Got Yellow Jackets?

'Tis the season! They do have their place ecologically so you can just leave them be and know that this too shall pass. Or you can go for the major kill. If the former, just go about your normal business and they won't bother you. If the latter, "Raid" puts out a hornet and wasp spray which projects a 30' foam spray kill onto the nests. That Raid spray is also recommended for home or business owners who do not have a firearm to hand. An intruder who gets a blast of that in the face is incapacitated and, unlike a Mace spray which can fly back on you when the wind is up, the foam is much more dense. My suggestion is that you chill and deal - but keep a can of the hornet spray to hand just in case!

that's good tips about the Raid for home invasion as well as yellow jacket killer. I have two toddlers who love the patio so I will be going the latter route. Now to find the nests....

Shibuya - if they are honeybees, please don't spray and kill them!!!!

Their numbers are dwindling worldwide and they are ecologically VERY important. Many crops cannot be pollinated in any other way, except by bees.

If you find a nest, and are on STX, PLEASE call the bee man "Wayne" 340-690-2877. I've heard that he removes nest.

they are not honeybees, i don't kill those.

definitely yellow jackets. and they're going down.

btw the honeybee issue reminds me of a good piece of fiction (based on a future without bees) you might like to check out if you are so inclined:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_A

Thanks Shibuya, I'll check it out! Although there really wouldn't be much of a future without bees.

Oh, and yeah, that is def. not a honeybee in the photo!

I have been listening to the Yellow Jackets for many years. Great jazz tunes.

they are not honeybees, i don't kill those.

definitely yellow jackets. and they're going down.

Oh well. Sorry they're "going down" but if you feel threatened by their transitory passage you have to do what you have to do. I've seen them come and go over decades and only had cause to decimate a nest just once when they were seriously being rather combatively territorial a couple of years back. Generally they don't (at least in my experience) attack and sting unless severely provoked. Best preventative is to check around your house for "nests in progress" which they start building on the sides of homes and on adjacent trees. Knock them off and they quickly relocate to a safer spot.

The yellow jackets love the color yellow (and colors with yellow undertones) and "puddles of water" (dog bowl). I found this out the hard way after purchasing new yellow chaise cushions. Mosquito's like black. Blue repels flying insects.

Please use raid in only "worst case scenario" situations. The effects of insecticide on water run-off and beneficial insets and up-chain wildlife is detrimental to our eco-system in general.

they land on my kids, so yes, i will do what i have to do. i will seek out their nests and hopefully getting rid of those will solve the problem...so far i haven't been able to locate them on the house or bushes (but our bushes are very dense so they are probably stowing away in there where I can't readily see them.)

blu- interesting about the yellow. we actually do not have yellow on our porch, but i have noticed that water draws them in instantly and will sweep away any puddles i find. when does the season end?

Swarming kids definity qualifies under worst case. With kids of my own, i understand the motivation. Best time to go after the nets is at dark. I found the nest in holes in ground. You may want to look around shortly after dawn, find the source of swarming and mark the location for that night. Wear protective clothing and have a hose handy.

Watch out for these guys too:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paper_wasp

They're called Jack Spaniard (or sometime Jack Spaniel) wasps around these parts.

They like to nest around face level, particularly in low-lying palms. They won't bother you unless you mess with their nest but that can be as simple as brushing up against the wrong tree. Their bites are quite uncomfortable (first hand experience), so do be careful!

Watch out for these guys too:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paper_wasp

They're called Jack Spaniard (or sometime Jack Spaniel) wasps around these parts.

They like to nest around face level, particularly in low-lying palms. They won't bother you unless you mess with their nest but that can be as simple as brushing up against the wrong tree. Their bites are quite uncomfortable (first hand experience), so do be careful!

wait! that might be what mine are! those look so similar to the yellow jackets i am familiar with. the ones i have are drawn to people it seems though, as in you just are sitting there reading and they come right up to you. do the Jack Spaniards keep to themselves? i will definitely check out the palms too.

and thank you! 🙂

Unlike yellowjackets and hornets, which can be very aggressive, polistine paper wasps will generally only attack if they themselves or their nest are threatened.[5] Since their territoriality can lead to attacks on people, and because their stings are quite painful and can produce a potentially fatal anaphylactic reaction in some individuals, nests in human-inhabited areas may present an unacceptable hazard.[6]

damned if you got yellow jackets, damned if you got paper wasps. let slip the dogs of war.

Watch out for these guys too:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paper_wasp

They're called Jack Spaniard (or sometime Jack Spaniel) wasps around these parts.

They like to nest around face level, particularly in low-lying palms. They won't bother you unless you mess with their nest but that can be as simple as brushing up against the wrong tree. Their bites are quite uncomfortable (first hand experience), so do be careful!

wait! that might be what mine are! those look so similar to the yellow jackets i am familiar with. the ones i have are drawn to people it seems though, as in you just are sitting there reading and they come right up to you. do the Jack Spaniards keep to themselves? i will definitely check out the palms too.

The ones that I've seen are quite small and much more delicate looking than a traditional yellow jacket but, that doesn't mean they don't pack a little punch in their bites. I haven't ever seen them just flying around the yard, only up close and personal when I accidentally brushed up against a branch with one of their nests.

so mine look exactly like this : http://www.americaninsects.net/hy/polistes-crinitus.html

so i think you are indeed correct.

i just hazmat-suited-it-up, goggles and all, then poked around inside bushes but no luck!

anyone recommend a good pest control specialist on stx??

so mine look exactly like this : http://www.americaninsects.net/hy/polistes-crinitus.html

so i think you are indeed correct.

i just hazmat-suited-it-up, goggles and all, then poked around inside bushes but no luck!

anyone recommend a good pest control specialist on stx??

Best person on STX by far is Wayne. He is an expert in taking care of / ridding your home of bees, ants, etc. He has always been the guy Gentle Winds calls for bee problems. His phone number is 690-2877. BTW, he's the only guy who successfully treated my property and got rid of those Carribbean crazy/running ants.

Jumbie- STX

thanks jumbie! i think we have those ants too (if they are the tiny black specks that run all over your feet but do not bite...in fact, i saw some carrying off the carcass of one of my successful paper wasp kills about a minute after i smacked it down, i filmed it i was so amazed!)

speaking of ants..or things like them. does anyone know the names of those bright red ant-like insects that pile up on top of each other? most of the time it doesn't appear that they are even feasting on anything beneath. if it were my decision i'd call them Tackle Ants or something footballish in nature.

will give wayne a call!

and just to clarify, i am not looking to get rid of the tackle ants! i just am curious as to what they are. i am not trying to rid my area of all insect life (in fact, i welcome gungolos, crabs, spiders, etc) as long as they aren't at a risk of anaphylactic shock to the human dwellers! 😀

Nevermind found the answer.

As George Takei would say..."ohh myyyy"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firebug

They can be seen in tandem formation when mating which can take from 12 hours up to 7 days. The long period of copulating is probably used by the males as a form of ejaculate-guarding under high competition with other males

watch out for the africanized bees - they are uber-territorial and threat sensitive - we had them and I was severely stung - many many times - enough for the venom to poison me, even though I am NOT allergic to them.

When the islands dry out, as they have been for the last month or so, all bees and wasps expand their territory to forage, especially for water. Honey bees will seem to become aggressive, especially where a soda can is to be found, as in trash receptacles. Although sallyf is right, africanized bees have been found here they have not been proven to have taken up residence.

SunnyCaribe is correct. Whenever it gets dry they come out. If you are sweating or have a wet bathing suit or clothes on they land on you. When I water my garden they are everywhere.