• Post Reply Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic
permaculture forums growies critters building homesteading energy monies kitchen purity ungarbage community wilderness fiber arts art permaculture artisans regional education skip experiences global resources cider press projects digital market permies.com pie forums private forums all forums
this forum made possible by our volunteer staff, including ...
master stewards:
  • Carla Burke
  • John F Dean
  • Timothy Norton
  • Nancy Reading
  • r ranson
  • Jay Angler
  • Pearl Sutton
stewards:
  • paul wheaton
  • Tereza Okava
  • Andrés Bernal
master gardeners:
  • Christopher Weeks
gardeners:
  • Jeremy VanGelder
  • M Ljin
  • Matt McSpadden

Relocating paper wasps and removing yellowjackets

 
C Oakes
Posts: 32
2
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I have a bit of a wasp problem in my small greenhouse. There are a handful of paper wasp nests and yellowjackets that have built a nest in the wall. At first I wanted to leave them alone because they weren't bothering me, but now I've been stung more than a few times. There is no way for me to relocate the yellowjackets so I decided to put a shop-vac hose right underneath the hole where they enter the wall. I have a few paper wasp nests that I want to relocate but one of them is rather large and I am afraid of getting stung repeatedly. I watched a video by SuburbanBiology where he puts the wasps to sleep using carbon dioxide and then moves the nest. Maybe I should do that? It would cost a couple hundred dollars at least for all the equipment though. Another option is to go and remove the nest at nighttime? Maybe just wear thick clothing, goggles, etc and cut the top of the nest and have a large plastic bag ready to catch it? I'm not sure what to do. I don't want to kill them all that's for sure. But I want access to my greenhouse without having to duck for cover.
Screenshot_20250907-170834.png
[Thumbnail for Screenshot_20250907-170834.png]
 
C Oakes
Posts: 32
2
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
These paper wasps look ready to pounce on me
Screenshot_20250907-170913.png
[Thumbnail for Screenshot_20250907-170913.png]
 
C Oakes
Posts: 32
2
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I tied the vacuum hose to a scrap piece of plywood and screwed the plywood into the wall directly underneath the entrwnce to the yellowjacket hive. I've ran the vacuum 4 or 5 times now for at least an hour each time and I still find more yellowjackets being sucked up. When I stop finding yellowjackets in the vacuum I will have to open up the wall and vacuum the hive out. I don't want rotting larvae in the wall.
Screenshot_20250907-172142.png
[Thumbnail for Screenshot_20250907-172142.png]
 
Kay Gelfling
Posts: 108
Location: Hawaii
47
9
homeschooling kids forest garden trees cooking homestead
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Attaching the vacuum to the intake is such a clever solution!

In some areas, you can contact a company who will come out for free and collect yellow jackets (and similar creatures) for making anti-venom. My parents have needed them several times, when they were inside greenhouses, the front door of the house, and other places where they don't share airspace politely. Usually we had to have enough critters to make it worth their time driving all the way out to my parents' house, so two or three trouble spots. The worker uses a protective suit and a strong vacuum situation to suck out the wasps, and physically removes the nest.

We have found this company to be helpful and friendly:
https://www.cascadiavenomcollection.com/

I wonder if this kind of business exists in other areas?
 
greg mosser
gardener
Posts: 1774
Location: the mountains of western nc
555
forest garden trees foraging chicken food preservation wood heat
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
i can’t see your location, but in my area, mornings are now in the 50’s. at that temp, you can swing in and do just about anything to paper wasp nests before they are ready to respond.
 
Why should I lose weight? They make bigger overalls. And they sure don't make overalls for tiny ads:
Learn Permaculture through a little hard work
https://wheaton-labs.com/bootcamp
reply
    Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic