Yellow jackets are predatory wasps that have thin waists and yellow and black or white and black stripes on their bodies. These pests are often attracted to sweet-scented flowers and household trash and are notorious for their painful stings. If a yellow jacket nest is secured to the underside of your home's eaves, eliminate the colony of pests and their hive by completing the steps below.
Materials
Locate The Nest's Openings And Apply Pesticides
During the daytime, observe the nest from a safe distance to determine each point of entry that the wasps are using. If you have difficulty spotting the openings, look through a pair of binoculars. Wait until it is dark outside since this when yellow jackets are least active. Put on a pair of pants, a long-sleeved shirt, and boots. Place a pair of work gloves over your hands and drape a piece of mesh fabric over your head and face.
Set up an extension ladder next to the side of your home that the nest is located on. Cover each opening in the nest with a pyrethrin aerosol spray. A pyrethrin is an insecticidal compound that is made from pyrethrum flowers and can be purchased from a lawn and garden center. Wait for the spray to dry thoroughly. Add insecticide dust to each opening in the nest by squeezing the bottle that the insecticide dust came in as the tip of the container is inserted in each hole. The dust will smother any wasps that were not killed with the spray.
Apply Additional Pesticides And Remove The Nest
Inspect the nest the following day. If wasps are still present, apply more spray and dust to the nest's openings when it is dark outside. Wait until the next day to determine if all of the yellow jackets have been eliminated. If so, drape a piece of plastic sheeting over the ground that is directly under the nest. Use a shovel or rake to loosen the nest from the eaves.
After the nest has fallen onto the sheeting, use a long-handled scrub brush to eliminate any small pieces of the nest that are still stuck to the bottom of the eaves. Rinse the treated surface with a water hose when finished and dispose of the yellow jacket's nest.
If you don't feel comfortable taking on this task or you aren't able to eliminate them on your own, contact a pest control company like Beacon Pest Control.
Share31 March 2017
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