Author Topic: Yellow Jackets grrrrrrr!  (Read 1994 times)

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Offline Les

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Yellow Jackets grrrrrrr!
« on: November 30, 2017, 09:01:17 pm »
When will these stinkers go away???  They are still making forays into my hives.  This is my first year where they have been so persistent.  I killed off one ground  hive but there must be another hive in the vicinity.  What was interesting is about a week after I killed off the ground hive, a possum came along and dug out all the
comb. Stuck my hand down in the hole and could not believe how big it was. Good riddance!

Offline neillsayers

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Re: Yellow Jackets grrrrrrr!
« Reply #1 on: November 30, 2017, 09:45:21 pm »
I've killed about 8-10,000 of them in traps in my beeyard but I was too late putting them out. They killed off 3 hives! I hate em too and will be putting traps out mid summer.
Neill Sayers
Herbhome Bees
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Offline apisbees

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Re: Yellow Jackets grrrrrrr!
« Reply #2 on: December 01, 2017, 04:48:53 am »
Early spring, trap the queens before they get the first round of workers to support them and they no longer forage
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Offline Les

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Re: Yellow Jackets grrrrrrr!
« Reply #3 on: December 01, 2017, 08:53:22 am »
Apis, how do you trap the queens?  I am not sticking my hand into a hive in the ground :no:

Offline apisbees

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Re: Yellow Jackets grrrrrrr!
« Reply #4 on: December 01, 2017, 11:38:32 am »
Only the queens survive the winter by burrowing into protection from killing frost and hibernate. when the temp rises in the spring, they come out and start a new colony by starting the first cells and feeding the first round of brood. get these and you stop a colony.
For those that live in mild climates colonies of some insects can survive through the winter. 
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Offline Les

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Re: Yellow Jackets grrrrrrr!
« Reply #5 on: December 01, 2017, 04:06:23 pm »
Apis, I am aware that many types of queen bees overwinter in the bark of trees, etc.  i guess I need to stalk my areas before the start of hives in the Spring.

Offline Mikey N.C.

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Re: Yellow Jackets grrrrrrr!
« Reply #6 on: December 01, 2017, 05:33:35 pm »
Les,
This past spring when tilling garden ( soft dirt) I walked out. 30 mins. later and found a euro - hornet an YJ's Q crawling on the ground.

Offline Les

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Re: Yellow Jackets grrrrrrr!
« Reply #7 on: December 01, 2017, 06:03:55 pm »
Nooooo, really?  They are nasty critters, lucky you didn’t get nailed!