Let’s talk about yellow jackets…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Let’s continue talking about yellow jackets and hornets.
Does anyone know what fruit trees and bushes are they most /least attracted to?

I'd guess apple trees. I cut down both of my apple trees last fall. The YJs were out of control.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To those of you whose lives have been saved by the ER docs: how long did it take you to recover physically and mentally from the shock? Have you started immunotherapy at the allergist’s office? What changes do you make in your gardening journey?

My kid did immunotherapy. It is a huge commitment.

We were told by the allergist that venom therapy is only truly effective if you start it before you are an adult.

It was a 5 year cycle of 3 venoms (yellow jacket, white face hornets and yellow face hornets/vespids)

The first month or so, they did a trace injection of each several times per week (I think 3x). That was the worse, because the reaction made my kid feel terrible: hives, arm swelling up, general malais. My kid felt awful after the shots until around 3 years in, but really bad in the beginning. We had to sit in the office for an hour after each shot, for the 5 year cycle. It might have been longer the first month.

Then it was weekly for a while, maybe a year if I recall correctly. After that every other week, then monthly for the last few years.

Each time after the first month, they increased the dosage slightly, until my kid got to the point that they were receiving a full sting for each type of venom once per month. They called this the maintenance shots.

If you missed an appointment for any reason, you had to go back to the lower level and start back from there. It was very, very strict and regimented, and spaced in an exact sequence.

By the end of the 5 years, my kid, now an older teenager, had zero reaction to the venom shots. Not swelling, not redness, not even a mark where the venom went into the arm.

It was a really difficult process and a huge commitment. I would 100% recommend it for anyone allergic to yellow jackets since they are so aggressive, but I definitely wouldn't want to do it again.

Supposedly, my kid could get attacked by a swarm of those vile beasts and be absolutely fine. We wouldn't want to test it though.

That's intense! Did you do this because of a previous anaphylactic reaction?

[Anonymous]

Check around your house and kill queen yellow jackets looking for a place to lay eggs. Mid April to early may in dmv. They are slightly bigger than worker yellow jackets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Check around your house and kill queen yellow jackets looking for a place to lay eggs. Mid April to early may in dmv. They are slightly bigger than worker yellow jackets.

How do you kill them without getting stung?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Check around your house and kill queen yellow jackets looking for a place to lay eggs. Mid April to early may in dmv. They are slightly bigger than worker yellow jackets.

How do you kill them without getting stung?

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Spectracide-HG-30110-18-oz-Spectracide-Pro-Wasp-Hornet-Killer-Aerosole/111855266?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&wmlspartner=wlpa&cn=FY25-ENTP-PMAX_cnv_dps_dsn_dis_ad_entp_e_n&gclsrc=aw.ds&adid=22222222297111855266_0000000000_21407473164&wl0=&wl1=x&wl2=c&wl3=&wl4=&wl5=9007798&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=online&wl12=111855266&veh=sem&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21690411341&gbraid=0AAAAADmfBIrmuvENqHJ6yU7J_3qHpXpHn&gclid=CjwKCAjw7vzOBhBxEiwAc7WNr2tqfY8A0YcenwtStkAb7AzHZORRPtHyKIPs26nwtZdI3_TvLywBohoCpOsQAvD_BwE

I've been using this. Kills them on the contact. Wait until they are on the ground (i.e., don't spray if they are flying around). I killed about 20 of them last 3 days. All trying to find a nest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Check around your house and kill queen yellow jackets looking for a place to lay eggs. Mid April to early may in dmv. They are slightly bigger than worker yellow jackets.

How do you kill them without getting stung?

I just put a glass over them until they’re dead.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Check around your house and kill queen yellow jackets looking for a place to lay eggs. Mid April to early may in dmv. They are slightly bigger than worker yellow jackets.

Wear white clothes, a white hat, and a bug jacket (it’s like a wearable bug screen). Cover your whole body.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Check around your house and kill queen yellow jackets looking for a place to lay eggs. Mid April to early may in dmv. They are slightly bigger than worker yellow jackets.

How do you kill them without getting stung?

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Spectracide-HG-30110-18-oz-Spectracide-Pro-Wasp-Hornet-Killer-Aerosole/111855266?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&wmlspartner=wlpa&cn=FY25-ENTP-PMAX_cnv_dps_dsn_dis_ad_entp_e_n&gclsrc=aw.ds&adid=22222222297111855266_0000000000_21407473164&wl0=&wl1=x&wl2=c&wl3=&wl4=&wl5=9007798&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=online&wl12=111855266&veh=sem&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21690411341&gbraid=0AAAAADmfBIrmuvENqHJ6yU7J_3qHpXpHn&gclid=CjwKCAjw7vzOBhBxEiwAc7WNr2tqfY8A0YcenwtStkAb7AzHZORRPtHyKIPs26nwtZdI3_TvLywBohoCpOsQAvD_BwE

I've been using this. Kills them on the contact. Wait until they are on the ground (i.e., don't spray if they are flying around). I killed about 20 of them last 3 days. All trying to find a nest.

The product is effective. I killed 4-5 while putting down brown mulch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Check around your house and kill queen yellow jackets looking for a place to lay eggs. Mid April to early may in dmv. They are slightly bigger than worker yellow jackets.

How do you kill them without getting stung?

Idea is to kill the queen bees before they settle in and make worker bees. Queens are alone right now and it's a lot easier to kill them before workers show up in the summer

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Check around your house and kill queen yellow jackets looking for a place to lay eggs. Mid April to early may in dmv. They are slightly bigger than worker yellow jackets.

How do you kill them without getting stung?

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Spectracide-HG-30110-18-oz-Spectracide-Pro-Wasp-Hornet-Killer-Aerosole/111855266?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&wmlspartner=wlpa&cn=FY25-ENTP-PMAX_cnv_dps_dsn_dis_ad_entp_e_n&gclsrc=aw.ds&adid=22222222297111855266_0000000000_21407473164&wl0=&wl1=x&wl2=c&wl3=&wl4=&wl5=9007798&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=online&wl12=111855266&veh=sem&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21690411341&gbraid=0AAAAADmfBIrmuvENqHJ6yU7J_3qHpXpHn&gclid=CjwKCAjw7vzOBhBxEiwAc7WNr2tqfY8A0YcenwtStkAb7AzHZORRPtHyKIPs26nwtZdI3_TvLywBohoCpOsQAvD_BwE

I've been using this. Kills them on the contact. Wait until they are on the ground (i.e., don't spray if they are flying around). I killed about 20 of them last 3 days. All trying to find a nest.

The product is effective. I killed 4-5 while putting down brown mulch.

How long does it take to kill them?any chance you spray and they still have time to attack you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Check around your house and kill queen yellow jackets looking for a place to lay eggs. Mid April to early may in dmv. They are slightly bigger than worker yellow jackets.

How do you kill them without getting stung?

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Spectracide-HG-30110-18-oz-Spectracide-Pro-Wasp-Hornet-Killer-Aerosole/111855266?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&wmlspartner=wlpa&cn=FY25-ENTP-PMAX_cnv_dps_dsn_dis_ad_entp_e_n&gclsrc=aw.ds&adid=22222222297111855266_0000000000_21407473164&wl0=&wl1=x&wl2=c&wl3=&wl4=&wl5=9007798&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=online&wl12=111855266&veh=sem&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21690411341&gbraid=0AAAAADmfBIrmuvENqHJ6yU7J_3qHpXpHn&gclid=CjwKCAjw7vzOBhBxEiwAc7WNr2tqfY8A0YcenwtStkAb7AzHZORRPtHyKIPs26nwtZdI3_TvLywBohoCpOsQAvD_BwE

I've been using this. Kills them on the contact. Wait until they are on the ground (i.e., don't spray if they are flying around). I killed about 20 of them last 3 days. All trying to find a nest.

The product is effective. I killed 4-5 while putting down brown mulch.

How long does it take to kill them?any chance you spray and they still have time to attack you?

Die instantly. Just don't try to spray flying bees. Wait until they are on the ground.