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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Thomasville, NC

    Yellow jacket queens

    Anyone noticed large, somewhat darker colored yellow jackets around your homes? If so, these are queens looking for places to nest. There are several home made traps one can make. One I use is a simple tripod with a piece of string and a piece of fish hanging about one inch above a dish of soapy water. The queen will take a piece of the fish then dip as she flies away, usually hitting the water where she will struggle and drown. I caught my first one today. An easy solution to a big problem in summer.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Outside Philly
    Quote Originally Posted by Devilwin View Post
    Anyone noticed large, somewhat darker colored yellow jackets around your homes? If so, these are queens looking for places to nest. There are several home made traps one can make. One I use is a simple tripod with a piece of string and a piece of fish hanging about one inch above a dish of soapy water. The queen will take a piece of the fish then dip as she flies away, usually hitting the water where she will struggle and drown. I caught my first one today. An easy solution to a big problem in summer.
    How about carpenter bees? Any good solutions for those? They go after my wood features pretty good. We've made home made deterrent sprays and squirted around the wood. We have a couple of one way wood box traps. Never seems to be enough.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Thomasville, NC
    Quote Originally Posted by bundabergdevil View Post
    How about carpenter bees? Any good solutions for those? They go after my wood features pretty good. We've made home made deterrent sprays and squirted around the wood. We have a couple of one way wood box traps. Never seems to be enough.
    A residual spray like Demon WP works well. Or, certain types of dust placed in active holes. Tennis rackets do wonders..lol

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Summerville ,S.C.
    Quote Originally Posted by bundabergdevil View Post
    How about carpenter bees? Any good solutions for those? They go after my wood features pretty good. We've made home made deterrent sprays and squirted around the wood. We have a couple of one way wood box traps. Never seems to be enough.
    We have a wood block with two holes on sides .a hole on bottom we screw a two liter bottle in .works ok .
    Wasp spray knocks them out of the air though.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Outside Philly
    Quote Originally Posted by Devilwin View Post
    A residual spray like Demon WP works well. Or, certain types of dust placed in active holes. Tennis rackets do wonders..lol
    Hadn't thought of that, sounds fun.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Santa Cruz CA
    Quote Originally Posted by Devilwin View Post
    Anyone noticed large, somewhat darker colored yellow jackets around your homes? If so, these are queens looking for places to nest. There are several home made traps one can make. One I use is a simple tripod with a piece of string and a piece of fish hanging about one inch above a dish of soapy water. The queen will take a piece of the fish then dip as she flies away, usually hitting the water where she will struggle and drown. I caught my first one today. An easy solution to a big problem in summer.
    We don't have a lot of annoying insects in my area, but yellowjackets are one we do have a lot of.
    In late summer it's difficult to eat a non-vegan meal outside.

    I have used a similar method with a pan of water and cat food spread on a board like shown in this video:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ng-ylBN43PA

  7. #7
    My wife has been using a dust buster to vacuum up red wasps around one of her container plants. It’s easy and she actually enjoys doing it.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Durham, NC
    Quote Originally Posted by bundabergdevil View Post
    How about carpenter bees? Any good solutions for those? They go after my wood features pretty good. We've made home made deterrent sprays and squirted around the wood. We have a couple of one way wood box traps. Never seems to be enough.
    I was battling those this weekend. They are eating up my porch. Little piles of sawdust everywhere. I coated the eaves with wasp/hornet spray b/c that's what I had on hand, but after a while they were back again. I will try the Demon WP. I've heard filling the holes with aluminum foil balls sealed in with wood putty keeps them from coming back to an old one.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Thomasville, NC
    A friend had pileated woodpeckers nearly destroy a wall of his barn digging out carpenter bee larvae.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Atlanta 'burbs
    Quote Originally Posted by Devilwin View Post
    A residual spray like Demon WP works well. Or, certain types of dust placed in active holes. Tennis rackets do wonders..lol
    I haven’t used a tennis racket, but have gotten very good at using a good old fashioned fly swatter. Not as efficient probably, but the satisfaction is tremendous.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Thomasville, NC
    My nephew uses a whiffle ball bat.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Outside Philly
    Quote Originally Posted by aimo View Post
    I was battling those this weekend. They are eating up my porch. Little piles of sawdust everywhere. I coated the eaves with wasp/hornet spray b/c that's what I had on hand, but after a while they were back again. I will try the Demon WP. I've heard filling the holes with aluminum foil balls sealed in with wood putty keeps them from coming back to an old one.
    I generally don't mind critters, insects included, so long as they aren't posing a threat or destroying my property. Obviously carpenter bees destroy property. But there is also something supremely aggravating - that triggers a level of stewing and personal animosity - about seeing those little saw dust piles and hearing those fat b*stards munching away inside my porch edging. Oh, and the way they hover in the air right in front of you like little buzzing blimps...don't get me started!

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Durham, NC
    Quote Originally Posted by bundabergdevil View Post
    I generally don't mind critters, insects included, so long as they aren't posing a threat or destroying my property. Obviously carpenter bees destroy property. But there is also something supremely aggravating - that triggers a level of stewing and personal animosity - about seeing those little saw dust piles and hearing those fat b*stards munching away inside my porch edging. Oh, and the way they hover in the air right in front of you like little buzzing blimps...don't get me started!
    Yes! and I have such mixed feelings b/c I want to kill every one of them while at the same time need them to pollinate my garden. Conundrum! That's why I would prefer a spray that deters them and not kill them. BUT piles of sawdust do bring thoughts of insecticide.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Thomasville, NC
    That is why I hate yellow jackets. Unlike wasps, who leave no doubt of their intent, yellow jackets do that side to side dance right in your face.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    New Jersey
    Quote Originally Posted by wavedukefan70s View Post
    We have a wood block with two holes on sides .a hole on bottom we screw a two liter bottle in .works ok .
    Wasp spray knocks them out of the air though.
    How did that get past the wankerizer?
    Rich
    "Failure is Not a Destination"
    Coach K on the Dan Patrick Show, December 22, 2016

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Winston’Salem
    And here I was expecting a thread about Stephon Marbury . . . . .
    "Amazing what a minute can do."

  17. #17
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Raleigh
    Quote Originally Posted by Tripping William View Post
    And here I was expecting a thread about Stephon Marbury . . . . .
    An unnamed moderator sent me a PM this afternoon about this very topic...

    24.gif
    [redacted] them and the horses they rode in on.

  18. #18
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Outside Philly
    The carpenter bee traps are very effective this year...stacking the little SOBs up! No murder hornets though. At least not yet. At least one of my trees has lantern flies though...

    Bees.jpg

  19. #19
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Durham, NC
    Quote Originally Posted by bundabergdevil View Post
    The carpenter bee traps are very effective this year...stacking the little SOBs up! No murder hornets though. At least not yet. At least one of my trees has lantern flies though...

    Bees.jpg
    I just googled a how-to on building one of these. Glad it looks pretty easy, b/c I will need several!

  20. #20
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Outside Philly
    Quote Originally Posted by aimo View Post
    I just googled a how-to on building one of these. Glad it looks pretty easy, b/c I will need several!
    I just emptied one of my traps that had half dozen carpenter bees in it plus other beasties.

    Sprayed my wood eaves and porch down with the scented oil mix. They always seem to thwart me but I feel like I’m giving my best effort this year. Giving as good as I get.

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