets down to just a few the queen and whoever is left try to leave... they get sucked in and then all are gone in the vacuum.... shoot a few quick bursts of bee killer in the hose while the vacuum is running ... wait for a few minutes ... detach the hose from vacuum and a few more quick bursts in the where the hose connects to vacuum... wait a few minutes... lift off top of vacuum... hit it with spray... then dump out far away from house or in trash... no messing around with gas/oil or spray in the ground... no getting stung ... 

i've several nests/hives over the past 17 years or so that i've lived in this house ... the biggest one was in the wall between the aluminum siding and the drywall.... they were getting in between the siding and some were coming into the house through the phone line and fuse panel... i never noticed them until they started coming into the house... by then they had built a pretty big hive...i taped the hose to the opening and a day and half later they were gone... the vacuum was almost full ... i didn't run the vacuum at night ... i just unplugged it and left it all ... then plugged back in the morning...


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## Daveo76 (Apr 14, 2004)

A co worker and I stirred up a nest a few years ago working for the city of Portsmouth weedeating and disturbed a nest early in the morning. He was stung by the hornets 14 times and me 11. They followed us for 3 blocks. They made us go to the hospital for observation in case of Anaphylactic shock. Got the rest of the day off
A few years later, I worked for a recycler buying cans and metal and was dumb enough to have a can of Dr Pepper that I was drinking. 2 Older women came in to sell and I took a swig from that can and a yellowjacket stung me in the lip where I had taken the drink. I know they thought I was crazy but then saw what was happening. Drank from bottles after that.
Hurt like mad for a few hours but actually hurt overall less than any I suffered. Women use it to puff their lips up; it works


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## Snakecharmer (Apr 9, 2008)

Geauga County Only:
Yellow Jackets free removal
Sue Saley 440 897 1880 Call between 8am-7pm


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## FOSR (Apr 16, 2008)

> Bee's DO NOT NEST IN THE GROUND.


I found out that native bees do nest in the ground. But they don't form big colonies, they're more solitary. Honeybees aren't native.

Bee identification guide
https://pollinator.org/PDFs/OhioBeeGuideFINAL.pdf


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

Deal with them every year and get lit up on occasion. Also had a GSD get lit up and had to run into the swarm to get him. They were nailing him from all side. He looked like a snapping alligator.

Living in the middle of the woods does have its quirks.

My solution has already been stated. Watch and see where the hole in the ground in through the day. Right at dark pour about a quart of gas down the hole. No lighting necessary. Too, hornets not only sting but they bite as well. And the bite will usually leave a plug of meat missing and hurts worse then the sting.

One year during a storm had a tree fall of electric lines to power pole in the yard. This broke the power pole but didn't snap it completely off. The pole had a transformer on it that had a huge beach ball size hornets nest on top of it. 
It was about 2am when they came to replace the pole. I met the guys in the drive and told them of the nest. Seems that if a nest is stirred up at night, if light is shined on the nest, the hornets will go straight towards the light. Since most of the guys were wearing bright miners lights on their hardhats, they were very thankful.
Since the driveway was a good distances from the pole, they pulled one of there trucks away from the others and lit the nest up with one of the trucks spot lights. It's was neat to watch the swarming hornets fly in almost a solid line to the light....
... I was one of the brave ones watching from the bedroom window.


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## Intimidator (Nov 25, 2008)

I live out in the Country, the last 3 years have been very painful for me...never had them before, but have had Yellow Jacket swarms hit me all 3 years.
The are hiding invisible in my garden mulch....when I water, they pour out and I have been hit 20-30 times each...2 times I was hit so hard in the hips and legs that my legs went numb and I had to crawl into the garage....then when the feeling came back I grabbed wasp killer spray and stream. It was war until they were all dead. Never had them in the same spot.


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## Dovans (Nov 15, 2011)

fastwater said:


> My solution has already been stated. Watch and see where the hole in the ground in through the day. Right at dark pour about a quart of gas down the hole. No lighting necessary. Too, hornets not only sting but they bite as well. And the bite will usually leave a plug of meat missing and hurts worse then the sting.
> .


BS.... Only reason why I get so excited when I run one (nest)over with the mower. Light my fire baby!! My wife says some funny things unintentionally, one of her funniest to me was "when will the fire go out?" That was few years ago when I found a nest..


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

> Orig. posted by *Intimidator*:
> 
> The are hiding invisible in my garden mulch....when I water, they pour out and I have been hit 20-30 times each..


Most likely they weren't ' hiding' in there but rather had a ground nest in there.



> Orig. posted by *Dovans*:
> 
> BS.... Only reason why I get so excited when I run one (nest)over with the mower. Light my fire baby!! My wife says some funny things unintentionally, one of her funniest to me was "when will the fire go out?" That was few years ago when I found a nest..


Hehehe...I used to do the same thing till I did so many the fun wore off. 

If ya want to watch them try and escape their nest, take a quart glass mason jar at night and go out and set it upside down over the hole in the yard. Press the jar a little into the ground so they can't get under rim.. Go out and watch them try to escape the next day. The jar will fill up with hornets and they will all be dead in a few days.


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## Intimidator (Nov 25, 2008)

fastwater said:


> Most likely they weren't ' hiding' in there but rather had a ground nest in there.
> 
> BIG nests...after killing all of them, I dug one out...pretty impressive!


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

Yes they are impressive. I dug a huge one out at the edge of the woods that was about 2 1/2' long and about a foot wide.


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## missionfishin (Sep 21, 2011)

My grandpa always poured a little motor oil down the hole to gum up their wings in case they had any ideas. Next he would add a little gas and light em up. Looked like a roman candle!

Sent from my SGH-S959G using Ohub Campfire mobile app


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## Intimidator (Nov 25, 2008)

fastwater said:


> Yes they are impressive. I dug a huge one out at the edge of the woods that was about 2 1/2' long and about a foot wide.


The only thing that has ever hit me harder than these yellow jacket hornets are the BIG Green ones....had a huge paper nest in my pine trees and drove the mower within 20 ft....they knocked me off the mower and kept hitting until I was able to run off...got to the garage and passed out from the pain....woke up throbbing and pissed...went after them with stream spray then sprayers...got hit a couple more times...those things could kill kids...took awhile to get over them....used plenty of sting ez, and salve.


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

> Orig. posted by* Intimidator*:
> 
> The only thing that has ever hit me harder than these yellow jacket hornets are the BIG Green ones....


Are you talking about a bald faced hornet?


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## Intimidator (Nov 25, 2008)

fastwater said:


> Are you talking about a bald faced hornet?


Looked them up...yep, that was them!
Dang things hurt me!


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## fishngolf (Jul 18, 2009)

Things are just down right scary.


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

> Orig. posted by Intimidator:
> Looked them up...yep, that was them!
> Dang things hurt me!


You're surely right. I think they're worse than a yellow jacket. Feels like your hit with a ball bat when they get ahold of ya. 
And although they are black in color, they do have a kinda dark green look to em in the sunlight.

I've got two very large bald face hornets nests taken out of some pines that I took down yrs ago. Waited till night, climbed the tree's with trash bags and wrapped the bags around the nest breaking the nest off at the stem.
Left the bags sealed up for a couple days till the buzzing stopped. Amazing how many hornets were in there.



> Orig. posted by *fishngolf:
> 
> Things are just down right scary.
> *


*

They are...I always thought that the white on them should form a 'skull-n-crossbones' shape. hehe*


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## crappiedude (Mar 12, 2006)

Be careful digging them up.
I had a nest of yellow jackets in the front yard right next to the driveway on top of a retaining wall. Everything and everyone went past that nest so I wanted it gone. 
I bought some spray and went to work. I saturated that nest with a can the 1st night but when I came home from work the next day I still noticed some activity. 2nd night another can of spray and the next day I still had some activity but it looked like the entrance had been moved a little. Night #3 I was determined. I had another can and completely saturated the area again. This did it (or so I thought) there was no visible activity the next 2 days. All total, I sprayed almost 3 full cans.
With no activity for a couple of days I was curious as to just how big this nest must have been. So now it's 5 days later and I go out at night to dig it up. I didn't trust it so I took a new can of spray with me and emptied the whole can before I stuck the shovel in. (I guess you guys know where this is going).
Lucky for me the next was only about 35' from my front door and it wasn't locked. When I shoved that shovel in the ground and tilted it back I guess I heard them coming or something cause I took off for the house. It was crazy. Within seconds there were yellow jackets hitting the front door and the window on that side of the house. It was a good thing I emptied that can of spray on the nest because they had to come through that foam. With in a minute or 2 they were all dead. I bet there was a thousand or more dead yellow jackets all over my front porch.
Now I've changed tactics. I wait till dark and then go out in the yard and sprinkle Sevin Dust aroung the entrance. 1 or 2 days later,USUALLY everything is dead. It isn't fool proof and I've had to treat a few nests up to 3 times to get them all but it does work. One other thing is I never dig up the nest.

My new delema is a paper hornets nest near the base of my favorite tree stand along side a bean field. I really want to hunt there but I may just pass until after it freezes. 
I don't know what to do with it. I killed an 11 point out of that stand 2 years ago.


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

*crappiedude*'

On a ground nest, to insure a total kill, the way the nests are built you must always pour something(hot soapy water, gas, K1, diesel) down the nest and flood it. The hole you see in the ground goes down, then up, then down into the main part of the nest. Similar to a sink trap. The hornets build it this way to keep rain from flooding it out. Spraying down into the hole most likely won't kill everything out or as you found out, takes a long time.

On the nest at your deer stand... if you can get to it, you can most likely soak the nest down with hornet spray a couple times before deer season and they will leave. Had to do this by a stand of mine and used my yard/garden sprayer with insecticide in it. The pump up yard sprayer sprayed further then a can. Once the insecticide soaked in the nest the hornets didn't want anything to do with it. Once the queen left, they all left.
Or...you can just leave it alone and let me come up there and kill that 15pointer that's cruising that area. lol

I've presently have another hornets nest in the yard in an old bird feeder that started out inside the feeder. I've watched them over the last couple months completely engulf the bird feeder. You cannot see any of the feeder now. It's amazing how fast they work.


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## Guest (Sep 6, 2014)

Skunks in the neighborhood takes care of them.


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## fishingful (Apr 5, 2004)

crappiedude said:


> Be careful digging them up.
> I had a nest of yellow jackets in the front yard right next to the driveway on top of a retaining wall. Everything and everyone went past that nest so I wanted it gone.
> I bought some spray and went to work. I saturated that nest with a can the 1st night but when I came home from work the next day I still noticed some activity. 2nd night another can of spray and the next day I still had some activity but it looked like the entrance had been moved a little. Night #3 I was determined. I had another can and completely saturated the area again. This did it (or so I thought) there was no visible activity the next 2 days. All total, I sprayed almost 3 full cans.
> With no activity for a couple of days I was curious as to just how big this nest must have been. So now it's 5 days later and I go out at night to dig it up. I didn't trust it so I took a new can of spray with me and emptied the whole can before I stuck the shovel in. (I guess you guys know where this is going).
> ...


Had that problem with a tree stand before. Got within 50 yards with camo on and layed on the ground. Shot that thing 5 times real quick with a semi auto 12 ga and 3.5 in shells and it hit the ground. Man they were pissed but didn't know where it came from. Backed out and next weekend I was good to go. Once its on the ground they abandon it.


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## kritterkare (Jul 30, 2014)

Ok here is your solution, make art out of the buggers! 

It is true the fall they are in your sodas, on the fish you are cleaning and standing on their holes will likely ensure a sting!


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

That's neat *kritterkare*.

Got into some fire ants fishing Lake Kissimmee. Didn't even know they were on me till they lit me up from the knees down.
Hit the water to rinse them off and had to rub many of the more determined ones off my legs.

Saw ant hills down there at different lakes that were several feet high. Especially back in the 'monkey box' at Okeechobee.


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## Shortdrift (Apr 5, 2004)

boatnut said:


> I go out on screen porch and sit down with laptop when i feel a sharp pain on my hip. I had one in my shorts! I jump up, threw my back out in the process, LOL.
> 
> Could have been worse if that bug have move a little lower and more to center.
> 
> I used Raid wasp and hornet killer sprayed down into the nest. Modified the spray using a large diameter dring straw which got the spray deep into the nest. Two cans did the job. Make sure you do it at night, not during the day.


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## sonar (Mar 20, 2005)

When battling "Bald Face''/black&whites,,at night,,be careful!! They post "Sentry's" on the outside of their nests!!  & they WILL defend with all they have!! Kamikaze Style!! FYI.... ----->>>>>sonar<<<<<-----


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

> Orig. posted by *Shortdrift*:
> 
> Could have been worse if that bug have move a little lower and more to center.
> 
> I used Raid wasp and hornet killer sprayed down into the nest. Modified the spray using a large diameter dring straw which got the spray deep into the nest. Two cans did the job. Make sure you do it at night, not during the day.


That's when you know you are going to have a bad day. 

*WARNING*: 

Do not spray Raid Hornet killer down your shorts!!! :Banane45:


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## sonar (Mar 20, 2005)

QuoteWARNING:

Do not spray Raid Hornet killer down your shorts!!! ] LOL!! Good one!!  ----->>>>>sonar<<<<<-----


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## tehsavage (Aug 16, 2013)

gas down the hole is your best bet but please if you do ths use KEROSENE. gasoline will combust way quicker and potentially explode . You don't know how big the chamber is.


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

> Orig. posted by fastwater:
> 
> I've presently have another hornets nest in the yard in an old bird feeder that started out inside the feeder. I've watched them over the last couple months completely engulf the bird feeder. You cannot see any of the feeder now. It's amazing how fast they work.


Not any more. Went out and checked on this hornets nest yesterday. The nest was shredded with pieces laying in the yard. Bird feeder was still in tree. Don't know what destroyed the nest but the feeder wasn't hurt at all. Seems if a **** or skunk got it, the feeder would have been torn up or ripped out of the tree. It's just hanging on a limb by a small wire. 

Possibly a bird or snake?


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## kritterkare (Jul 30, 2014)

Neat, would have been interesting to see what tore it up. We saw a massive nest at huntington beach in cleveland underneath the eave of a tall structure that must have been going for a decade or so.


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

Yea *kritterkare*, would like to know what got into it. Again, this is an old open faced, 3 sided feeder and the nest started inside the feeder but they had totally made the feeder disappear. Just looked like a big hornet nest a little bigger then a basketball.
But would seem that if whatever tore the nest up was big like an opossum,skunk or **** , it would have torn the feeder up as well cause the feeder is old and fairly fragile. The part of the nest on the inside of the feeder was meticulously cleaned out with no damage to the feeder.


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## FOSR (Apr 16, 2008)

fastwater said:


> *WARNING*:
> 
> Do not spray Raid Hornet killer down your shorts!!! :Banane45:


Look at 1:33 and 1:44


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## kritterkare (Jul 30, 2014)

Fastwater yes I have seen tore up nests that I know were from ***** I guess the larvae is the prize, well seems your nest they cheated a bit using an existing 3 sided structure!

FOSR HAHA! perfect video, DDT was still being found in the fatty tissue of carp on the Platte river in Denver so many years after being banned and these people are having it sprayed down their pants and in shirts and all.


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## FOSR (Apr 16, 2008)

Here's another DDT video, some serious clouds blowing into crowds of people like school children at their lunch table:


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

Yep, back in those days DDT was mixed with talc powder and used excessively due to(but not limited to) the massive bed bug problems. Especially in concentration camps, shelters or places that housed many people for whatever reason. They would even sprinkle it in the beds between the sheet and mattress...and we wander why the cancer rate of those that were raised in that era was/is so high! 

Today, knowing the prolonged affect of DDT, don't think I want to spray it down my shorts. I like my 'junk' just as it is thank you.


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## FOSR (Apr 16, 2008)

When I was a kid we had a glass bottle of Ortho DDT in the garage; it was crusty on the outside from having seeped under the cap. I got rid of it in one of the first hazmat-disposal events held around here.


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## kritterkare (Jul 30, 2014)

Got to love those vintage vids, used to browse Internet Archives quite a bit, I bet people years later cringe when they see these vids.

We have a beehive in our yard and cringe myself when the towns mosquito spray truck comes down our street, the sound of the fan and the sight of the fog late at night but nothing compared to those videos. Wow!


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## boatnut (Nov 22, 2006)

city of Columbus used to routinely have jeeps running around spraying fog ( i assume ddt) for skeeters. Us kids always rode our bikes behind them, at least before we couldn't stand the smell. This was in late 50's.


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## Snakecharmer (Apr 9, 2008)

boatnut said:


> city of Columbus used to routinely have jeeps running around spraying fog ( i assume ddt) for skeeters. Us kids always rode our bikes behind them, at least before we couldn't stand the smell. This was in late 50's.
> 
> The FOG TRUCK! ((DDT Spraying in Texas) Memories. - YouTube


Remember going to the "Drive In Theater" and they would fog before the movie started?


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

> Orig. posted by *Snakecharmer*:
> 
> Remember going to the "Drive In Theater" and they would fog before the movie started?


Remember that as well. 

Always added a bit more flavor to the popcorn.


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