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Yellow Jackets - Help!!


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How do I locate a yellow jacket hive that I know is close but...

 

Last week our dog came in covered in yellow jackets. I mean covered! We killed over 30 in the house, I pulled her outside and raked them off killing some and some flying away. She is a standard poodle and they were buried in her fur, it was awful. After a trip to the vets, a few days of pain killers and antihistamines she recovered. We did some looking but have not found the hive.

 

Today, we had yellow jackets round two. She came running in the house (we have a dog door) and I recognized it this time. I grabber her, pulled her outside and began combing them off. I yelled to dh on the way. Dh and ds killed the yellow jackets in the house, brought benedryl. There weren't near as many. I shaved her off to make sure we had them all this time and she will be fine.

 

The question is, how do I find the hive??? We live in the country. We have about 1.5 acres cleared, the rest wooded. Everyone around us has acreage. I'm assuming these things wouldn't have ridden for miles, but I don't know. Does anyone have any suggestions?

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Wow, I didn't know that yellow jackets lived in colonies that big! Glad your family and the dog are ok.

 

Have you looked under farm equipment, in the attic of the barn if you have one, under any porches or under the house if your house sits off the ground? I would hire someone with a bee suit to go under the house so no one gets hurt. We had a colony thingy in our attic, but there were only 8-10 yjs in there. They tend to hang out on the overhang of our house also. Before you go hunting I would buy a can of long range spray, because it kills on contact and those little critters are aggressive.

 

Be careful!!

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No barn or equipment. The house has a walk out basement, so there is no, under the house, either. We have lots of wasp spray around. My ds is allergic to wasp stings, so we are always spraying any that try to build under deck or eaves of the house. The yellow jackets are new this year though.

 

I think they usually build in the ground, I just don't know how to find a hive. We just have to find this one though!

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No advice, but they are BAD this year for some reason. Usually around this time of year we see them...at picnics near food, flying around outside, at the farm, etc. This year, they are swarming! We had to bring a picnic inside b/c they were that bad and at the farm stand they were all over the corn and fruit...couldn't even reach in to grab any! Sure hope you find the nest...poor dog!

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