An effective method for underground nests is to use a mixture of boiling hot water and dish detergent. Fill a bucket with scalding hot water and soap and pour the entire bucket over the entry and exit holes. This will likely kill the entire colony instantly but is not recommended for above-ground yellowjacket nests.
Combine a few drops of pure peppermint oil, a few tablespoons of dish soap and warm water in a spray bottle. Locate any active wasp nests and carefully spray the concoction around the entrance. Reapply every few days until the wasps have left the nest.
Yes, you can kill wasps with dish soap. The soapy water can also kill bees and hornets. Dish soap works because it helps the water get through the exoskeleton of the wasp, which can then drown the stinging pest. This method can be particularly useful when you find a loan wasp who wandered into your home.
Treat the nest with pyrethrum aerosols such as Stryker 54 Contact Aerosol or PT 565. Pyrethrum forms a gas that will fill the cavity, killing the yellow jackets on contact. Wait until the aerosol is dry, and then dust in the opening with insecticide dust such as Tempo Dust.
In conclusion, apple cider vinegar is great for creating a vinegar trap to kill occasional wasps lingering in your yard, but white vinegar, usually perfect for homemade bug sprays, is best avoided when trying to target them at the source.
To kill flys, bees, hornets and wasps, spray with Windex. On housefly's it usually only takes a small whiff to knock them out of the air and kill them. Wasps will fall right away too but you may need to hit them with another dose.
Use a spray bottle with soapy water once in a while in spots where you've had to remove yellow jacket nests. Soapy water can keep nests from reforming. You can also use organic pest removal products as a deterrent. Carefully inspect your yard before beginning outdoor work to be sure there are no nests nearby.
Spectracide Pro Wasp and Hornet Killer
The Spectracide Pro line works for up to four weeks when sprayed at the nest. It is effective against wasps, mud daubers, hornets, and yellow jackets and kills any insects and the nest within seconds of contact. You'll need to coat the nest for the best results.
Yellow jackets are less active at night and most of them will be in their underground nest. Yellow jackets are less active when the ambient temperature is about 50 degrees Fahrenheit. If working at night, keep in mind a flashlight may attract the wasps.
If you have a problem with wasps, hornets, yellow jackets, or bees, Pine Sol can spare you from painful stings. Remember not to use it on honey bees – we need them to help pollinate our food plants – but for other hive insects, spray full strength Pine Sol as an insecticide.
When you flood a yellow jacket's nest, several things happen that result in the destruction of the nest. As the nest fills with water, the insects will attempt to dig and burrow their way out from underground. Too little water added to the hole or a slow flow rate can end up not killing the insects at all.
Yellow jackets will chase you. The instinct to protect the nests is strong for this insect. For this reason, they have been known to give chase for several yards. They will even go around obstacles or hover near water and wait.
Assess the situation: While seeing yellow jackets on your property can be scary, if the nest is in an area of the property that sees little to no human activity, it may not be necessary to remove it. Yellow jackets help to control the population of pest insects like mosquitoes and may actually be doing you a favor.
If you can't find yellowjackets flying, you can still track them by first luring them to a food bait. Place the food bait near where you suspect the nest is located. Some of the best protein baits are tuna-flavored canned cat food, liverwurst, chicken skin, cold cuts, or ground meat.
What Eats Yellowjackets? Most yellowjackets' predators are mammals that are much bigger than wasps, like skunks, black bears, and raccoons. In Georgia and Indiana, raccoons have been identified as the top yellowjackets predators.
Use WD-40
WD-40 can be use to both kill wasps and stop them from nesting. Wasps are territorial, so will return to the same nesting spot every year. To keep wasps from returning, spray any former wasp next spots with WD-40. Apply it liberally underneath gutters, and anywhere you have spotted wasps congregating.
The safest way to eradicate the yellow jackets residing in the ground is with a mixture of boiling water and liquid soap solution. Once applied, the hot water will drown the majority of the insects, with the soap disabling motor skills and eventually killing them.
Use the vinegar and dish soap mixture in a spray bottle to kill individual wasps. Carry a plastic spray bottle of the mixture with you while working in the garden or enjoying time outdoors to deal with pesky wasps on the spot. Spray the wasp until it is saturated and no longer moving.
Skunks, raccoons, badgers, bears, and other mammals have been known to attack and destroy yellowjacket nests in order to eat the wasp grubs, eggs, and even adults. Skunks typically attack at night when the yellowjackets are least active, digging into the burrow, pawing through the nest, and eating the wasp larvae.