I had a huge yellowjacket nest a few summers back in the space between
the two layers of brick on my Cape Cod-style home, so I'm aware of what
happens when you leave these buggers unattended or the futulity in
trying to eliminate them yourself most times.

While your biceps are probably pretty buff after all that swatting, I
see you're unaware of the mechanics of social nesting insects. Here's
the thing: You were swatting the workers, and the entire nest of workers
die off at the end of the year anyway. You got nowhere near the queen,
which is still living somewhere all nice and tidy and well-fed under
that slab. All those eggs she's laid for overwinter will hatch once
spring rolls around and create a whole new generation of new nest, and
you'll be back to th exact same problem until, like, forever if all you
do is swat them.

Basic inescapable truth: If you want them gone for good, you've got to
kill the queen. In most cases, an exterminator will eliminate the
problem with basic boric acid power sprayed deep into the nest. "Deep"
is the operative word here -- most sprays and stuff we use don't get
anywhere near the queen.

Oh, one other thing: Yellowjackets get ****ed off really easily; the
whole nest can swarm-attack you or anyone else clueless enough to get
within 5-10 feet of the nest. Being wasps, they can sting repeatedly
(unlike bees, which are good for only one sting because their stingers
lodge into your flesh and yank their intestines out when they fly away),
which can send even a healthy person with no allergies into an
allergic-style shock and even death. Very small kids are especially
susceptible to this, if I recall right.

Wasps are nothing to screw with, plain and simple. Bite the bullet and
get yourself an exterminator. Or a Bobcat.

AJS

In article ,
klm wrote:

On Wed, 17 Dec 2003 08:27:27 GMT, AJScott
wrote:

Eradincating nests of yellowjackets are the easiest thing in the world.
You just shove a big funnel into the hole during the dead of night (when
they're far less active) and pour a Mason jar full of kerosene into the
funnel and into the hole.

This was a 4' x 8' concrete slab that would require a bobcat to lift.
Underneath was sandy soil that wasn't packed tight and gave the wasps
multiple exits. Therefore I could have poured buckets of any liquid
and all I would have done would be to flood out and damage my
basement wall.

Its a lot more fun swatting the yellow jackets with a badminton
racquet. Environmentally friendly (no chemicals), no mess, their
bodies fed the ants and I had a good workout on a nice summer day.