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Wasps - Yellow Jackets - Hornets |
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by Sheila Dunn /
Double "D" Bulldogs
© Originally written in 1990 |
 As
bulldoggers, many of us enjoy incorporating a bit of color to the
surroundings of our cherished canine family members, from feed and water
dishes, to toys, bedding and everything else in between. We artistically
execute our creativity with all the elegance we would for our own homes. But
do we take into consideration the colors we select? |
| Among of
the most cheerful of colors, are the shades of red, yellow and orange, which
essentially covers a countless variety of hues, but just as these colors are
beautiful, they can also be hazardous, especially when bowls are filled with
water and meaty dog food. Now you ask, how can these attractive, warm colors
that accent your decor be unsafe? |
| Here in
the Great Northwest, we have had mild winters, which haven't killed off the
colonies of Yellow Jackets and Hornets. As these colonies survive, they
become bigger with each new year and this year, have reached near epidemic
proportions. This problem is so bad, it even made the news. We have had to
rush four of our bulldogs and three cats to the veterinarian due to Yellow
Jacket attacks. |
Our Lumb'rjak Joe had
snapped at a Yellow Jacket that got into our house and was stung in the back
of his throat. The severe swelling had closed off his airway. When he
stopped breathing on the way to the animal clinic, I had to put my fingers
down this throat to keep the airway open and at the same time concentrate on
driving, breaking my own "land speed record". By the time we
arrived at the clinic, the Diphenhydramine, 50 mg that was shoved down his
throat within seconds of the sting, started to work. We might have lost him. |
| The following day, I
contacted our county extension service to learn how to combat this plague of
Yellow Jackets. Aside from destroying as many hives as I could find, in the
ground and in trees or roof rafters, I learned some interesting facts. |
- Yellow Jackets/Hornets are meat
eaters...
- They're attracted to
warm colors, especially yellow and shades of orange or red, also to
anything shinny (stainless steal bowls, etc..
- If you swat at them,
they secrete a sweet scent of fear that brings even more Yellow
Jackets/Hornets to their aid and becoming more aggressive.
- They're attracted to
water sources.
- They're best defense
is a strong offense. In other words, they're a tenacious villain with ATTITUDE!
- They only come out
during the day, when our dog's want outside to play.
- They're
exceptionally attracted to the discharge of a bitch in heat, as well as
fecal dropping and urine.
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| Although, there may not be
a complete solution to this problem, here are some helpful hints to make
things bearable... |
 Using several traps and keeping them
several yards away from our house and kennel, we have less of a problem.
This also helps to keep from using hazardous chemicals and poisons that
would prove harmful to our grand children and animals. When we do locate
another hive, we destroy it immediately. If the hive is in the ground, we
soak it with gasoline (mixed with water, to avoid an explosion) then start
it on fire, with a fire extinguisher handy at all times. If the hive is in a
tree, we cover it with a heavy duty plastic leaf bag, and transport it to
our burn barrel. We have found hives in trees that were nearly 26 inches in
diameter. |
| There are also forms of wasp bait on
the market, that get carried back to the main hive, eaten, killing off the
hive. However, my experience has not been positive with some of these
products, as they also attract cats, raccoons and other animals, proving to
be hazardous to their health, or deadly. |
| Granted, wasps do have a
purpose in nature by keeping harmful insect populations down, especially
mosquitoes, but there's a point when they're a bigger nuisance than the
mosquitoes. That's when we need to go the extra ten miles to take action in
keeping them away from our living areas. For more information, contact your
local county extension office. |
| The following short article
is reprinted with the permission of the Lane County Extension Service,
Eugene, Oregon. Originally published in March of 1977 and written by, Dr.
Paul O. Ritcher, Professor Emeritus, Entomology Department, and Mr. Joseph
Capizzi, Extension Entomologist, Oregon State University. |
| Several Species of social,
paper making wasps, which feed their maggot-like larvae on sweet solutions
and bits of caterpillar or flies, are pests in Oregon. These include several
species of yellow and black Yellow Jackets, several species of yellow and
brown Polistes and the black and white Bald-Faced Hornet. which Yellow
Jackets make either aerial nests, under eaves or in attics, or underground
nests. Each nest contains several flat, paper combs of hexagonal cells in
each of which the queen lays an egg. The resulting larvae are fed throughout
their lives by the smaller, sterile workers. The workers are most apt to
sting people when they get too close to the nest entrance, may be a crack in
the soil or next to a sunken water meter or stand pipe. Yellow Jackets are
strongly attracted to cooked meat, especially salmon and can be a nuisance
at picnics or outdoor meals. |
| The paper used by social
paper wasps is made from wood pulp, prepared by the workers from bits of
wood rasped with their mandibles from fence posts, dry weeds, wooden boxes,
old boards, etc., and mixed with saliva. The layers of paper are built up
strip by strip and often vary greatly in color reflecting their diverse
sources. |
| The Bald-Faced Hornet makes
large oval gray paper, aerial nests which contain several horizontal combs
suspended one below the other. The nests are usually attached to a limb in a
small tree or shrub. |
| Polistes wasps make only a
single, naked, paper comb which is usually attached under eaves or other
overhangs. There is no size difference between the queen and the workers. |
| All social wasp colonies
are annual affairs. At the height of summer activity, however, a Yellow
Jacket or Hornet nest may contain several thousand individuals. Males are
produced toward fall and the mated females overwinter in protected places
such as in soil crevices, about the home, or in decaying logs. New colonies
of all species are produced solely by overwintering fertilized queens. |
| Control of wasp and hornets
should be undertaken only after dark, when they cannot fly and all
individuals are at home. Use a flashlight to locate the nest or nest
entrance and treat liberally with a pressurized spray containing .5% Baygon
or DDVP (Vapona). |
| Commercial Yellow Jacket
traps are available as an alternative control method. |
| The various wasp species
are beneficial, as they attack and destroy harmful insects found around
homes, gardens and kennels. Hornets and Yellow Jackets kill such pests as
House Flies, Blow Flies Cater-pillars and Heartworm carrying Mosquitoes.
Polistes kill Corn Earworms, Armyworms and other garden pests. Mud Daubers
kill spiders, Cicada Killers, as their name says, kill Cicadas. |
| Wasps can attack people and
the Bulldogs who own these people. Learning to understand these pests is the
first step in being able to control them, while at the same time, enjoy
their benefits. Hornets, Yellow Jackets and Polistes may sting, if you go
near their nests. Mud Daubers and Cicada Killers usually will not sting
unless you touch them or get them caught in your clothes. |
| The
various chemical poisons on the market can be more harmful to you and your
bulldog when used in controlling the various species of wasps. You can
be sure, that through the whole process, it's the wasp that will survive! |
| Some
states have restrictions on the use of certain pesticides. If you haven't
yet been convinced to use more natural forms of control, it's important to
check with your State and or local Extension Service to learn what
regulations must be followed. But, by all means, be sure to always carefully
follow all directions and keep them away from children and pets! |
| The
various traps that are on the market are quite good, but expensive. Homemade
traps are just as good, cost next to nothing and are simple to make. They
can be a fun and useful craft project with children. However, be sure to
teach the children that once the trap is in use, they can only admire their
creativity from a safe distance (a friend's grandson won first place in his
first grade class science fair for the wasp trap he made). |
| I've
tried several wasp bait products on the market, and yet find one to work as
well as my homemade method. |
- In a sunny
location, away from house and/or kennel, place water in yellow plastic
or shinny stainless steel bowl. Place trap next to water.
- Recipe for
baiting traps...
- Pour diluted (1
part water to 3 parts juice. (Apple juice works best) fruit juice (2
inches deep) in bott
 om of trap.
- Bait trap with
tuna or canned cat food.
- KEEP AWAY FROM
CHILDREN AND PETS!
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| Workers from hives, be they bees,
wasps or yellow jackets are female and all are attracted to sweet fruity
scents. Sweet scents also travel farther in the breeze than would meaty
scents. Any fruit juice can be used, however, apple juice works best. Once
the wasp has located the sweet scent and or water source, then they start to
hunt for meat, that's where the tuna or canned cat food comes in. The wasp
will enter the trap, pick up a load of meat and attempt to fly straight up.
This is why the trap must be made of clear glass or plastic. Not being able
to get out of the trap, it will eventually tire and drown in the fruit
juice. The panic scent secreted will in turn attract more wasps, therefore,
trapping them too. When cleaning out the
traps, use caution. Not all the wasps may be dead and even those that are,
will still be dangerous. The venom from a dead wasp is as harmful as that
from a living one. Submerge the entire (still closed) trap into a pail of
hot water for 15 to 20 minutes. Then empty the entire contents into a deep
hole and bury it. Wash out the emptied trap, rebait it and start over. Traps
can be hanged from tree branches or set on the ground, several yards from
home and kennel. For those that are set on the ground, be sure to weight
them, as the wind can knock them over. We place medium sized rocks in the
bottom of traps as we bait them, to keep them steady. |
| It is also important to
know what the laws are concerning pest control in your area are, after all,
your taxes pay for much of what is offered. Living on a forested mountain,
we found over two dozen gigantic wasp nests in our trees. We contacted our
County Extension Service for information on how to deal with so many nests.
They told us which county agency to contact to get help at no financial cost
to us. This special division of the Health Department came out and took care
of our severe wasp problem. They also found several nest that we didn't know
about, both in trees and underground. It's a wise thing to check with your
local agencies. |
| Find out what they can do
for you, after all, your taxes pay for this help. Most areas have services
supported by your taxes that can rid your land of dangerous pests when they
grow to epidemic proportions. These agencies are obligated to help, whether
it's for poisonous spiders (Black Widows, etc..), Fire Ants, sick wild
animals, wild packs of dogs or what ever has grown to such numbers, they've
become a serious hazard to your health and safety. It's their job, your
taxes pay for it, it's your right to use them! Sometimes you may have to be
rather tenacious in order to get things done from these agencies, just don't
let them give you that famous old bureaucratic runaround. |
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This page dedicated to the late Int'l Ch. Double D's
Gentleman George
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