As you may already know, the Yellow Jackets are beneficial in eradicating many other pests and destructive bugs. However they are a nuisance to people because of their aggressive nature and instant stings. This makes it mandatory to destroy them by focussing on their underground nests. These insects prefer in building their colonies in deserted animal or snake burrows underneath the ground. They construct soccer ball sized paper nests underneath protected areas under tall grass or bushes.
The underground nest of yellow jackets are bound to be bigger during the summer season as the insects tend to be active then and the activity declines during the late fall ,as the worker insects cannot survive in the chill weather. The nest also has a small hole facilitating entry and exit. The nest has the appearance of a honeycomb, and is filled with larvae because the queens usually lays thousands of eggs.
Various Ways To Kill Yellow Jackets Underground
There are many ways to kill or destroy the yellow jackets that live in underground nests or colonies. It is important to eliminate these insects so that it does not cause any hindrance to humans nearby. Here are some methods that you can try to kill the yellow jackets, and these methods include setting up natural traps or professional traps, usage of insecticide and pesticide, and hiring a professional pest control service. Now let us take a detail look at these solutions:
Boiling Water: You can use boiling water to kill Yellow Jackets. It is a viable way of killing an inaccessible nest of the insects under the ground. Boiling water can flow down into the entrance freely instantly killing the insects. The biggest advantage of hot water application is that it is 100% natural and does not cause any hazards to the animals and plants. The drawback of the boiling water is that it not working all the time. The effect of this method also depends on the structure of the hive because otherwise the aggressive pests might end up attacking you.
Traps: The yellow jacket traps are readily available in the market. In addition, these can be easily made with home found elements. One easy method is to fill a horizontally cut soda bottle with sugared water in the lower half and then placing the other half upside on it. Make sure to press it down firmly and then don’t forget to seal off the outer edge using a tape. This sugar would lure in the Yellow Jackets to the bottle and they get trapped there.
Insecticidal Sprays: These are commercial sprays that are designed specifically to get rid of the yellow jackets and their nests. These sprays can travel up to 20 feet, however there is a risk of the fellow pests stinging the applicator. The disadvantage is that, the sprays might contain some chemicals that are harmful to the animals and plants which might have side effects. But most often it is hundred percent successful in eradicating the Yellow Jacket Hives.
A Homemade Nest Eliminator: This is an effective eliminator of Yellow Jackets and could be the best option for underground nests. It is a simple method which can be done by just two things; A plastic bowl and A flower pot.
Method
- Locate the yellow jacket nest underground
- Take the plastic bowl and place it in the inverted position, above the ground, where the nest is located
- Weight the plastic bowl by placing a flower pot above. Implement the method at night as their activity is low then.
- This would prevent the yellow jacket from rising up and it would die within a day (or) two due to starvation.
When to hire the service of Professional Pest Control?
Though you can try any of the above mentioned methods to kill the yellow jackets, if the infestation is severe you can hire a professional exterminator. A professional would ensure complete eradication of the pests and relieve you of the burden.
Important things to know
• Always remember to wear protective clothing before trying to eliminate the yellow jackets from the nest.
• Ideal time for killing Yellow Jackets are at the night, as dip in temperature weakens their activity.
• It would be good to use a repellent to keep the insects away from you.
• Try to keep the trashcans covered as open trash is extremely attractive to the insects.
• It is also better to always cover food and sugary drinks as the yellow jackets are lured by such food stuff.
However always remember that , it would be best to take necessary precautionary measures to keep the Yellow Jackets away rather than getting rid of them later.