By Mike Isbell


University of Georgia

It should have been a usual “doing what dogs do” day for
Lucky, a
neighboring dog that pays a daily visit to Sid, our cocker
spaniel.

Lucky was sniffing around in my liriope bed trying to find
something of interest. Suddenly, Lucky flipped around, tucked her
tail between her legs, and quickly ran away, snapping at flying
tormentors on both sides of her.

When she finally outran what was after her, she stopped and
looked back at the liriope bed with a “what was that?” look on
her face.

Lucky may not have known what she’d gotten into, but I knew.
She
must have found a yellow jacket nest. I’m glad she was the one to
find it instead of me.

Hidden beneath the ground

The nest was belowground, as most nests are. They’re found
around
rotten stumps or on the sides of terraces, gullies and
ditches.

Recently the principal at one of the area high schools called
me
with some concern about the large number of yellow jackets around
the school grounds. The yellow jackets are attracted to the sugar
in the soft drink cans tossed in the garbage cans around the
school. They may come from some distance to get the sugar.

Yellow jackets aren’t the only stinging insects in large
numbers
this year. Hornets are out in large numbers, too.

I guess everyone is familiar with the bald-faced, or
white-faced,
hornet. Surely you’ve seen a hornet’s nest, shaped like a bloated
football, high up in a tree or under the eve of a building.

The hornet that causes the most concern is the giant European
hornet. The size of it alone is enough to scare folks. It can
be more an inch long. Unlike the bald-faced hornet, it’s more
brown than black. The only yellow markings are on the abdomen.
It’s attracted to lights at night.

Hornets and yellow jackets are very aggressive if they believe
their nests are threatened. And they can sting repeatedly.

If you’re smart, you’ll wait to control these insects until
the
evening, when they’re in their nests and are at rest. You’ll be
less likely to get stung.

What to do

Sevin is deadly on bees. Just apply it in and around the
yellow
jacket nests in the evening. Pyrethroids(permethrin, resmethrin,
and others) are available in aerosols, some of which produce a
jet stream so you can stay a safe distance away. Aim at the nest
opening in trees, bushes, ground cracks and crevices. You may
have to retreat for total control.

Don’t be like poor Lucky. She got too close and found out the
painful way just how aggressive yellow jackets can be.