# Ground bee problem...



## momof2 (Mar 28, 2003)

I am new to beekeeping and just found TONS of ground bees (yellow jackets) all over my property. This happened a couple of years ago and someone sprayed them and we haven't had any problems again until now. I have kids and can't risk them stepping in these bees. Can I spray the ground bees with my hive around? The closest ground bee hole is only about 10 ft from the hive.... others are all over the yard. I don't want to kill MY bees.


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## deaconjim (Oct 31, 2005)

You should be okay killing the nest, as your bees won't be in that particular spot (if they are, your spray will be the least of their problems). Just be careful with what you use, and don't apply anything to the general area. What did you have in mind to use?


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## momof2 (Mar 28, 2003)

I have a friend that is an exterminator. Should I ask what he is using first... and check back here? Should he only spray IN the holes?


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## deaconjim (Oct 31, 2005)

momof2 said:


> I have a friend that is an exterminator. Should I ask what he is using first... and check back here? Should he only spray IN the holes?


Yes, you should ask first. Exterminators are well versed in killing insects (I used to own a pest control business), but not necessarily knowledgeable about keeping honeybees alive. Make sure your friend is aware of the fact that you have bees, and that he is killing the yellow jackets in a way that takes them into consideration. He should be spraying in the holes, and preferrably at dusk or after dark when all of the yellow jackets are in the nest.


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## momof2 (Mar 28, 2003)

Thank you so much for your help. I have been so worried about kids getting into these yellow jackets but I haven't wanted to hurt my bees. I hope this works. Thank you!


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## tom j (Apr 3, 2009)

about 8 years ago , all of a sudden there were ground wasp all over the yard ,, I got worried as the grand kids were always playing right on top of were the holes were .. but they were not getting stung . I started watching the wasp ,, they were taking bugs that I didn't want around , and taking them down the holes ,, they were laying eggs on them , and the larva would feed on them .. now my yard is full of these wasp and the kids or any of us have yet to get stung by these wasp .. so there's no way I will spray to kill them .. so make sure they are yellow jackets or a stinging wasp . I haven't seen to many yellow jacket nest in the ground ,, close to but not in ..


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## southerngurl (May 11, 2003)

Yellow jacket, at least around here, are pretty aggressive, moreso as summer goes on and their hive gets stronger. I've had them sting me just standing close. And you sure don't want to mow over them or drive over them with any kind of open cab equipment! We always get rid of them if they set up shop anywhere near. My dad has accidentally run over their nests with his skidder and come home all swelled up a couple times before.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Best thing to use to kill Yellow Jackets *a WASP *by the way is dish soap. If they are close enough to a out side pressure water out let use a hose end sprayer filled full of dollar store dish soap. Near dark but lite enough you can still see soak the hole where the wasp are going in and they should be in there when night is so near soak it real good so it gets down to them. If you don't have a out side water outlet you can mix a bottle of soap in a 5 gallon pail and dump the contents in the hole.

If you really wa nt to use a spray I fully recommend Spectside PRO which I have only seen sold at Home Depot. Use it same as above near dark, it is also a contact killer so any you don't get by spraying in the hole will die from contacting the area around and in the hole. for up to 4 weeks or untill it rains or the dew washes it away. 

There are also home made traps useing milk jugs water bottles or any other bottle of about 2 liter size. Google yellow jacket traps for the plans.
We use those home made traps in the bee yards all the time and they work.
so do the wax moth traps.

 Al


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## deaconjim (Oct 31, 2005)

Commercial wasp sprays usually have instant knockdown, which is provided by the petroleum distilates that are used for a carrier. The actual pestide used (usually a pyrethrin) provides a residual effect for any that return. Soapy water is definitely a good insecticide as well, but offers no residual (which in some applications is a good thing). 

The best bet is to treat the nest is after dark when they are all on the nest (or when temps are below 40 degrees). If you use any kind of light to see by, position it to one side of you so that any bugs that might escape are attracted to the light rather than to you.


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## tom j (Apr 3, 2009)

Al how is a wax moth trap made ????


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Take a 2 litre plastic pop bottle and drill a 1 inch hole just below the slope on the neck, then add 1 cup water, 1 cup sugar, 1 half cup vinegar and finally 1 banana peel. Wait a few days till it starts to ferment, then tie it into a tree close to the hives. This trap will draw the wax moth, they enter the hole can't get out and drown in the liquid, this will even draw in and kill the bald faced hornet.

We do about the same thing for yellow jackets except we add dish soap to the water to releave tention and just use plain old jam from those resturant packs inside the hole to draw the yellow jackets.

Gallon milk jugs work also.


 Al


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## Michael W. Smith (Jun 2, 2002)

Well, you can kill them the fun way or another way.

The "fun" way is to wait until night, pour gasoline down the hole, and then use a newspaper to light it. Don't get too close though when lighting!!!! Pour the gas, light a wadded up piece of newspaper in your hand and throw it on the hole. The "whoosh" you hear is the gas fumes going down deeper into the hole where the yellow jackets are.

The other way (which I guess is also a fun way) is to wait until night and put a glass jar over the hole. That's it - your done!

It seems the little devils try to come out their hole the next day and "can't get out".  They keep flying against the glass which heats up and cooks the buggers. As more come out (or hatch out) they meet the same fate and with no food coming in, they die. They can't figure out that they could just tunnel a new hole beyond the glass jar.

They sure are nasty insects though!


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

People who recommend useing gasoline and fire to kill yellow jackets should take aclose look at what they are recommending. 

For example here in most of Michigan it is very dry so the surrounding area could catch on fire. 

A person near here made the news one evening because he decided to burn the weeds out of his ditch. It got away from him and burnt his neighbours house down. Need less to say the neighbour isn't the only one homeless and penny less any longer.

Just use the dish soap where you can and use SPECTSIDE PRO where you can't, be safe.

 Al


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