Regional Talk > Chicago > Ground Bees

Ground Bees

Gas works. You're not supposed to light it though.
You pour it down the hole then cover the hole with something. The fumes are heavier than air and sink down and fill the nest. I used it on a nest in on of my basement window wells. it does work.

Otherwise you could go to home depot and see what sprays they have.

reply to cmslick3
From: »ipm.illinois.edu/hyg/insects/yellowjackets/

Chemical control for ground-nesting yellowjackets consists of drenching the exit hole with an approved insecticide and plugging the hole with treated soil or cotton balls. Yellowjackets that are not killed by the initial treatment will be killed by chewing on the treated cotton ball or tunneling through the soil. Yellowjacket entrance holes in buildings can be treated with approved insecticide dusts. As the yellowjackets walk through the dust they pick it up on their legs and transport it into the nest. When yellowjackets groom themselves they ingest the dust on their legs. It may take up to a week for the colony to die and repeated chemical applications may be necessary. When the entrance hole of an active nest is in a building, the hole should not be plugged with the insecticide or caulked. The yellowjackets may decide to chew through the soft inside wall rather than chew through the insecticide or caulking material.

Implement chemical control measures at dusk or dawn when the wasps are in their nest. Wear protective clothing when attempting to eliminate the nests, such as long sleeved jackets, gloves, and pants. Tape the wrists and ankles to the clothing, to prevent the wasps from getting underneath the clothes. A bee veil or other enclosed form of face and neck protection should also be worn. Yellowjackets will defend their nest, so to avoid being attacked, use a flashlight covered with red cellophane when applying the insecticide at night. Yellowjackets are unable to see red. In sensitive locations, or where control has not been effective, professional pest control operators should be consulted to handle the problem.

reply to cmslick3
I remember when I was younger (5 or 6), my grandfather took 3 cans of WD-40 and a lighter to a nest.. Wasn't the best solution. I do agree with the gas solution, just do it at night.

reply to cmslick3
Diesel or kerosene and a match.
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In need of a Vegas vacation.

See the hole problem with gasoline is the proximity to my well... I realize its got 60 feet of ground to go through but I'd rather avoid that...

I'll look for the powder treatment.

reply to cmslick3
Raid Hornet and Wasp spray.
After sunset (when bees won't leave the nest) spray down the hole.
Plugging the hole with a cloth plug saturated in the spray is a good idea as well.
Got this one from an apiarist friend of mine years ago and it works.

reply to VegasMan

Why do anything simple when it can be elegant and complex.

J

reply to cmslick3
So how did this turn out? Inquiring minds want to know. This thread is useless without pics!
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If everything seems to be going well, you've obviously overlooked something.

HOLY COW I forgot all about this. Well here's what I did.

Lowes sells this Bayer insect powder, it's not labeled for use on bees but I gave it a try based on some posts I found online. I also bought a clear plastic garbage can to cover the entry. The information I found was to sprinkle the hole with the insect powder and then cover it with the clear container. This lets the bees track the stuff in and out of the hive and doesn't give the a reason to dig a new entry. Supposedly if you cover the hole with a dark container or a rock lets say, they will dig a new hole within days and be back in business.

So I went out late at night with a red flashlight, powdered the entry and the immediate area around it. Placed the can on top and held it down with a rock just to keep it from tipping over. I never did see any bees exiting the hole into the can, so I'm going on assumption here but after two weeks of the can sitting there I removed it and since then no more bees. For the sake of being a real pain I then filled the hole with rocks and more dirt.

I guess it's entirely possible that they dug another hole into a less trafficed area but the problem is solved in my mind. I also notice that the grass surrounding the entry and extending for about 2 feet is VERY green. I am not going to be brave and put a shovel into the ground where I think the hive was.