Whats eating the yellow Jackets nests

[Davers]

What's eating the yellow Jackets nests

I have heard in the past few years about the Honey Bee's issues with evasive species & disease but in the last few years 2 mainly Ive come across only 2 active in ground Yellow Jacket nests 1 was normal bee's coming and going every second or so & the other only barley active 1 bee every 10-15 seconds the approx, 10-15 others were dug out by something [usually with a destroyed cone nearby] What is doing this as Im used to getting stung around 5-10 times a year but have not been stung in 3 [ that is a good thing] I'm about 20 miles north of Atl GA just for a ref, point. Any Info,?

 

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[Minrelica]

My first guess was raccoon and a quick search suggests that it may very well be raccoons or skunk

 

[mamabear]

Interesting! Never heard of it before. Could stand to get rid of a few nests here.

 

[kuger]

My first guess was raccoon and a quick search suggests that it may very well be raccoons or skunk

.....yep,and where there are bears...bears....skunks are heck on em....or Honey Badgers...

 

[BosnMate]

I don't know about racoons, but skunks love them. Had an in ground nest in our grape vines a few years ago. Noticed it when I got stung. They had actually cut the grape leaves to give them landing patterns and no interference when taking off. I marked the spot, and after dark when they had all returned to the hole, I stuffed a funnel in the entrance and filled the cavity up with 3f black rifle powder. Took about half a pound. I was paying $2.50 a pound for powder then, but the price is so high now, I wouldn't do today. Then I stuck a fuse in the hole, lit it and got away. It was like an upside down rocket ship, man fire was shooting out to an awesome degree, then whump, and smoldering nest particles were laying about. In the day light the landing pattern area of grape vines was plumb scorched. This isn't a recommended method of removal, but it did work for me, screwed the grapes but got the yellow jackets. There would be a great danger of fire using that method also, so safety first, the grapes were green and nothing close would burn. You can also pour gas in the hole and it doesn't have to be set on fire, the gas kills them instantly. Haven't had a yellow jacket problem around here this season, but I don't want to speak too soon, we still have all of October, and they love it when you are skinning a deer.

 

[pa plateau hiker]

Agree on the skunks eating yellow jackets. Skunks are destructive to honey bees too . They will eat the bees on the landing board during the night.

 

[Clay Slayer]

In southern Louisiana I've noticed a dramatic increase in Velvet Ants (actually wasps), Family Mutillidae. They borough into the ground nests of wasps and use the larvae as hosts. In the past I would notice seeing only one or two a month...now I see them everyday around my house.

Wikipedia excerpt...

"The female then enters an insect nest, typically a ground-nesting bee such as a bumblebee or wasp nest, and deposits one egg near each larva or pupa. Her young then develop as idiobiont ectoparasitoids, eventually killing their immobile larval/pupal hosts within a matter of days."

 

[TNGUNS]

Knock on wood, but I have been lucky this year. I am in Southeast TN and usually get torn up a few times every year. I would literally rather be stung by a hornet. The pain from a hornet is much worse at first, but yellow jackets just keep hurting me for hours. A few years ago I used to bush hog for several people as well as my own farm. It was a given to get into them pretty often. To address your question my guess would be skunks as well.

 

[Red James Cash]

I stuffed a funnel in the entrance and filled the cavity up with 3f black rifle powder. Took about half a pound

Bosn I use to do it a fun way when I happened across the yellow jackets nest.I used bottle rockets and a bb gun.First strike was with a full auto bbgun,3600 rounds a minute.A few bursts of full auto then a barrage of bottle rockets

 

[piegrande]

I bet the first aid for scorpions we use here in Mexico will also work for hornet stings.

McCormick's meat tenderizer, looks like salt and tastes like it, but it has papaina in it. Comes in a spice type bottle.

You need to get it on quick before the poison gets in the blood, so any time I am out of the house I take a bottle of McCormick's with me.

When you get bit, right away before it gets in your blood, make a paste of the tenderizer mixed with water,and rub it over the place where the sting is.

I have mixed it in my cupped hand if nothing else is available.

Now, it is important for scorpions, and thus I assume for hornet stings, keep mixing and putting it on for TEN MINUTES. Over and over and over. Do not stop until ten minutes have passed.

And, so far all who have done that, in that ten minutes, the sting is gone. Usually a sting will hurt for a month or so I am told. Not with tenderizer, All gone in that ten minutes. Should work on all toxic stings, but I joke I doubt it will work on rattlesnake bites. And, I am rather confident it won't work on coral snake bites, but if I get bit, I am going to try it, for sure.

Here, if you don't use the tenderizer, a high percentage of victims of scorpion stings end up at the government hospital, which in my town provides free care. Each antivenom costs them around $100 USD, and they may have to use 2. And, they won't let you go until after 2 hours for observation.

So, this first aid cure is really a blessing.

A few weeks ago, a biting caterpiller nailed two men on their shoulders when we were walking in the woods on business. I put on the tendrizer right away, but for that small bite it only took two minutes.


Reminds me, I just read in rural China they have killer hornets. One town has had over 40 people stung to death so far this year. The hornets are as big as a man's thumb, and they act much like killer bees. Those who have survived actually have holes eaten out of their body where they were stung.

 

[kuger]

I bet the first aid for scorpions we use here in Mexico will also work for hornet stings.

McCormick's meat tenderizer, looks like salt and tastes like it, but it has papaina in it. Comes in a spice type bottle.

You need to get it on quick before the poison gets in the blood, so any time I am out of the house I take a bottle of McCormick's with me.

When you get bit, right away before it gets in your blood, make a paste of the tenderizer mixed with water,and rub it over the place where the sting is.

I have mixed it in my cupped hand if nothing else is available.

Now, it is important for scorpions, and thus I assume for hornet stings, keep mixing and putting it on for TEN MINUTES. Over and over and over. Do not stop until ten minutes have passed.

And, so far all who have done that, in that ten minutes, the sting is gone. Usually a sting will hurt for a month or so I am told. Not with tenderizer, All gone in that ten minutes. Should work on all toxic stings, but I joke I doubt it will work on rattlesnake bites. And, I am rather confident it won't work on coral snake bites, but if I get bit, I am going to try it, for sure.

Here, if you don't use the tenderizer, a high percentage of victims of scorpion stings end up at the government hospital, which in my town provides free care. Each antivenom costs them around $100 USD, and they may have to use 2. And, they won't let you go until after 2 hours for observation.

So, this first aid cure is really a blessing.

A few weeks ago, a biting caterpiller nailed two men on their shoulders when we were walking in the woods on business. I put on the tendrizer right away, but for that small bite it only took two minutes.


Reminds me, I just read in rural China they have killer hornets. One town has had over 40 people stung to death so far this year. The hornets are as big as a man's thumb, and they act much like killer bees. Those who have survived actually have holes eaten out of their body where they were stung.

Yes it does!!!Thats what my grand dad used to use on me......seems like I was always getting into hornets when I was kid

 

[ridgecrawler]

use seven dust to get rid of a nest, just throw a handful on the entrance, they will track it into the nest. end of story.

 

[Davers]

Thanks for all the reply's , we have always had alot of raccoon's around , but I have never really seen or smelled my skunk's in this area (I can recall seeing one every "blue moon" run over in the road. Armadillo's are creeping their way north ,in the past they were rarely seen above Macon Ga, witch is near the middle of the state but in the last couple years I have seen a couple hit in the road as far north as the west side of Atlanta. Used to in these parts when you smelled a skunk esp, in late Summer or early Fall it meant someones GARDEN WAS near by. If you know what I mean. Thanks again Davers

 

[onfire]

What's ever eating them must have a hell of a digestive system They have eaten them here even after being sprayed with poison wasp spray
Propane works great.

 

[GTzer]

Always killed them after dark with spray.
But one time I ran into them mowing- I left the mower on high over the hole until it ran out of gas. Kind of entertaining watching them attack the mower. Even when they were blown out intact they came back and got sucked through.

 

[Tnmountains]

In Tennessee the raccoons dig out the yellow jacket nest and eat them. Black bears also. It is that time of year right now.

 

[DiggityDiggity]

I am sooo glad I live in the north so I don't have to deal with nasty creepy crawlies. ^_^

 

[songdog]

Turkeys will dig up and eat a ground hornets nest as well as armadillos.

 

[Davers]

Thanks for the opinions ,imo one or several critters are responsible . p.s. I only kill them when they are in an area frequented by my family and others .

 

[roygpa]

Skunks like them, even when the nest is doused in a bit of gasoline.

Roy