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jim hedgpeth
08-14-2009, 8:58 PM
I have a problem with these little (OK not so little) suckers. I am allergic to wasps, and even though the chances of getting stung by these is slight, my doc. says go straight to the E.R. and have them call him if it happens. Allergic people can have severe reactions:eek:. Last time I got stung by a normal wasp I had to go see him because I started getting red streaks around the sting site.

My question is this, have any of you successfully got rid of these?
I sprayed them last year and it killed them off but now they are back:mad:. If I can git rid of them I will fill in the dirt between driveway and sidewalk with concrete. I just dont want to do so with larva in there, that would just teach them another way out (and consequently in) when they hatch IMO.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Jim

Larry Frank
08-14-2009, 9:18 PM
I had a bunch last year and have not seen any of their holes yet this year. I probably just haven't seem them yet. I use a one of the ant killer products and spray it down the hole of each one. My understanding is that there is only one wasp per hole. It takes some time and effort but will get them eventually. I do not know what it is but all of the sudden, with the dry weather, I have lots of all kinds of wasps and am busy spraying everywhere my wife sees them.

jim hedgpeth
08-14-2009, 9:21 PM
Ant killer???? I never thought of that but it makes sense kinda. I will give it a try.

Thanks Larry.

Jim

David G Baker
08-14-2009, 11:05 PM
Only one wasp per hole? Last time I got attacked by yellow jackets that lived in a hole in the ground I got stung 8 times. Next time I found stinging critters coming and going from a hole in the ground I waited until almost dark and poured a pint of kerosene down the hole and no more wasps from that hole.
I have a problem with the bowling ball size nests that the critters are building every year. Last year it was under the eve of my house, this year it is in the rafters of a large lean-to that has a few small nests every year but this year they went over board and built the bowling ball. I wait until dusk or dark and cold then use the spray wasp killer. It works most of the time on the first try.

Stephen Tashiro
08-14-2009, 11:24 PM
I keep meaning to try the fake wasp nests called "waspinators". They are suppose to deter real wasps, who don't like to build nests near other wasps. Someone try a waspinator and let me know how it works. I'm not allergic to wasps and I actually like to have a few nests around since I think they keep the grasshoppers in check.

Sometimes you spray a nest and it doesn't kill all the wasps, but the nest never gets bigger. I've read that this happens when the queen is killed and the survivors can only lay eggs that hatch to males.

Darius Ferlas
08-14-2009, 11:51 PM
I keep meaning to try the fake wasp nests called "waspinators".
and of all places, LeeValley sells them (http://www.leevalley.com/garden/page.aspx?c=1&p=56120&cat=2,51555&ap=1).

One effective ways some farmers use is a glass or plastic bowl (has to be transparent plastic, like glass) placed on the ground upside down over the entry to the wasps' nest. A heavy object like a stone or a brick can be placed on top of the bowl. Wasps cannot get out of the nest so the whole colony is starved, The fact that the bowl is transparent makes them think their usual entry/exit is still to be used and they do not dig other holes. The process takes about a week.

Anybody with allergies to insect stings should insist on an EpiPen or two and have those available in a few places (car, home, garage, shed). Those with severe allergies should instruct their family how to apply the EpiPen on the victim if he is unable to apply it on his own due to the speed of the allergic reaction. A visit to ER still applies afterward as EpiPen wears off after about 15 minutes.

Bonnie Campbell
08-15-2009, 8:06 AM
As for the larva, I'm not sure, but I ALWAYS use Sevin for wasps/bees. No, it doesn't kill them immediately on contact, but they haul it into the hive and it DOES kill off the whole hive. I know, it's not as fun as pouring gas/kerosene, but it's also not dangerous. Won't even hurt your pets since Sevin can be used as a flea powder on dogs and cats.

We used to dust the cabin eaves and cracks (which the red wasps LOVED to build in) each year in the spring. We could pretty much be wasp free the whole summer then.

David G Baker
08-15-2009, 9:52 AM
Darius,
A few years back on a return trip from Virginia I heard about the Waspinators on some radio show, they sounded so good I just had to give them a try. When I got home I went on line and purchased two of them. I hung them is areas where wasps have built nests over the years. No wasps nests were built in the immediate area of the Waspinators but just around the corner from the Waspinators they built a nest. The Waspinators only lasted one season before they crumbled from the exposure to the weather. Personally I wouldn't waste my money on them but would try Bonnie C's method and you will more than likely have success. If Sevin is a problem then there is a product called Drione that is guaranteed to work.

Ken Garlock
08-15-2009, 11:10 AM
We had several sets of these critters when the cicada cycle was at its peak a couple years ago.

1. The male does not have a stinger, but he will try to intimidate you by buzzing around you.
2. The female stings to paralyze the cicada. She then carries it against her belly back to the nest she made in the ground. It becomes food for her larva.

So, just ignore them and they will leave you alone. We waited until the cicada season was over and then blasted the ground nest with wasp and hornet spray after dark.

We have bumble bees and yellow jacks around all the time as they like our blooming plants. We just walk by and they keep on doing their thing. Not counting the africanized bees, the bees don't want a fight, they have better things to do. Like everything else, they have to keep the queen happy.;)

David G Baker
08-15-2009, 11:43 AM
Speaking of honey bees, I have seen very few honey bees this year, it seems that bumble bees have taken over the job of pollinating my plants and they are doing a very good job.