Help with yellow jackets!

Monofletch · Oct 16, 2018

hello.
I recently discovered yellow jackets entering the house at the air conditioning cable hole. First time I sprayed where they were entering- the utility room downstairs had about 100 yellow jackets buzzing around. I sucked them up best I could with the Rainbow vacuum (water tank) and sprayed again. I got about the same result. 3rd time a little less. 4th a handful. Next day even less. I waited a whole day then sprayed as far up in the hole as possible and got 3-4 bees. I waited for it to dry then shot a bunch of expanding foam in the hole to seal it up.
I can not see the nest it is back behind the finished part of my basement. I am still getting 1-2 big fat yellow jackets a day crawling on the concrete under the light. These are much bigger than the others. They seem to be half dead or “on their way out”.
Have I beat them or they just slowing because it is cold outside? I figured the big ones might be the last bit since they have no way out.
Any advice? I hate to pay a guy $400 if I got them under control.

jill jackson · Oct 16, 2018

I was filling up today at a local gas station and there was a lot in the trash can. They weren't nearly as aggressive as they were a week ago in the same situation when it was in the eighties. Temperature now being in the low fifties. Last week they were swarming at me as filled the tank.

Sounds like you are taking care of them pretty well. I'm always careful around them this time of year, they're more aggressive and sting with little provocation. Never had them inside though, just in holes in the ground and they're easy to kill after dark.

Owen K. · Oct 16, 2018

Monofletch said:
hello.
I recently discovered yellow jackets entering the house at the air conditioning cable hole. First time I sprayed where they were entering- the utility room downstairs had about 100 yellow jackets buzzing around. I sucked them up best I could with the Rainbow vacuum (water tank) and sprayed again. I got about the same result. 3rd time a little less. 4th a handful. Next day even less. I waited a whole day then sprayed as far up in the hole as possible and got 3-4 bees. I waited for it to dry then shot a bunch of expanding foam in the hole to seal it up.
I can not see the nest it is back behind the finished part of my basement. I am still getting 1-2 big fat yellow jackets a day crawling on the concrete under the light. These are much bigger than the others. They seem to be half dead or “on their way out”.
Have I beat them or they just slowing because it is cold outside? I figured the big ones might be the last bit since they have no way out.
Any advice? I hate to pay a guy $400 if I got them under control.

Just pick one of these up a CVS!

Mo2 · Oct 16, 2018

I got stung in the back of the neck few months ago just walking into the yard. I got a can of hornet killer and went out at night and sprayed the nest with at least half of it lolol. Was a small nest. But ideally that's how you do it.

Ajack60 · Oct 16, 2018

The big ones may be the queens. If that's the case, they should not return.
Can you determine if they came from outside and then migrated to the basement wall ? Down here, they're more common having nest in the ground. Do you have any bushes close by that they could have nested in ? If you can know how they got in, you should be able to kill all of them.

gadgetgeek · Oct 17, 2018

You can put out a trap for them, cut the top off a soda bottle just at the label, invert it into the bottle and seal the edge. Then a little syrup or sugar water in the bottom to attract them, at least then you have a passive indicator as to if they are still coming in. The dedicated yellow-jacket traps do work better, but the home-mades work just fine if you don't feel the need to spend. I'd be ready for another invasion if you get another warm patch of weather. But sounds like your campaign was a success.

jux t · Oct 17, 2018

I agree with the advice above about checking bushes or the ground around that part of the house. If those big ones are significantly larger than the rest, they likely are queens.

You probably have it under control if they are the queens. I would be checking for more places to spray poison followed by expanding foam later.

Monofletch · Oct 17, 2018

The foundation of this house is well over my head, and no bushes. The outside air conditioning unit is 5’ off the ground as well. There was a tiny hole in the old foam where the cables go in from the AC. All I can see from the inside is dead bees and insulation. I did put my phone on a long stick and tried to video. I couldn’t see much. No nest.
I bought some flaming spray that says it kills the hive. Let’s see.

I have to renew my account then I will post pics

Monofletch · Oct 20, 2018

The foaming spray seems to have done the trick. I have had 1 bee in the last few days. My next step is calling a “professional”.