# Yellow jackets



## Beecky (Jun 12, 2015)

Rescue yellow jacket disposable traps work wonders.


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## Western (May 29, 2016)

I haven't tried the Rescue, but did make a DIY bottle with banana peel, sugar water and apple cider vinegar (recipe found on google) Caught tons of YJ and a billion flies. I set it up about 100 yards from my hives beside a small feeding station, only killed maybe 10 YJ at the hives after putting it out, the bees seemed to handle the few marauders fine. YJ where bad here over the past month or so...


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## mgolden (Oct 26, 2011)

Apple juice works well for me.

Add a bit of apple cider vinegar, some sugar and a couple of drops of dish soap.

I don't understand the purpose of the banana peel. I know wasps climb on it and don't drown as easily!

Any kind of berry juice as the base seems to work


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## waspslayer (Jan 3, 2010)

We had a real problem with YJ this year. Right now it is about 22 degrees and that has taken care of the problem for this year. I tried all sorts of lures and traps, when you consider the YJ colony has thousands of workers the small bag traps barely put a dent in the population.

The active ingredient in the YJ traps is Heptyl Butyrate. This is a very effective lure and will not attract honeybees. I have been looking for a source for HB to make a bulk purchase. Still beating the bushes looking for a source. If anyone knows of one let me know.

Hate them little buggers, lost about 7 hives to them. These were strong, queen right colonies the YJ's just kept hammering away at them until finally the only thing entering and leaving the hives were YJ's.


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## Thad (Jan 25, 2006)

I had a bad problem with yellow jackets overwhelming my queen mating colonies earlier this year. I tried a method found on this site, and it worked great; Front line mixed with wet cat food. Just mix 1 dose of Front line (active ingredient Fipronil) in a can of cat food (used a stinky whitefish). Yellow jackets immediately cleaned out all of the piles I left for them throughout the yard and carried back to their nests. The next day there were NO yellow jackets left. The fix isn't permanent, so it must not kill the entire nest. Worked for about 2 weeks. Just hit them again when their numbers build back up


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## NorthMaine (Oct 27, 2016)

Fat Beeman on Yellow Jacket trap..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPLuIraj3KY


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## Kuro (Jun 18, 2015)

During mid February - mid March this year, I killed every single yellow jacket I found around my yard. I also trapped them using “Rescue YJTR-DT12 Reusable Yellow Jacket Trap”. They are most likely over-wintered queens, and by killing them I eliminated thousands of workers they would have produced. I did not do anything else for yellow jacket control, but I had far less of them in fall than I did in the previous year. This may not work in warmer climate where their nest continue to grow over winter.


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

mgolden said:


> I don't understand the purpose of the banana peel. I know wasps climb on it and don't drown as easily!


I think the idea of the banana peel was to repel honey bees from the trap. I've watched them work banana peels in a compost heap when there's a dearth on, so I don't think they'd likely do much to keep bees out. But who knows.

Re: yellow jackets, I've never seen them picking on a hive that's in good shape. Other than maybe buzzing around the entrance. But if there's a few coming and going as they please... curtains.


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## EastSideBuzz (Apr 12, 2009)

waspslayer said:


> The active ingredient in the YJ traps is Heptyl Butyrate. This is a very effective lure and will not attract honeybees. I have been looking for a source for HB to make a bulk purchase. Still beating the bushes looking for a source. If anyone knows of one let me know.



Any luck finding it? http://www.chemicalbook.com/ChemicalProductProperty_EN_CB9478738.htm?CBNumber=CB9478738


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## Gumpy (Mar 30, 2016)

Terrible yellow jacket problem here this year. I made some traps from plastic water bottles with inverted tops. Used some of the 5:3 syrup I've been feeding the nucs for bait. Worked quite well. All three bottles are over half full of yellow jackets. A few bees, but not many. I set them right next to the corner of the hives. The water bottles a too small, really, because when it gets half full, they can reach the bottom of the funnel and climb back out. Need to get some bigger bottles, like 1L or 2L pop bottles, but I don't drink pop any more.


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## Greenride (Jul 7, 2013)

A little background, we seem to get them really bad some years. They nest everywhere including our rock retaining walls (terraced yard) . Several weeks ago I got stung walking back from from the compost pile (walking next to the wall) and went into anaphylactic shock. I've never gone into shock before. I typically get yellow jacket stings every year and hardly a month goes by without a bee sting or several. 
I've been putting up the yellow jacket traps in late April to trap their queens. Only the queens overwinter and early in the season they have to hunt for themselves. Placement of the traps does seem to matter. I've got a really effective spot in the front yard but haven't found a spot in the back that catches many queens or later season workers. I re-bait the traps with the pheromone lures each spring. Here is a picture of the traps that work for me.









Fabian


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## EastSideBuzz (Apr 12, 2009)

Anyone found bulk Heptyl Butyrate at a good price.


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## justin (Jun 16, 2007)

Get bottles from the nearest recycling center, add vinegar to syrup to kill fewer bees, i put 4 of the rescue traps at each beeyard and bait them with meat and pheromone. I never found a cheap supply of pheromone. If it gets too bad search fipripinal (sp?). Strong hives, good equipment with fewer entrances is your first line of defense.


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