Ground Hornet Nest
- Thread starter Ralf11
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86turbodsl
Well-known member
i did another one this year. if it's not around anything flammable, i usually do gasoline and a lit torch. Around dusk. There was a giant pile of dead ones in the morning. A few stragglers for a few days, but that nest is gone.
Garry
Well-known member
Wait until dark (All of them will be in the nest) pour a quart of gasoline down the entrance and put a brick or something like over it. No need to light it, by morning every one of them pests will be dead by the fumes. Guaranteed! It works every time! Don't do it in the daylight, they won't all have returned to the nest till dark!
-Garry
-Garry
Kaizen
Well-known member
Location would be helpful. In cold places they will be going dormant soon.
Gas is usually first go to. Vapor gets through the whole nest. Fill it in after of others will use it next year. No sense working when you can move right into a vacant home
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Gas is usually first go to. Vapor gets through the whole nest. Fill it in after of others will use it next year. No sense working when you can move right into a vacant home
Sent from my iPhone using Garage Journal
Innovate1
Well-known member
That was my first thought. A quart is way more than needed. I would have guessed a cup was more than enough. Wait until dusk so they are all inside. Then quickly dump it in and slap a brick on before any can get out. You could even put some screen down first, then dump in the gas if you are worried some may escape.
58Yeoman
Well-known member
Thanks. If I ever have a ground nest, I'll remember the screen. We've had three large nests in the trees at my place.
BillK
Well-known member
Go to home depot and buy a can of the spray made to kill them. Thats what I did last time. Cant remember what brand it was but it worked just fine. You wait till dusk like the others said and then you spray it in the nest. Its like a foam and any that do come out will touch it and get killed.
acer66
Well-known member
I do the big mouth jar thing, at night put it over the entrance secure it with some dirt and watch theme exhaust themselves going in and out of the jar.
from the nest.
One time I did that with a bigger nest and the jar was full with them and like the idiot I sometimes can be I was contemplating what would happen if I tip it over but fortunately common sense saved me.
That nest was also the only one that started making a second exit but another jar took care of that.
Approaching a nest at night does not guarantee safety though.
I did one at like 10pm and they were not having it but fortunately I was in full bee suit so no harm.
from the nest.
One time I did that with a bigger nest and the jar was full with them and like the idiot I sometimes can be I was contemplating what would happen if I tip it over but fortunately common sense saved me.
That nest was also the only one that started making a second exit but another jar took care of that.
Approaching a nest at night does not guarantee safety though.
I did one at like 10pm and they were not having it but fortunately I was in full bee suit so no harm.
crazylunker
Well-known member
I trigger a raid house fogger can next to the opening and immediately invert a 5 gallon bucket over the can and the nest entrance with a brick on top.....next day no activity
rlitman
Well-known member
Yes. It's the fumes that kill them, and the fumes sink into the nest, since they're heavier than air. However, gas also kills plants, so if you don't want a dead patch, this isn't the best answer.
The best product that HD sells by me (this may vary by region) is Spectracide Pro. It's a big white can with black lettering. That however is not a foaming product, and for that matter, my local HD doesn't sell any foaming wasp sprays. My Ace does. The nice thing about the foam is that it seals the entrance while you're spraying (if you do it right), which gives you time to escape.
I usually just apply a couple of teaspoons of Delta Dust to the entrance at night and let it do its work.
Yeah, there are usually some guards hanging around the entrance at night. During the day, pay attention to the location of the sun. They fly out the first few feet directly oriented towards the sun, and if the run into you there, you'd in for a surprise.
There can be a 2-3 guards at the entrance at night, so bring some spray when you start.
I've used a shop vac with a couple of inches of soapy water before with great results. I started the vac right before the sky started turning light, and by noon they were all gone.
Eventually the queen will come out to investigate.
I've used a shop vac with a couple of inches of soapy water before with great results. I started the vac right before the sky started turning light, and by noon they were all gone.
Eventually the queen will come out to investigate.
WNYflyer
Well-known member
Looks like one of the local skunks took care of mine. Now I need to fill in the hole so I don't break an ankle. Doesn't help that the location is the site of a previously taken down tree were the roots are now decaying and thus the ground is subsiding. Going to need to probably dig it up more than anticipated and bring some dirt in.
Innovate1
Well-known member
This seems like a good plan.
nadogail
Well-known member
Looks like a chemical treatment, a big mouth jar and a brick are the tools you will need.
I use brakekleen as my personal defense. Did the HD chemical thing at night did not work the first time. I found they had tunneled under a section of wood so when I turned over that wood I found the mother lode. So after the second chemical assault I shoveled the remains of nest into plastic bag and left the scene. Next morning plastic bag was ripped nest gone no dead hornets.
Over the next few days I had a few come back and look for nest but brakekleen got them.
Over the next few days I had a few come back and look for nest but brakekleen got them.
as OP I appreciate all the responses, but the nest has a long slot like entrance under an exposed root - I could block it off with a sheet of plastic - maybe
It is 150 ft from any electricity so no shop vac answers
Again, my question is whether a trap is likely to capture enough workers to wipe out the nest...
It is 150 ft from any electricity so no shop vac answers
Again, my question is whether a trap is likely to capture enough workers to wipe out the nest...
rlitman
Well-known member
That's easy. Absolutely not.
Trapping workers will hardly have any effect on the overall nest health. It will always be churning out workers faster than a baited trap can collect them.
Now if you had a bait station with a slow-acting non-repellent insecticide that they could bring back to the nest, there's a chance it would work.
Rewind97
Well-known member
Don't they usually have a second entrance?
Garry
Well-known member
Like I said above, wait until dark and pour a quart of gasoline down there and cover the entrance as best you can. It's outside in the exposed air, it's not dangerous as long as one doesn't have an ignition source with the gas prior to pouring it down the nest entrance! A 1/4 or 1/2 cup will likely not be as effective. I have done many of these when we had acreage and it was 100% every time. A trap will not work!
gfd_703
Well-known member
You people are no fun. Around here it is pour up to 1 gallon of gas down the hole and wait at least 30 minutes for it to complete vaporize. Then pour a gas fuse at least 200 ft and light. It will blow like dynamite. Not recommended for urban settings or near anything but open land.
acer66
Well-known member
Yeah but I grow stuff in the garden and I have not acquired a taste for gasoline flavored food yet.
PugetDude
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Had a basketball sized underground nest in the side yard at our cabin this summer; neighbor called in a exterminator since it was actually closer to his house than ours. Exterminator arrived around noon the next day, a skunk had completely wiped out the nest that night. He told them it was the second one in a row that day. Skunks must be really hungry this time of year, the nest was completely excavated and scattered.
I was prepared to wipe it out with a big can of foaming wasp spray and a couple of gallons of soapy water. Fire danger is too high for gas.
I was prepared to wipe it out with a big can of foaming wasp spray and a couple of gallons of soapy water. Fire danger is too high for gas.
Don1357
Well-known member
On every person's life there are certain weird and funny things you see that you never forget, no matter how old you get. One of them was when we moved into our new house. I was on the porch taking the views when my daughter comes running from the tree line acting like he was having an epileptic seizure while going at full speed. She then proceeded to, while still running, take her pants off in the middle of the lawn and then rush past me and into the house. Yup, she stepped on a ground nest and knew nothing other than she was getting stung and there were bees clinging to her pants.
A spoonful of Sevin dust will kill them.
rlitman
Well-known member
BTDT. It does, but slowly (think days, not seconds), and only if the Sevin is fresh. I've had Sevin that was on the shelf for a few years not work at all. My wife was also stung at night by a yellow jacket that was as white as a ghost and that looked just like a moth because it was so thoroughly coated in dust. It would have been funny had she not been stung.
RoscoTom
Well-known member
When I lived in the city, I found a ground nest while mowing.
This was the old days, I had an old 2 stroke LawnBoy push mower.
I got stung a couple times, and took off running.
I left the the mower running wide open between the houses, and hopped in my truck.
I drove a couple miles to the hardware, stocked up on spray and went home.
The mower was howling away, just like I left it.
I emptied both cans of stuff, then retrieved the mower.
I found out later that the busybody neighbor got annoyed and went over and tried to shut the mower off and got stung a couple times.
This was the old days, I had an old 2 stroke LawnBoy push mower.
I got stung a couple times, and took off running.
I left the the mower running wide open between the houses, and hopped in my truck.
I drove a couple miles to the hardware, stocked up on spray and went home.
The mower was howling away, just like I left it.
I emptied both cans of stuff, then retrieved the mower.
I found out later that the busybody neighbor got annoyed and went over and tried to shut the mower off and got stung a couple times.
ssdave
Banned
paul.nmedia.net
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They are nearly blind at night and you want to kill them all so wait until they are all in the nest at night not on a full moon like now.
Then wear thick winter jacket and overalls, gloves. You can dig up the nest and spray them all without much worry because they have no idea where to go for and can’t see you. The guards will buzz a lot to scare you but that’s about all they can do. Very easy to kill a nest. I’ve destroyed yellow jackets in the South this way that can actually kill adults.
Then wear thick winter jacket and overalls, gloves. You can dig up the nest and spray them all without much worry because they have no idea where to go for and can’t see you. The guards will buzz a lot to scare you but that’s about all they can do. Very easy to kill a nest. I’ve destroyed yellow jackets in the South this way that can actually kill adults.
BigGarage
Well-known member
This would be my choice too but I'd be remembering Al Bundy's words while I did it; "Bud, if dynamite was dangerous do you think they'd sell it to an idiot like me?".
Dennis
Any type of "bees" that I have used it on, have been dead by the next day.
Maybe I just have better luck ?
rlitman
Well-known member
Any type of "bees" that I have used it on, have been dead by the next day.
Maybe I just have better luck ?
Maybe. I do think that batch of Sevin was just too old to be effective. 5% Sevin dust is also 95% diatomaceous earth, which is also insecticidal, but is much more slow acting. The nest in question was still dead within 48 hours.
But I've also seen Drione dust drop wasps right out of the air (and Delta dust is nearly as strong), so there are some rather fast acting dusts out there for the riskier situations.
That's quite possible as well. Could also have been a bad batch, beginning or end of the run.
Most of the time, i fill a tube or hose with Sevin dust and its connected to a compressed air source. It carries through hive rather than leaving it to be carried in by those coming back.
redmondjp
Well-known member
Besides skunks, raccoons also dig up and eat the nests. I had one in a rotten tree root a few years ago, similar to the OP's situation, and I was pondering what to do about it (was in an area where I mowed right over the top of it which obviously is not good). Then one day I walked out to the nest, and the ground was ripped open and everything was gone. I had to do some digging online to figure out that raccoons will sniff out the nests at night and eat them. That upped my respect for raccoons by quite a bit.
Bretny
Well-known member
I have used a weed burner set over there hole and a long stick to stir them up. I also used about 1/2cup of dish soap in the hole then stick the garden hose down it. It foams up and they drownd.
John in OH
Well-known member
Although it's an environmental no-no, I locate the entrance hole during the day. Then, just after dark I take an old glass Coke bottle, fill it with gasoline, upend the bottle, and stuff the open end into the hole.
Success rate is near 100% with minimal turf kill.
Success rate is near 100% with minimal turf kill.