Yellow Jackets... Did I do the right thing?

[S. Heisley]

If you're a Fireaunt, you should be able to be vicious right back to those little buggies! TeeHee!

Texas is a little out of my area. I can tell you that there are fourteen types of scorpions in California (14! ...Who knew!). I would just as soon not meet up with any of them.

I have met a couple pseudoscorpions that were salmon-red color, with the front pincers but no long tail. I'm certain I shortened their life a bit.

Scorpions are a member of the spider family and are relatives of ticks and mites. (Yuck!) However, they sting and eat their relatives as well as other insects. They are best controlled by eliminating places for them to live and hide (under stones, wood, in tall grass and such). Also, use weather stripping around loose-fitting doors and windows and keep screens in good repair. Ya don't want 'em in da house!

Scorpions can be toxic and some people are allergic to their bite. If you are sting by one, begin by applying an ice pack to the stung area. If symptoms persist or worsen or if difficulty in breathing occurs, seek medical help.

Hope that helps some.
Sharon

[S. Heisley]

Before I forget what I forgot to tell you:

If you have bees, wasps or anything like that inside your walls, it's best to call in a professional. A true professional will be licensed and have insurance that helps protect you from mishaps.

[fireaunt]

Great info - thanks.

Fireant
-----------
watching out for the crazy rasberries

[kiacker]

I had a go-round with those doggone yellow jackets last summer. I was mowing near some landscaping timbers when a swarm of them came out & attacked me. They chased me halfway down the block! The darn things unbeknownst to me had made a nest within the landscaping railroad ties & there was no way to get at them directly. I made several attempts at spraying them & trying to flood them out. Nothing worked. And they kept attacking me or my dog. A friend suggested throwing gas on them then lighting it which 1. there was no way to get the gas on them in between the timbers and 2. the natural gas main to my house ran right underneath the spot. I didn't feel like tempting fate! So finally one night I declared war. I put on my Carhart overalls, work boots, wrapped a scarf around my neck, and put on my full face motorcycle helmet. The damn things weren't going to get me again! I snuck up and tied a rope to one end of the timbers then pulled them off into the yard. I then sprayed everything with that foam wasp spray(3 cans for good measure but NOT environmentally conscious!) and showered everything with an Orkin insecticide powder. In the morning I found my neighbors staring at my yard & asking if I had lost it. My landscaping timbers were strewn all over my yard with a rope attached to them & most of my plants and lawn in a 25 foot area had a coat of white powder on it. But I finally killed damn things. Turns out they had made an entrance between the timbers and had burrowed into the timbers interior as well as into the ground. Thank goodness they've not returned this year!

[fireaunt]

Lisa you can be on my team!

[S. Heisley]

...I put on my Carhart overalls, work boots, wrapped a scarf around my neck, and put on my full face motorcycle helmet. The damn things weren't going to get me again! I snuck up and tied a rope to one end of the timbers then pulled them off into the yard. I then sprayed everything with that foam wasp spray(3 cans for good measure but NOT environmentally conscious!) and showered everything with an Orkin insecticide powder. In the morning I found my neighbors staring at my yard & asking if I had lost it. My landscaping timbers were strewn all over my yard with a rope attached to them & most of my plants and lawn in a 25 foot area had a coat of white powder on it. But I finally killed damn things. Turns out they had made an entrance between the timbers and had burrowed into the timbers interior as well as into the ground. Thank goodness they've not returned this year! ....

That's a priceless story! Congrats on getting rid of 'em!
Sharon

[Dean in Eureka, CA]

Welp...
I just got home from a weekend of "Food Camping." (Teardrops and dutch ovens)
Before I left on Friday evening, Colton noticed a few stragglers hanging around the former nest site, so I gave it one more blast with the fire hose... Thinking, "That oughta do it for sure..."
Well, like I say, just got home and they have a new nest started.
I think I'm gonna go ahead and let them get it completed, then go the route of the poison spray...

[S. Heisley]

Looks like ya gotta get out the "nasty can" and spray them buggers!