Yellowjacket nest eradication

[Hojack]

I’ve got a massive Yellowjacket nest in my pole barn. I sprayed it last night and completely drained the can of Spectra Yellowjacket and Wasp killer. A lot fell out of the nest and died but after 5-10 minutes they started to fly out but would also die. I checked when I got home from work and see bees back on the nest. I have a friend with a bee suit. It seems the spray didn’t penetrate through the nest. Seems like I need to put a hole in the nest and spray. I’m thinking of spraying the nest and then stick my pole pruner into the nest while spraying. I’ve got 2 cans. Anybody have another suggestion or alternate? Can yellowjackets stung through bee suits?

 

[e9999]

Yikes. Well, if you end up poking at the nest, please have somebody shoot a video of the action and post it here afterward. That could get very entertaining -assuming nobody gets hurt- ...

 

[Hojack]

Yikes. Well, if you end up poking at the nest, please have somebody shoot a video of the action and post it here afterward. That could get very entertaining -assuming nobody gets hurt- ...

Just finished nuking the nest, success

 

[LDowney]

Academic observation (tangent)...
Local to the southeast, yellowjackets build their nests underground while hornets build nests that are up high like what your picture showed.
In the midwest (Illinois), we had sweat bees that looked a lot yellowjackets but behaved nothing like what we have in Georgia.
Your situation has me curious about the differences in Oregon.

Congratulations on clearing out the nest without major getting repeatedly stung

 

[WarDamnEagle]

Like @LDowney , I would have described that as a hornet nest but I'm far from an expert on the subject.

 

[pb4ugo]

Bald Face Hornets usually make nests like that.

 

[spazzyfry123]

Academic observation (tangent)...
Local to the southeast, yellowjackets build their nests underground while hornets build nests that are up high like what your picture showed.
In the midwest (Illinois), we had sweat bees that looked a lot yellowjackets but behaved nothing like what we have in Georgia.
Your situation has me curious about the differences in Oregon.

Congratulations on clearing out the nest without major getting repeatedly stung

I came in expecting to read about pouring gasoline down the hole in the ground and watching flaming yellow jackets shoot out of the ground like a firework show.

Confused to see something like this. Would anticipate it to be hornets or similar.

 

[lowenbrau]

I had pretty good luck with a shop vac, early in the morning when its cool and they are dopey.

 

[greenbeast]

I’m amazed how they even make those damn nests. Agree with these being hornets as we have yellowjackets everywhere but not nests like that.

With various types of wasps around the homestead I’m curious how to address those that build nests in higher elevations of the barn that won’t be easy to reach?

 

[firestopper]

Damn, not sure but it appears to be a hornet nest. Either way a PITA.
I recently had a colony of Africanized bees take up residence in between a scupper and new roof.
About 7-10k bees. I ended up purchasing a professional bee suit via Amazon for $97. I first used Stryker 54 contact kill followed by sure kill powder. I sourced these from a DIY pest control store.
A shop vac was used to suck out the angry bees after fogging them with Stryker 54.
The sure kill fine powder is used at the nest opening to ensure the bees track in the Poision
to the queen. Once this bitch is dead any bees that were out working find a new place.

The swarm of Africanized bees.

The Stryker 53 has a fold out straw for tight spraying.
Folded as shown will produce a fog. The Sur kill powder is fine like baby powder and used last for those returning bees who then track in the poision to the queen.

This is a thick 100% cotton bee suit with a zippered vail. I still wore a thick long sleeve sweat shirt and sweat pants because have an allergy to bee stings. It total it took 10 days to eradicate and take back our yard. In your case once activity ceases take that nest out and seal it in a garbage bag or burn it.
I had to pull boards from under the porch to ensure all dead bees were removed. I also didn’t give them a chance to build a hive because then the honey becomes a problem in itself when left behind a wall. These things are no joke.
I’ve responded to many bee attack that resulted in dead horses, dogs and people.
With the right PPE you can mitigate your problem. I think in total I had $160 with the suit and poison. I had an estimate of $400-800 to have a bee expert do the job with no guarantees in extracting all dead bees.
I did get hit once on my right eyelid during my initial assessment. Super aggressive bees as I was about 50 yards away. At one point during my initial attack, I could smell the venom as they swarmed and stung the vail.
I still recommend duck tape at the ankles and wrists and use heavy pull up boots and thick gloves.
Amazon offeres bee suits from $50-200. I went with a middle road price ($97) and was very pleased with the quality and fit. One size bigger to allow heavy clothes under the suit.

 

[WarDamnEagle]

With various types of wasps around the homestead I’m curious how to address those that build nests in higher elevations of the barn that won’t be easy to reach?

This is the longest reaching spray that I have found and one drop and they drop. I have had to get on a ladder to get close enough as 20' sounds like a lot but it really isn't. Early morning is best if you are having to place ladders, etc.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Spectracide-Wasp-and-Hornet-18-oz-Insect-Killer/999958283?cm_mmc=shp-_-c-_-prd-_-lwn-_-ggl-_-LIA_LWN_241_Chemicals-_-999958283-_-local-_-0-_-0&ds_rl=1286981&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIvMrlqcPC-QIVCxpMCh1wIQJYEAQYByABEgIoh_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[Hojack]

That was a Yellowjacket nest for sure. I know Wasps from Baldface Hornets and Yellowjackets.

 

[Hojack]

Damn, not sure but it appears to be a hornet nest. Either way a PITA.
I recently had a colony of Africanized bees take up residence in between a scupper and new roof.
About 7-10k bees. I ended up purchasing a professional bee suit via Amazon for $97. I first used Stryker 54 contact kill followed by sure kill powder. I sourced these from a DIY pest control store.
A shop vac was used to suck out the angry bees after fogging them with Stryker 54.
The sure kill fine powder is used at the nest opening to ensure the bees track in the Poision
to the queen. Once this bitch is dead any bees that were out working find a new place.

The swarm of Africanized bees.
View attachment 3084918
The Stryker 53 has a fold out straw for tight spraying.
Folded as shown will produce a fog. The Sur kill powder is fine like baby powder and used last for those returning bees who then track in the poision to the queen.
View attachment 3084917

This is a thick 100% cotton bee suit with a zippered vail. I still wore a thick long sleeve sweat shirt and sweat pants because have an allergy to bee stings. It total it took 10 days to eradicate and take back our yard. In your case once activity ceases take that nest out and seal it in a garbage bag or burn it.
I had to pull boards from under the porch to ensure all dead bees were removed. I also didn’t give them a chance to build a hive because then the honey becomes a problem in itself when left behind a wall. These things are no joke.
I’ve responded to many bee attack that resulted in dead horses, dogs and people.
With the right PPE you can mitigate your problem. I think in total I had $160 with the suit and poison. I had an estimate of $400-800 to have a bee expert do the job with no guarantees in extracting all dead bees.
I did get hit once on my right eyelid during my initial assessment. Super aggressive bees as I was about 50 yards away. At one point during my initial attack, I could smell the venom as they swarmed and stung the vail.
I still recommend duck tape at the ankles and wrists and use heavy pull up boots and thick gloves.
Amazon offeres bee suits from $50-200. I went with a middle road price ($97) and was very pleased with the quality and fit. One size bigger to allow heavy clothes under the suit.

View attachment 3084919

That was me last night. My buddy Chase took pics and a video. I need to have him send it to me.

 

[TheIcemanCometh]

Been a while since I have taken out a big nest but have I used a large trash bag to enclosed the nest while taping as needed to the surrounding area so create a seal. Once sealed poke a small hole and spray. Wait an hour or so and spray again. Come back in the morning and spray again.

 

[greenbeast]

That was me last night. My buddy Chase took pics and a video. I need to have him send it to me.

Do yellowjackets primarily build nests like these as I doubt they make different kinds?

As I mentioned earlier we have plenty of yellow jackets just haven’t seen a next like this before.

I have run over areas with brush hog only to see hundreds of what I thought were black hornets swarming. Seeing this reinforced buying the cab tractor.

 

[greenbeast]

That was me last night. My buddy Chase took pics and a video. I need to have him send it to me.

Do yellowjackets primarily build nests like these as I doubt they make different kinds?

As I mentioned earlier we have plenty of yellow jackets just haven’t seen a next like this before.

I have run over areas with brush hog only to see hundreds of what I thought were black hornets swarming. Seeing this reinforced buying the cab tractor.

 

[e9999]

good point about the cab, indeed!

 

[1911]

Do yellowjackets primarily build nests like these as I doubt they make different kinds?

As I mentioned earlier we have plenty of yellow jackets just haven’t seen a next like this before.

I have run over areas with brush hog only to see hundreds of what I thought were black hornets swarming. Seeing this reinforced buying the cab tractor.

This, and air conditioning are the reasons I'd like to get a cab on my next tractor.

 

[WarDamnEagle]

Do yellowjackets primarily build nests like these as I doubt they make different kinds?

As I mentioned earlier we have plenty of yellow jackets just haven’t seen a next like this before.

I have run over areas with brush hog only to see hundreds of what I thought were black hornets swarming. Seeing this reinforced buying the cab tractor.

Yellowjackets primarily build nests in the ground or in something resembling the ground (old stump, etc.). I still say that was a hornet nest. Hornets build those nests out of a paper like material made from wood fibers and saliva. Very similar material to wasp nests but the nests are much larger and shaped differently (as in just like the one in the photo above).

 

[Waorani]

In the southeast, most would look at that, say hornet's nest, and generally be right. But yellow jackets can and do build nests as shown even in the southeast. And if OP is in Oregon - that would be a different species of yellow jacket than we have so nest building habits are not unlikely different.