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.
