Did you just find a yellow jacket nest in the ground on your land? Are you wondering can you drown yellow jacket nest with water?
Is it safe to do? Is it the best way to get rid of them?
Can You Drown Yellow Jacket Nest?
Yes, you can drown a yellow jacket nest with water, but it is not recommended as the yellow jackets will most likely try to attach you.
However you should follow some instructions to be safe and not be attacked by the yellow jackets.
Can you drown a yellow jacket nest?
You can kill yellow jackets with water. The method is suitable for earthen burrows and outbuildings. To exterminate yellow jackets in the ground, you put a hose into the burrow and run the water until it pours out.
The entrance to the burrow is covered with a stone or other heavy object. Note that a bucket of water may not be enough, as the burrows can be very deep and some of the liquid is absorbed into the soil.
The insects may have time to dig new holes and escape from the flooded dwelling.
If the nest of these insects is built under the ceiling, you can try drowning it in a bucket of water that is raised and pressed against the ceiling.
But this method requires skill, speed, and accuracy. The bucket must be pressed completely firmly against the surface, without gaps.
To keep the yellow jackets’ nest in the water for a long time, for at least a day, so you should think of some kind of support for the bucket beforehand.
Can you spray a yellow jacket nest with water?
Spray products are quite effective against yellow jackets, but you must wear respiratory protection when using them. Use a sprayer to spray insect repellents over the entire available area of the property.
This way, yellow jackets and other pests can be poisoned without destroying their nests.
Various aqueous solutions can also be used for spraying. For example, boric acid or soap is suitable. For yellow jacket nest control, treat the exit of the yellow jacket nest with any flying insect repellent, in a spray can. A spray for 3 to 6 seconds is sufficient.
Immediately afterward, cover the entrance tightly with construction foam or pre-molded clay that you have brought with you.
Will water get rid of yellow jackets?
Water is the easiest and most environmentally friendly way to fight yellow jackets. Water can be used effectively against yellow jackets.
You can flood the nest if it is underground. If the nest is completely accessible, e.g. hanging from the ceiling in the attic, you can drown the nest in a bucket of water.
Water solutions of insect repellents can also be used to spray both the nests themselves and the flying specimens.
The most common products are those that need to be diluted with water to obtain a working solution. The solution should be prepared according to the instructions and the concentration stated therein.
Prepare a tight polyethylene bag bigger in size than the nest, it should fit inside it. Pour the solution into the bag, usually at least 200 ml.
Put the bag on the nest and tie it tightly so that the insects can’t fly out. Do not hesitate to act, otherwise, angry yellow jackets will attack. Leave the bag with the insecticide for 2 to 3 days and then check whether the insects are still alive inside.
This can be done by tapping on the nest in the bag.
If there are no live yellow jackets left, the nest should be thrown away without removing the bag, and for safety, it should be burned.
Will boiling water kill the yellow jacket nest?
Boiling water is one way to deal with yellow jackets. You can take a large amount of boiling water and pour it on the nest to get rid of it. Also, try this option: pour water into a bucket and place the nest that has been knocked down in it.
While in the liquid, the insects should drown. The main thing to do when fighting yellow jackets with water is to flood the whole nest completely to kill as many insects as possible.
If the nest is placed in the ground, using boiling water will not give many advantages over cold water, but it may damage the plants and animals close to the yellow jacket nest tunnels.
What about cold water, any good?
It is better to use cold water to spray the nests with different solutions or to flood the nests in the ground.
This way there is no fear of damaging the environment. There may be other animals and plants near the nest which could be harmed by the use of boiling water.
What should I mix with water for a yellow jacket nest?
There are quite a few different insecticides that should be diluted in water. For example, an effective yellow jacket repellent is an aqueous solution of boric acid.
Add 100 grams of boric acid to 10 liters of water. You can even use boric acid to kill yellow jacket nests in vegetable gardens and greenhouses, as the substance is safe for the plants.
Another remedy against yellow jackets is a soap solution. Dilute a dishwashing liquid in water. This weak soap solution, when applied to the wings of the insects, glues them together and immobilizes the yellow jackets.
The solution is poured into the nest or sprayed on individual insects. The method works but will have to be used several times. But this method can take up to several weeks before the yellow jacket colony is completely eradicated.
Because dealing with wasps on your runs the risk of being attacked by a large number of angry insects, the safest and most effective remedy is to call in a specialist service.
When is the best time to flood a yellow jacket nest?
The best times to control yellow jackets are spring and autumn. Destroying nests on branches is safest in early spring and early summer when the queen and a few soldiers are in the nest.
From midsummer onwards, such a procedure carries a high degree of risk. In the autumn, yellow jackets lose their aggression, become sleepy and slowly say goodbye to life.
In the spring, however, the queen spends all her energy building a nest. All operations against yellow jackets must be carried out late in the evening.
Although yellow jackets never sleep, their activity decreases considerably at night. After sunset is the best time to destroy a yellow jacket nest.
When the sun goes down, all yellow jackets return to the nest and you have the chance to destroy all individuals at once.
When fighting yellow jackets be sure to use protection for your face and skin, as yellow jackets stings are very painful and can cause serious consequences.
