Yellow Jackets Nesting in RV Rooftop AC

[pipepro1]

I was cleaning my RV roof and didn't know there was a yellow Jacket colony in my rooftop AC. I found out quick as I fought off a bunch of them that weren't too happy with my power washer. I was lucky I was only stung once and escaped the roof. Wasp and hornet spray decimated the colony.

 

[TheBar]

My mother was deathly allergic to yellow jacket wasps which nest in trees, eaves, or an A/C cover. But not to a different variety called yellow jacket bees which nest underground or in tree stumps. The wasps have a much more powerful sting than the bees.

I've only seen the bees here in MS. When I lived in OK we had wasps. I remember Raid brand wasp killer doesn't kill as fast as Hot Shot or Black Flag but I can't remember which of those is the fastest kill. Catch them in their nest at twilight and they'll drop straight down without a single one flying away.

 

[pipepro1]

Funny thing is I fell a few weeks ago and fractured a bone in my wrist. I always heard some stings are therapeutic and my wrist feels better. lol

 

[John From Detroit]

I recall in my roofing days I shoved a shingle up and a space and hit what felt like a sponge and thought 'Why would they have a sponge up..... OH and hit the ground running (I skipped the ladder it was a low eve) Did not get stung. Boss did but I did not. Got back up with spray and finished the roof.

Only time I ever needed a shot of Epie (epinephrine) (IT was called synthetic adrenaline back then) They stopped counting at 24 or 25 bee stings., I'm not allergic but with that many... It really helped.

Now days.. Well I do occasionally have an encounter with a "Yellow Jacket" (my winter coat is yellow) But not the same kind. I like to be visible if I'm walking

 

[pipepro1]

I had a yellow Jacket colony grow inside brickwork on the front of my house. I set up my shop vac at the entrance and turned it on they tried to attack it and got sucked in. killed hundreds that day.

 

[Rene T]

Years ago we owned an apartment bldg. one day my tenant called me and he could hear some noise in the wall in a closet. Sure enough, it was a huge nest of bees. I went outside and found a hole in the siding where they were going in and out. I waited until after dark and sprayed a whole can of bees spray in that hole. The next morning there was a huge pile of dead bees on the ground. There must have been a hundred or more. I have no idea how many would have been killed inside the wall. I did not pull the wall down so they are still in there. I caulked the hole to seal it up

 

[whiteva]

Once upon a time I was running the weed wacker at the edge of our lake when ground hornets attacked in force. I immediately dropped the wacker and ran toward the house (300ish feet away). The little bastards followed me in a swarm when suddenly I felt stings inside my pants. 1st the pants came off, then the shirt, then the underwear. Still only half way to the house and still being stung. Necked I made it to the porch realizing I had not refilled my epie pen and I am allergic. Slipped on a pair of shorts and a T shirt and headed for the hospital. Half way there I realized it was too far away so I called my daughters phone (see works for a DR.) and quickly said I was 3 blocks away. I think the entire staff ran out as I stopped. Quick shot as I almost fell out of my truck & was helped into a exam room.
IT gets worse because the female PA was someone that practically grew up with my daughter at our place, so we knew each other. In the exam room my PA said strip to your shorts so we can look at the amount of stings. "AHHHHH darling, there was no time for shorts, I am definitely commando!" She laughed and said "Ill get the Dr. 38 stings were identified, and another shot of keep alive juice was called for.

My neighbors occasionally remind me (and other friends) about the neighborhood streaker that left a trail of clothing from the edge of the lake all the way to the house, all the while shouting in a very colorful language. It was the one time I really showed my a$$ to everyone.

Since ground dwelling hornets will not leave the hive after dark, I snuck up on the hole & poured gasoline in killing the bastards and retrieving the weed eater that had finally ran out of gas.

NO, it was not a Kodak moment!

 

[Rene T]

Once upon a time I was running the weed wacker at the edge of our lake when ground hornets attacked in force. I immediately dropped the wacker and ran toward the house (300ish feet away). The little bastards followed me in a swarm when suddenly I felt stings inside my pants. 1st the pants came off, then the shirt, then the underwear. Still only half way to the house and still being stung. Necked I made it to the porch realizing I had not refilled my epie pen and I am allergic. Slipped on a pair of shorts and a T shirt and headed for the hospital. Half way there I realized it was too far away so I called my daughters phone (see works for a DR.) and quickly said I was 3 blocks away. I think the entire staff ran out as I stopped. Quick shot as I almost fell out of my truck & was helped into a exam room.
IT gets worse because the female PA was someone that practically grew up with my daughter at our place, so we knew each other. In the exam room my PA said strip to your shorts so we can look at the amount of stings. "AHHHHH darling, there was no time for shorts, I am definitely commando!" She laughed and said "Ill get the Dr. 38 stings were identified, and another shot of keep alive juice was called for.

My neighbors occasionally remind me (and other friends) about the neighborhood streaker that left a trail of clothing from the edge of the lake all the way to the house, all the while shouting in a very colorful language. It was the one time I really showed my a$$ to everyone.

Since ground dwelling hornets will not leave the hive after dark, I snuck up on the hole & poured gasoline in killing the bastards and retrieving the weed eater that had finally ran out of gas.

NO, it was not a Kodak moment!

You should have jumped in the lake

 

[Oldgator73]

Have had many encounters with yellow jackets. Have not enjoyed any of them. They are devious and relentless. I was chased down our road once and nearly caught our entire yard on fire trying to eradicate an underground nest with gasoline and a torch. When I was very young I worked for a subcontractor for FP&L as a Class B Operator. One of our linemen was removing an insulator and found a yellow jackets nest in doing so; actually they found him. I saw him before he was whisked away to the ER. Looked like he went a few rounds with George Foreman.

 

[gwinger]

For nests in the ground or in brick and block walls, Mix a heavy dose of Dawn and water and put it in pump sprayer. Shoot the spray into the hole.
Or pick up one of these. Really forces the soapy water into the hole.

 

[whiteva]

You should have jumped in the lake

NOPE: 4 foot alligator likes my boat slip, his name is "Skullcrusher"
After taking a nanosecond to ponder the ol' fight or flight question the bastards crawling up my pants made the question moot. Flight was the winner by a mile. Poor little WW sat in the midst of the swarm purring away until every drop of it's life giving gas was depleted. 87 octane and a dose of 2 cycle oil was used to revive little WW the next day. The staff at the DR. office was treated to pizza as an award for me showing my a$$ as I am now known to do!

 

[TheBar]

For nests in the ground or in brick and block walls, Mix a heavy dose of Dawn and water and put it in pump sprayer. Shoot the spray into the hole.

There is often a 2nd or even a 3rd entrance sometimes 30 feet away. So I wait until twilight when they are asleep, stick a garden hose in the hole, then run and turn on the water full force. Then run inside and wait 15 minutes. Water and drowned bees will be coming out of the holes. I've never had them return.

I suspect some underground nests may be a couple feet in diameter. Months later I've seen a depression in the ground between the holes.

The hardest nest to kill is in a hollow tree stump. The bees tunnel down into multiple hollow roots and the water hose doesn't work on those. Have to use wasp and hornet long distance spray over and over every day until every one is dead.

Or in my location I can wait until twilight and use charcoal lighter fluid to set the stump on fire. The proper time to prepare roasted bees is one hour then come back and put out the fire.

 

[meierjn]

Funny thing is I fell a few weeks ago and fractured a bone in my wrist. I always heard some stings are therapeutic and my wrist feels better. lol

I saw a show once where people with sever arthritis were letting a Dr. treat the joint areas with bees allowing them to sting the area. They swore it helped immensely.

 

[meierjn]

Know the difference:

 

[CharlesinGA]

Here in GA all i have ever seen is the ground dwelling variety. Have got hit twice. Once ran a mower over the hole in the ground. Second time i was running a ride on Ditch Witch for a neighbor who let me use it to run a trench for a water line before we returned it. There was a wheel barrow sized pile of dirt that i thought I'd spread out. Put the blade down push the pile and out they came. I switched it off and jumped off on one motion and ran. Only got hit a couple of times.

 

[CharlesinGA]

Poor little WW sat in the midst of the swarm purring away until every drop of it's life giving gas was depleted.

Dont think ive seen a a small motor like that that would idle forever. My Echo would load up and eventually die if i set it down to move something.

I LOVE my Makita dual battery string trimmer. I have a bunch of Makita battery powered tools and a dozen batteries. Love 'em all.

 

[whiteva]

My Echo must be over 15 years old, and the tank was empty when I retrieved it. Gave $25 for it at a yard sale. Marked as "not running" and had attachments: weed eater, limb saw & bush trimmer. Cleaned the carb and it started on the second pull. Still runs fine today.