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Making It Grow! News Articles

August 22, 2005

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Wedding bells are still chiming but another bell is joining their chorus. Parents delight when school starts again; children may groan, but seeing old friends quickly brings smiles to their faces. As stewards of the Earth, extend your care to time behind the wheel and protect this next generation as they begin their new year of "book learning."

Question: We are organizing a family reunion which will be held at our farm this fall. Last week, while cutting grass, my husband hit a nest of yellow jackets. Fortunately, he just got a few stings and didn't have a bad reaction, but we certainly can't have our relatives threatened by these meanies. We are also planning to eat outside and don't want to share sweet tea with them, either. How can we get rid of these pests without getting stung again?

Answer: Yellow jackets are aggressive members of the wasp family and their numbers increase over the summer. They are actually beneficial to humans in some ways in that they capture many other insects and caterpillars which the adults partially consume and then feed to the larvae in the colony. However, in early fall the numbers of other insects dwindle, and yellow jackets begin to compete with humans for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and sugary soft drinks and beer. Unlike the honeybee, a yellow jacket can sting repeatedly (they don't have a barb on their stinger), and they have caused death when they've attacked a tractor driver who hits one of their subterranean homes.

Their nests are usually in the ground and you already have an idea where this one is. Try to pin point the location by watching their flight pattern as the foragers will generally fly straight back to the entrance. Go out after dark but don't carry a flashlight that will show the yellow jackets where you are. You may be able to use flood lights or perhaps even your car lights to slightly illuminate the area. Apply carbaryl (the generic name for Sevin) dust liberally around the entrance hole. This way the yellow jackets will fly through it as they come and go and spread it into the colony. For a ground nest, an approved insecticide dust is more effective than the aerosol sprays which project a stream of pesticide and are designed for open wasp structures on porches or in trees.

Protective clothing is always recommended. Long sleeve shirts buttoned to the neck, pants tucked into boots, and a beekeeper's hat make the procedure safer. Thankfully, your husband did not have a reaction to his nasty yellow jacket experience, but allergists warn us that a person can develop a life-threatening reaction without warning, even if previous stings did not cause hives or severe swelling. If a person develops these skin welts or any difficulty in breathing call 911 or get to an emergency room immediately.

In the fall, virgin queens will fly into the air, mate, and fall to ground where they will burrow under old logs or debris and overwinter alone. When spring comes, they will build a small next, lay eggs, and the new colony will begin. The old colony, with its queen, will die when freezing temperatures come. The cycle of life continues in fascinating variety.

If you know you are sensitive to insect stings, you should hire a professional pest control company to deal with any stinging insect pests you have around your home. Before using any pesticide, read and follow the label instructions. Fortunately for us, the honeybee and bumblebees, our important pollinators, are much better neighbors than their flashier cousins.