# Yellow Jacket Colony in my WALLS!!! D:



## jollyrajer (Jul 25, 2016)

Hello all! 

If this post is not appropriate for this forum just let me know and I will delete this post and deactivate my account. I don't want to intrude or post inappropriately.

The reason I have come to this forum because I have hope that the beekeeping Community could give me some advice.

My name is Raj and I live in Olympia, Washington.

So, here is my situation... About a month ago I noticed an abnormal number of yellow jackets in and around the planter in front of my dining room windows. As the days went on I noticed more and more bees but didn't think much of it...

Finally one day after getting home from work about mid afternoon I sat down in the dining room and I was the only one home. It was quiet. I noticed a ticking sound as if somebody was picking at a piece of wood in my wall. It took me a second to locate where the sound was coming from. The sound was coming from the wall under the window sill Behind the Chair I was sitting in.

I got down, close to the wall, and started listening again. This time it was loud and my first thought was "Must be mice". Next, I thought it was a good idea bang the wall... you know to see if the noise got louder or if it completely stopped. 

Anyways as soon as I hit the wall the noise stopped and I hit it again 20 or 30 seconds later. In my peripheral vision above me I noticed shadows on the curtain... flying insects? I'm not talking about a random insects flying past the window but I could see the silhouette of dozens of things flying around outside. I moved the curtain and was shocked!

There were hundreds of yellow jackets, angrily flying about, outside. I kneeled down again and put my ear up against the wall to hear the sound of the hive buzzing I could even feel it on my cheek.

At first I panicked a little bit. After Gathering myself I decided to inspect the window outside. Upon inspection I found out that there is a gap between the wall of my house and the trim below my window where they made their home.

I then decided I'd wait until nightfall when I would attempt to eradicate the Yellow Jacket Colony with an insecticide. I followed through with my plan. When i woke up the next morning nothing had changed.

I did some research.... I decided that using a Shop-Vac might be the best solution. This did not work either although I did collect a couple hundred of them.

Next, I ended up taping up the trim hoping that no more hornets could get in or out and it would end this mess. This worked... At first.... a few days later they were all back and the hornets had found a different way in and out! 

This is where I stopped trying.  

At this point the aggressive of yellow jackets sting either myself, my wife, or our 5 year old son. Every couple of days we get a Hornet that Finds Its way inside from The Nest under the window as well as in the wall.

I can't afford to hire somebody to come out here and remove them so I have come to this forum and Hope that somebody can help me and my family.

I have linked two images below. The first is a picture of the outside trim under the window. This is where they get in and out through the bottom of the trim. The second picture is of there they get into our home... I think?

LINK 1 https://postimg.org/image/xbh6cisqp/

LINK 2
https://postimg.org/image/55bqetm3b/

HELP!!!!


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## Cris (Mar 10, 2011)

Can't see the pics, but yellow jackets are not hornets. They aren't even very aggressive so you if you don't mess with the hive they are going to ignore you even if you're standing outside the window. They also die off when the weather gets cold, except for the queen, so you can just wait them out. The only way to get at the hive sounds like removing a piece of outside wall (you don't want to open in the inside and have an entire hive of pissed YJ loose in the house), so if you're up for just wear protective gear and carefully take it out in one piece.


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## dynemd (Aug 27, 2013)

jollyrajer said:


> The second picture is of there they get into our home... I think?


Dude- Take a picture of the bug so we know what you're dealing with. Note that the bee is fuzzy, and is amber / dark brown striped (not yellow and black). 
Bee 
Yellow Jacket


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## AmericasBeekeeper (Jan 24, 2010)

Welcome! The only way to fix a nest problem is to remove the nest. Even after the insects are dead or gone there is still a nest in your wall. Many beekeepers and even more pest control operators do the public a disservice by only killing or removing the insect. The comb left behind attracts more insects and rodents until it is removed. If there is brood it will also stain your inside wall at some point and have a rotting smell from the decaying flesh.


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## mri1 (Feb 9, 2015)

Spraying them down good with soapy water will kill them. Make sure there are no outlets on the inside area of the nest before spraying for your safety. If there is - turn off power in the house. Continuously spray the area while removing the window trim on the outside, open the wall and saturate the nest. Clean it out, dry the area then repair the siding. Good Luck and work carefully.


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## Daniel Y (Sep 12, 2011)

First I question whether you have Yellow Jackets or Honey Bees. I have seen an exterminator kill Yellow Jackets and have done it myself at times. My method is to use a dust such as Drione. the idea is to apply dust with a bulb syringe or bottle that will basically blow the dust into the hive. One critical feature of the dust you choose is that it knocks down the hornet instantly. you also apply it so that any hornet attempting to leave the colony must pass through it. this means it needs to be around the outside of the entrance as well as then applied inside. Do this late evening or very early morning before hornets have started leaving the hive.

I will also say that this is dangerous at best. so consider carefully what you can afford.


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## jollyrajer (Jul 25, 2016)

How do you suggest I take a picture? 

They are aggressive.


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## Daniel Y (Sep 12, 2011)

I can think of several ways to get one but I am not sure it is advisable to add more suggestions to this thread. For some people answers just lead to more questions. at some point you realize, Maybe I shouldn't be suggesting you do anything. Call professionals and spend your time doing an extra job to pay them to do it. There is a bit of additional thinking in the moment with actually dealing with the insects. whether they be bees or hornets. I am at the point I don't think you are the person to attempt it.


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