How do I kill off an underground yellowjacket nest?

I've got an active about 100 yards from my house. They put it in the wrong spot. It's under a pile of dead trees, limbs and brush that I've been piling up for about a year to eventually burn. It won't be long now. I was lucky enough to spot this one before they spotted me. The little black and yellow terrorist usually get me at least twice a year while mowing on my zero turn or bush hogging on my tractor. The little black bees are even worse. They chase you farther and hurt more.
 
Narragansett said:
I pour a little full strength 74% Chlordane into the hole and do a flat stone over the hole at night. Works every time.:D
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chlordane is classified as an organic pollutant hazardous for human health. It is resistant to degradation in the environment and in humans/animals and readily accumulates in lipids
 
Forgot another “ fun” method to get rid of such flying vermin. Spay can of starter fluid and a bic lighter. Just have to be careful but fun to watch them falling with burnt off wings.
 
OK...my $.02. A couple quarts of vegetable oil from your deep fryer. Heat it up for best penetration. It's non-toxic/non-flammable/non-explosive and it won't hurt your pets, and it works. I've used it around my Georgia yard on those nasty critters with great results.

If you ever accidentally put a shovel in their nest they will chase you down with a vengeance because they know it was YOU who attacked them.
 
After I got stung I dropped an M80 down a hornet's nest in my yard and plugged the hole with my boot. My foot stung for awhile but I didn't see any more hornet's! I haven't seen an M80 in years so now I use brake clean to kill them, if you hit them with it on the fly they drop like a stone.
 
Ed4032 said:
chlordane is classified as an organic pollutant hazardous for human health. It is resistant to degradation in the environment and in humans/animals and readily accumulates in lipids
Click to expand...

I didn't think you could still buy this stuff for these reasons. When I was a kid my dad used it on burrowing hornets in our yard and it was very effective, but I wouldn't use it now.
 
67tempest said:
After I got stung I dropped an M80 down a hornet's nest in my yard and plugged the hole with my boot. My foot stung for awhile but I didn't see any more hornet's! I haven't seen an M80 in years so now I use brake clean to kill them, if you hit them with it on the fly they drop like a stone.
Click to expand...

I have used the OTC 20' range stuff for years.

About 25 years ago we had to do a emergency repair job at a large chemical plant and there were a couple nests of stingbees close by. Job was about 35 ' in the air .

I went to the parts room and got a few cans of a good bee killer.

Basically my job was to "ride shotgun" for the man that was doing the repair job. I had a can of that spray in each hand and was knocking them out of the air. Guess my years of skeet shooting helped me:D. Neither of us got stung but we did have a few very close encounters!
 
yaktamer said:
I didn't think you could still buy this stuff for these reasons. When I was a kid my dad used it on burrowing hornets in our yard and it was very effective, but I wouldn't use it now.
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You can't still buy it, although Chlordane it is still manufactured and sent overseas where it is not banned. We used this stuff in liquid and powder form for 40 years to do everything including spraying the food we eat. I just happen to have a gallon or so of it in my insect arsenal.

We are probably still ingesting it it when you buy 3rd world foods in the market. I doubt the teaspoon I use here and there on very limited occasion is going to destroy the planet
 
I would think a bottle of laundry bleach would work as well as gasoline and be a little less hazardous.

I have a townhouse and had a yellow jacket problem about 7 years ago. I think their nest was in ground in some bushes. I got stung on the back of my arm. I found an article on the internet showing how to make yellow jacket traps with a half gallon plastic soda type bottle and some honey/sugar water. I put 4 of these traps on my patio and in three days I caught over 100 yellow jackets and that was the end of them.

If you can't find their underground nest an article I read said to put out a little bit of hamburger out. A yellow jacket will pick some up and fly real slow back to their nest due to the weight and you should be able to easily follow the yellow jacket.
 
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I have had great luck using a road flare, touch it off and lay it at the opening, as they come out they get burnt, you just have to keep it close to the opening as it burns.
 
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As others have mentioned, from late evening to early morning is the best time to approach the nest. The cooler the temperature the less active the little critters will be. Hornets and yellow jackets seem to be much more protective of the nest than wasps. Nasty little critters when they feel threatened.

I've always used chemical sprays like Ortho or Raid products, but haven't dealt with in-ground nests; around here the nasties nest above ground. Don't know how the chemicals (basically nerve agents) might work in dirt, maybe not the usual persistent action for extended periods.

I also have a weed burner, basically a torch with hose and regulator for portable propane tank. Basically a flame thrower with a range up to about 6 or 8 feet. Hanging wasp nests don't stand a chance.
 
hatethose things...a small thermonuclear device is the best...We had a nest this summer. I poured diesel on it llt it off...then piled about 10 pounds of sticks and leaves we raked up and enjoyed the campfire. Wife got stung twice. She enjoyed the campfire
 
iu
 
Ed4032 said:
chlordane is classified as an organic pollutant hazardous for human health. It is resistant to degradation in the environment and in humans/animals and readily accumulates in lipids
Click to expand...

Good friend was forced into retirement because of that stuff.
Some previous owner dusted under a patio slab and he was digging in it because of a water leak under the slab.
He started to have physical and mental reactions, and lost his job as a Marine A-4 Pilot. Things got worse and eventually he was medically retired.
An investigation showed the issue and he had to have the entire back yard removed as a Hazmat hazard.
 
If any of you have one of those hose-end sprayers they can be very effective. I took the diffuser off and mixed my insect spray as directed into the container. That sucker will squirt about 25 or 30 ft. once you take that diffuser off. I took out a yellow jacket nest in my large flower bed from about 25 ft. I didn't even know that underground nest was there until I walked through the flower bed and got stung twice and chased out of the bed.
 
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