Wasps and hornets are valuable predators of insects, so we shouldn't indiscriminately wipe them out. If a wasp colony is in an area where you can simply avoid it, do so. Mark the spot and just stay away. If you decide you must eliminate a colony, the first step is to locate the colony and clearly mark it. For ground nests, use red wire flags or strips of white cloth, laid in an arrow pointing to the entrance *** not too close! You can spot ground colonies by watching the workers fly in and out of the entrance. For colonies in a tree, tie flagging on a branch that is somewhat close by (be careful!). Once the colony is marked, you are ready to treat it. Buy a pressurized can of wasp and hornet jet spray. The brand you choose is not important, but be sure to buy the kind that sprays a solid stream of insecticide spray that will reach 10 feet or more, rather than a fine mist that will only go a foot or so. Such products usually are called JET sprays. Treat at night when most all the workers will be in the nest, and inactive. To see, use a flashlight with a red filter over the bulb. Wasps can't see red light well. At least two hours after dark, quietly and carefully approach the colony and thoroughly spray into the entrance. Don't give a quick shot; spray for several seconds to make sure the spray penetrates deep into the nest. After spraying, don't linger nearby. Walk away immediately and stay away for a full day. For ground colonies, carry a shovelful of soil with you to cover the entrance before you walk away. If you follow instructions above (two hours after dark, red light, gentle steps, etc.) you may not need special clothing. For situations where you do want extra protection from wasps, here are tips on clothing to wear: Coveralls can be helpful, especially if they are slick, smooth material that is worn over other thick clothing. Many people choose Tyvek. Boots will give you much more protection than regular shoes *** wasps may crawl over shoes and sting your ankles. You may want to seal the pant cuffs securely over the boots with tape or rubber bands. If you have two-piece coveralls, you may want to securely tape or tuck them together at the waist. You can protect hands with leather or heavy rubber gloves, but sleeves need to be securely sealed to the gloves at the cuffs. A secure beekeeper's hat and veil will keep wasps away from your face and neck, but it must be securely fastened to the clothing around the neck and shoulders. Don't think that protective clothing makes you invincible.
http://www.diychatroom.com/images/smilies/no.gif :no: Sprays directed into the burrow will kill the occupant. A better idea is to plan ahead; discourage wasps to nest near your home. A good way to do so is to change the problem area's soil surfaces, so that the little bastards will nest elsewhere. One method is to apply a layer of mulch to the kinds of surfaces that attract them (well drained, sandy soil, with sparse vegetation). Standard bark mulch works well, unless you apply it so thinly that the soil is still visible. Another technique is to thicken the grass or other vegetation emerging from the soil surface with a lot of watering. In addition, fertilizing and planting will do wonders for the undesireablility-for-wasps factor. Also, when wasps are nesting in a lawn, sometimes it helps to raise the mowing height. And do be careful with the lawn mower.** Colonies inside walls of buildings pose a special problem. They can sometimes be eliminated with jet sprays, but spraying often causes many agitated wasps to emerge inside the building and threaten people. Also, treating a large colony may cause a foul smell to linger for many days afterwards as the remaining brood decays. You might prefer to wait until the season is over and then seal things up.To reduce the chances of yellow jackets nesting inside walls of buildings, do a good job of caulking and sealing cracks in the spring. Remember that, as difficult to it is to imagine such a thing, wasps are valuable insects. So don't automatically eliminate them. A rule of thumb is to leave them alone unless you plan to work, or children might play, within a foot or two of the nest. **Did you know that there are approximately 180,000 lawnmower accidents per year -- 75000 requiring an emergency room visit? Additionally, 360 young children are seriously wounded by these machines per year. It's hard to understand how it is that so manyhttp://www.diychatroom.com/images/smilies/censored.gif
people cannot seem to understand the dangers posed by a large, loud chopping device.