I'm in Maryland, you guys seeing them in the woods still? It's still not cold....
Anybody in the Northeast having yellow jacket problems?
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SultansOfSwing
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Yeah theyre still out collecting food for winter.
Tpmetal
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Just hand some moving their nest here in ny, seemed weird for the time of year.
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Still active in lower New York. Got hit twice this summer! 
relic nut
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They have been bad here in the valley too. Especially in the woods. We've had two frost but it hasn't stopped them yet. I got into some Saturday
HH, RN
HH, RN
Charlie P. (NY)
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Went to a outdoor event in Rhinebeck NY (on the Hudson River) last Saturday and they were pestering anyone who was having a soda at the open air food vendors. Hundreds of them.
72°F in the end of October! Wild!
This Global Warming will be great stuff if it doesn't kill all the fish.
72°F in the end of October! Wild!
This Global Warming will be great stuff if it doesn't kill all the fish.
Shane508
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I went out detecting a few days ago with someone. We met at a Dunkin Donuts, and were hit by a swarm of them in the parking lot. Then we went to the farm to detect about a mile away, and they were out in the field too. Crazy.
nh.nugget
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We've got them in NH. One town had to close a large park because of them little (ok I'll be nice) bugs. The things are everywhere been warmer than usual.
SusanMN
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Oh Lordy, am I. They nested in the ground near my house in late summer and three weeks ago I went down the basement and found a swarm of about a hundred up flying around against the ceiling and window. My metal detecting mosquito net hat, and winter clothes from head to toe plus a can of wasp spray killed them quick but the darn things kept coming in, apparently squeezing in between a crack in my concrete blocks .
So step two was to spray a long lasting insecticide against doors and windows and several cans of wasp spray into the outside block cracks and ground entrance but they were still coming in and dying, fifty or more a day. Because there are always a few who go nuts and fly around the room, I have needed to put on the net hat and protective gear anytime I go to the basement to do laundry or get something from the freezer. And every day I have vacuumed up the dead and dying wasps.
Having no luck with the sprays and liquids I moved on to an insecticide powder, Sevin. The problem with this is that it needs to be blown into the nest, which means getting really really close to their nest entrances. I was helped by the fact our temps have dropped down to the 40’s and the buggers can’t fly outside when it’s that cold. They came out to get me but immediately dropped to the ground.
That was about a week ago and I am only getting a wasp or two a day so I think I have won. And with temps dropping into the 20’s they should all be dying off. They cannot live through winter indoors or out here in Minnesota.
As soon as the cold hits I will drag the wet dry vac outside, open it and take a picture. I am thinking I have maybe a thousand dead yellow jackets in it. Happy to share the pic when I take it.
So step two was to spray a long lasting insecticide against doors and windows and several cans of wasp spray into the outside block cracks and ground entrance but they were still coming in and dying, fifty or more a day. Because there are always a few who go nuts and fly around the room, I have needed to put on the net hat and protective gear anytime I go to the basement to do laundry or get something from the freezer. And every day I have vacuumed up the dead and dying wasps.
Having no luck with the sprays and liquids I moved on to an insecticide powder, Sevin. The problem with this is that it needs to be blown into the nest, which means getting really really close to their nest entrances. I was helped by the fact our temps have dropped down to the 40’s and the buggers can’t fly outside when it’s that cold. They came out to get me but immediately dropped to the ground.
That was about a week ago and I am only getting a wasp or two a day so I think I have won. And with temps dropping into the 20’s they should all be dying off. They cannot live through winter indoors or out here in Minnesota.
As soon as the cold hits I will drag the wet dry vac outside, open it and take a picture. I am thinking I have maybe a thousand dead yellow jackets in it. Happy to share the pic when I take it.
OP
OP
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Thanks all. I can't believe it hasn't frosted yet. A friend said he was finding dead ones on the sidewalk, it is about the end of their life cycle. I put out an apple on a stick about 80' from a ground nest to see if it would attract any. Watched it for awhile, no takers. I suppose it should be safe to dig before 10 am. Still pretty cool then. I was chased by a couple on Saturday, but they gave up the chase. SusanMN, I saw just one fly by my head a few years ago as I was entering the building. I found a tiny hole at the top of my outside door and came on in. I called an exterminator. From inside the house, he drilled a tiny 1/8" or so hole, blew a powder behind the wall, and that as they say, was that. No more Yeller jackets.
Thinking of going out this weekend in light woods, but am allergic to bees. Had the shots a long time ago and carry medicine, but don't need the aggravation. I thought about bringing a candy bar or two, wrapped, and opening and dropping one away from people so they would be attracted to it, not me.
Thinking of going out this weekend in light woods, but am allergic to bees. Had the shots a long time ago and carry medicine, but don't need the aggravation. I thought about bringing a candy bar or two, wrapped, and opening and dropping one away from people so they would be attracted to it, not me.
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FreeBirdTim
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Got stung at least 10 times by yellow jackets last week. Made the bad mistake of running my coil over a hole in the ground in the woods. They came swarming out and chased me for at least 100 feet. I kept making cuts like a running back and going behind trees, but couldn't lose them. Of course, it's hard to hide when you're wearing a bright orange vest!
The worst part of this story is that I got a high 70's signal right near the hole. Never had a chance to find out what it was. Maybe I can go back after the first hard frost. I'll bring some wasp spray, just in case they want a rematch! I never kill anything in this world, but I will make an exception if those boys sting me again!
The worst part of this story is that I got a high 70's signal right near the hole. Never had a chance to find out what it was. Maybe I can go back after the first hard frost. I'll bring some wasp spray, just in case they want a rematch! I never kill anything in this world, but I will make an exception if those boys sting me again!
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I was getting ready for a house inspection and wouldn't you know it there was a Eastern Yellow Jacket nest up in the intake vent for the HRV. So after three cans of wasp spray it was time to call in the expert "The Wasp Man"
2hrs later after taking all the intake pipe apart the task was complete. It seems like a high cycle for them this year, nests everywhere it seems.
The bee guy did three homes along the road that afternoon. The first photo was the first spray results, then there was another clean up after that one. The problem was everyone that was there at the house had a Epee Pen in their vehicle for bee stings so it was an issue. The dust pan was what he dug out of the vent pipe.
The third phot was the neighbour's extraction of the nest out of the shed. When he went down to our friends to help them out they couldn't sit on the deck, the wasps were feeding off the sap from the trees. They thought the nest was under the deck, but he clearly saw they were only feeding and did a walk about the yard, 100ft away in a rock retaining wall the nest was dug out.
View attachment 1509303 View attachment 1509304 View attachment 1509305
2hrs later after taking all the intake pipe apart the task was complete. It seems like a high cycle for them this year, nests everywhere it seems.
The bee guy did three homes along the road that afternoon. The first photo was the first spray results, then there was another clean up after that one. The problem was everyone that was there at the house had a Epee Pen in their vehicle for bee stings so it was an issue. The dust pan was what he dug out of the vent pipe.
The third phot was the neighbour's extraction of the nest out of the shed. When he went down to our friends to help them out they couldn't sit on the deck, the wasps were feeding off the sap from the trees. They thought the nest was under the deck, but he clearly saw they were only feeding and did a walk about the yard, 100ft away in a rock retaining wall the nest was dug out.
View attachment 1509303 View attachment 1509304 View attachment 1509305
AlienLifeForm
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Bugs in general have been pretty bad this year. Worst year for fire ants I have seen.
dfallis1
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Same thing happened to me. A few weeks back my coil hit a ground nest and my reaction was to drop everything and RUN! I got stung twice. Once in the hand and the other on my darn a$$ while I was running. Funny now but the part that sucks is I dropped my machine at the nest and they held it hostage till nearly sunset. I havnt went back in the woods, ill wait till frost hits.
Charlie P. (NY)
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I wish.
I took THE ADMIRAL to the Sheep and Wool Festival and waded through building after building of yarn and knit items. Ugh. Until recently we raised sheep and she's big-time into spinning and fiber. Though in exchange she put up with my fly-fishing on some earlier days. We trade off. ;-)
But I kept my eye on a biplane that was giving sky rides.
I used to go to the aerodrome annually when Cole Palen and Dave Fox were alive. Haven't been to a show there many years.
SusanMN
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Thank God we don’t have those here in Minnesota.
OP
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Friends went out last weekend and got stung HOWEVER with the low to be about 23 degrees here Friday night, I think its OVER!
Professor of Engineering
Gold Member
They are still alive and well in Massachusetts! 
Only got stung 8 times this year...
The record was 27 at one time two years ago... I guess I'm not allergic
Only got stung 8 times this year...
The record was 27 at one time two years ago... I guess I'm not allergic
