Yellow jackets entering up a hole in the metal frame of patio door. (bug, concrete)

[kutra11]

Not sure if this is the correct forum, but I posted this in the House forum as well. Please delete if this thread is not suitable here.

There are number of yellow jackets that are entering up a hole in the metal frame of a sliding door. I used a spray but that doesn't seem to have helped... ...probably because the spray dripped down from the hole/metal on to the deck floor. Is this a job for a pest control company? I have read up on using a shop vacuum to suck out all the yellow jackets and then sealing the hole with a caulk... ...not sure if this will ensure all the yellow jackets to leave. Last thing I want is to force them to enter the house!

Please advise if there's anything I can try before calling in the experts!

Regards,
K

[Ruth4Truth]

Call a pest control company. You've just discovered the importance of caulk.

[Hemlock140]

I wouldn't bother with pest control, they can use gas rather than spray but once inside the frame those bees are going into the interior of the wall, perhaps up into the attic. They may at times pop out into a room from a recessed light fixture or bathroom fan, but once the entrance is filled those that don't escape will run out of food and die. I had a nest in a concrete block wall. After 2 or 3 were inside the room the same day I did a careful search and found a hole where someone in the past had probably used an anchor to hang something. I could actually hear them inside the cavity of the block. I went outside and found their entrance, a crack around a light fixture. I sealed that up with silicone (and duct tape until it hardened)then went back in and sprayed a whole can of yellow jacket killer into that hole, then sealed it with silicone and duct tape.

[fisheye]

You are sure they are yellow jackets and not honey bees? If they are honey bees you could possibly get a local bee keeper to take them off your hands?

Just be careful; if they are yellow jackets and you try to take care of them yourself. What looks like a small nest, with only a few bees going into the hole, could be deceiving. I have made that mistake in the past and don't want to see others repeat that mistake.

It is always wise to come prepared. Goggles, a full scuba face mask, heavy long sleeves and pants, hoods, nets, and heavy gloves. If you are attacked by the whole nest - you want protection. Anybody that is allergic should keep their distance. Anybody that messes with a nest should make sure nobody with allergies is around.

[kygman]

I had a problem in my garage with bees boring into the rafters. I had been wondering where the sawdust all over my car was coming from. I got one of those sprays that kills from up to 30 feet. Those rascals died as soon as this stuff hit them. I soaked the holes several times and saw some come to try to get in then leave in a hurry. No more problems!

[fisheye]

Originally Posted by kygman

I had a problem in my garage with bees boring into the rafters. I had been wondering where the sawdust all over my car was coming from. I got one of those sprays that kills from up to 30 feet. Those rascals died as soon as this stuff hit them. I soaked the holes several times and saw some come to try to get in then leave in a hurry. No more problems!

Eastern carpenter bee - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia This is different than yellow jackets. Yellow jacket nest are more complex and harder to wipe out the whole nest. There are sprays that advertise residual kill effects. The biggest problem is getting the spray where you need it. This is especially true for a nest in your house. The actual nest can be a long ways from their entrance or can be shielded from a direct hit by the spray. It may take several applications if you cannot get at the actual nest.

[Alley01]

We have used gun foam to fill in those gaps with success in the past. Plus, it is easier to clean up messes. We did use bug spray initially, but they must have spread the word to all their friends because the relief was temporary. But, using the spray foam did work well and although it isn't the toughest substance, they didn't want to touch it.

[fisheye]

Originally Posted by Alley01

We have used gun foam to fill in those gaps with success in the past. Plus, it is easier to clean up messes. We did use bug spray initially, but they must have spread the word to all their friends because the relief was temporary. But, using the spray foam did work well and although it isn't the toughest substance, they didn't want to touch it.

If you would use the foam on honey bees; you could seal in their honey. Maybe you would kill the bees from starvation? But that honey inside your wall could do a lot of damage over time. To many people honey bees look very similar to yellow jackets.

One question on honey bees: What is happening with the spread of 'killer' bees?

[brokencrayola]

They are making a nest so you want to nip this in the bud before it gets any bigger. Do it in the evenings after it have cooled down and they are not active. I would get a hornet/bee/wasp spray and try to get one with one of those small straws that attach at the sprayer so you can fit it inside and spray.

[kutra11]

I had my pest control company come in and handle this. They directed some white powder around the entry point and up the hole in the metal frame. He said it will take up to seven days for the yellow jackets to die/abandon that nest and I can seal the hole at that point.