I texted Morgan last night.
Me: “It’s almost dark. Time to kill the yellow jackets. Jim’s on the way.”
Morgan: “Put on long sleeves, gloves, and a ski mask.”
Then she started making lists of things she wanted me to buy for her before she comes home and calling me Egor.
I texted a friend.
Me: “It’s almost dark. Time to kill the yellow jackets. My neighbor’s on the way.”
Friend: “Set fire to the nest.”
Then I told him my neighbor was on my back porch and I had to go.
I didn’t have long sleeves, gloves, or a ski mask, but I was wearing jeans. My neighbor didn’t plan to set fire to the nest, but he poured gasoline in a bucket and handed me his flashlight. We went down to the nest. He said, “I’m going to throw this at the nest. Then we’re going to run.”
I pointed the flashlight at the nest and he threw the gasoline at it. Then we ran. (And nobody got stung.)
The nest this morning:
I think I saw a yellow jacket. Or my imagination might be in overdrive. I’m going to set fire to it tonight for good measure.
Then run.
maryellen51 says:
Wow! I have never seen a yellowjacket’s nest above ground. Maybe they knew we were going to have so much rain and played it safe. No wonder you were being held hostage. That thing is huge. Be careful, there may be a couple of survivors, left.
On July 26, 2013 at 12:11 pm
JLSummers says:
Most excellent clandestine operation. Now that you have the hang of it you are a step closer to yellow jacket independence. Congratulations. :moo:
On July 26, 2013 at 12:13 pm
ellen422 says:
We had a jellowjacket nest recently in the back yard – tiny by comparison…but I found THIS on the Internets..
https://kfor.com/2013/06/24/insect-expert-faces-largest-yellow-jacket-nest-hes-ever-seen/
On July 26, 2013 at 12:38 pm
hurshy43 says:
I suggest you spray them early in the morning with wasp spray. With wasp spray you can stand 8-1- feet away. Also you can use brake clean, it almost instantlt burns their wings so they can not fly. With brake clean you have to be closer but it fans out a little where wasp spray is more of a stream. The brake clean would be a good thing to carry with when trying to burn the nest for protection.
On July 26, 2013 at 1:41 pm
Southern Grace says:
I think this looks more like a HORNETS nest than a wasp nest!! Look at pictures on the web. It says hornets are larger than a yellow jacket wasp!!! Be careful!!!
On July 26, 2013 at 2:11 pm
acracker says:
This is what we call a paper hornet nest. Yellow jackets nest in the ground and are VERY aggressive. The hornet nest is actually quite remarkable…when the hornets leave. Too bad you can’t wait until winter to use that equipment. Your man is right…you’ll probably need to burn the nest to get to the occupants. Good luck!
On July 26, 2013 at 2:56 pm
Faith says:
Oh wow…today, I am glad, I am not you. Eat pie for courage or just eat pie and let someone else take courage. I would so not mess with this, you are brave.
On July 26, 2013 at 3:16 pm
California Paintbrush says:
Good luck!
On July 26, 2013 at 5:00 pm
catslady says:
We had a large one under our windowbox. Husband bought some spray that you can shoot quite far away – took him two trips but it worked.
On July 26, 2013 at 5:04 pm
denisestone says:
So, many I am missing something here but why gasoline? Why not an aerosol can of yellow jacket spray,… which btw you can shoot from 20 feet away!
On July 26, 2013 at 5:40 pm
PaulaA says:
They’re hornets. Wonder why they are stinging you? Maybe you are sweet. Or fruity? I generally leave the small hornet nests and paper wasp nests that form around my place, I’m not afraid, and I’m the live and let live type. But my husband is afraid and last summer he was just sitting on the porch reading a book and minding his business, when a wasp dropped down from the eaves and stung him. He IS sweet, but despite my accusations swears he did nothing to irritate them.
…but they know he hates them…
BTW, all you see of a yellow jacket nest is just a little hole in the ground.
On July 26, 2013 at 7:31 pm
MMHoney says:
What you have is hornets — have seen their nest high in a tree. Looking for yellow jackets “look for a hole in the ground” Yellow jackets are very aggressive….small and look nothing like hornets….
On July 26, 2013 at 9:16 pm
Joell says:
I hate stingy things of all sorts, I am highly allergic to bee sting, I ended up being transported to the hospital a coupe of years ago when I was stung on my neck 2 times, it was very scary, now I have to carry an epi-pen The doctor says if I have a single sting below the waist I am safe. I use OFF spray when I go outside,I spray my arns and neck and I always wear a hat which I spray as well it does help a bit….I think (hope).
Go forth and kill as many as you can. :devil:
On July 27, 2013 at 10:36 am
Faith says:
Did you get them?
On July 27, 2013 at 11:37 am
gardnerh says:
PLEASE, WEAR A HAT!!!!!!
Last year I ran over a ground nest with the mower and they attacked me. I have long hair like yours and they got in it and stung over and over. I finally ended up with my head in the sink as my husband combed them out of my hair. I must of had 30 or 40 stings on head along with others on my hands, arms, legs and face. I was really sick the next couple of days and the stings hurt for a week. If I’d kept my hat on, they could have stung through it, but would not have been stuck in their. Please take the advise and bundle up.
On July 27, 2013 at 2:06 pm
DeniseS says:
Is there some way to keep the yellow jackets/wasps from coming back to rebuild a nest? I was not sure if moving the tractor attachment was an option. Good luck with the nest burning.
On July 27, 2013 at 2:58 pm
BuckeyeGirl says:
OK, I bet if Suzanne didn’t need to use the attachment, she’d leave the hornets nest be. They really don’t hurt a thing and some of them eat other insects, but I’m not sure if they are totally beneficial, still, bugs eating bugs is what they do. A farmer needs to be able to use her equipment though!
I got attacked by yellow-jackets a few summers ago, though it could be argued that I attacked them first by mowing over their ground nest. What made it worse is I had a bright pink tank top on with bright yellow and orange flowers on it. All the colors that insects LOVE!
They HURT! But I only got a few stings and a few doses of antihistamine took care of the symptoms. I ran very fast, and because I left the lawn mower there, I think that slowed their attack down at least a little.
On July 28, 2013 at 10:12 am
Claudia W says:
Okay Suzanne! I’m curious…what’s going on with the hornets nest? Haven’t heard from you…Or did you just run away to Ohio??? LOL!!!
On July 28, 2013 at 10:22 am