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Post by Deleted on Jul 28, 2004 16:37:49 GMT -7
Seems like I've got a major problem. I have only one hive (in Seattle), but when I opened it recently, it seemed like there were nearly as many yellow jackets throughout the hive as there were bees. I'm trying to locate the yellow jacket nest, but no luck so far. I've put out a yellow jacket trap, but I'm not sure how effective that will be. I think my colony is in serious trouble. Any advice???
Thanks!
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Post by HarryVanderpool on Jul 28, 2004 19:04:51 GMT -7
Welcome to our board!
Sorry to hear about your problem, but Ive got an easy fix for you.
Get one of the yellow, clear yellow jacket traps with the yellow bottom. Better yet, get two.
Set the pherimone aside for next spring. It won't help you much now.
Go to the store and get some cheap tuna fish.
Put about 2 tablespoons full of the tuna in the trap and hang it from a 2 X 4 that you lay over the top of your hive.
Hang it, so the bottom of the trap is level with the entrance of the hive, but to one side or the other.
You will be blown away how fast it fills up!!!
Every other day you will need to dump it in a bucket of water for a few minutes to drown the jackets, dump them out in a hole and bury them, wash the trap with soap and water,( you dont want it to get putrid or the jackets will avoid it) and start over again.
After several days you will notice that it isn't catching many wasps and you'll wonder why.
You have won!!!
We have 5 traps out around our place every year and control them well.
Also, reduce your entrance of the hive to about 1/2 " entrance for now.
Can you tell us more about the condition of that colony?
They should be able to defend themselves.
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Post by NormCounterman on Jul 28, 2004 21:33:24 GMT -7
:)Try This Jeff  I'm not sure how large your bit of ground is, so this might take a few days. Find a few large rocks, about the size of a softball. Get up early and walk around with your coffee cup facing east and look for them blasted yellow jackets pouring out of the ground. You will want to face east in the morning and west in the evening so that they will show up in the din of glare. When you see them pouring in and out of a hole in the ground, toss your rock next to the hole and look around to mark your spot. Then go out at 10 O'clock with your spray can of hornet killer and spray down the hole for 3 seconds. Pick up the rock that you used to help you find the spot,and place it on top of the hole. Save your tuna fish for a picnic. Don't forget the potato salad, chips, fried chicken....... ;DGet up an hour earlier, and retire an hour later ;D Support the war on jacket-ism  |
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Post by Thom on Jul 29, 2004 7:52:26 GMT -7
Norm,
I'm surprized you didn't mention the story of your nephew, Harry, smoking yellow jackets.
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Post by NormCounterman on Jul 29, 2004 10:06:45 GMT -7
;D AAAATTA-Boy Thom!! ;D I knew you were on my side all along. Ok Vanderpoodle,  Fess up on smoking the yellow jacket nest. We're all ears..... |
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Post by HarryVanderpool on Jul 29, 2004 12:44:03 GMT -7
Thanks alot Thom. You're a real bud... Well first of all, it was a bald face hornet nest. It was the biggest I have ever seen, probably 18" in diameter. My plan was to clip branches all around the hive and then slip a heavy garbage bag over it, snap off the branch and tie the end. Well all of that went as planned. But not before I decided that it might help to puff some smoke in the entrance.....BIG MISTAKE!!! Remember this, friends: Hornets and wasps respond totally the opposite of honeybees when you smoke the hive. Do we know how to yell, "OUCH, OUCH, OUCH" really loud boys and girls? I do!  |
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Post by Thom on Jul 29, 2004 12:52:09 GMT -7
Sorry Harry, but I get a tear in my eye every time I hear that story, and I can't help provoking you to tell it every chance I get. I even use that story in my bee school. I even use a photo of you that I pinched from the WVBA newsletter.
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Fess up on smoking the yellow jacket nest.