Yellow Jackets

If you're friends with me on facebook you've likely seen these pictures, if not, a warning: If you don't like wasps/stinging insects, this might not be the post for you.





So it started with a sting. I went to grab some hay for the animals to keep them distracted while Eric and I fixed the third stall door and all of a sudden my arm was on fire and there was a yellowjacket hanging onto me.

I cursed like a sailor, flung it off of me and got out of there, especially after realizing that there were LOTS more of them and all by the hay. We hung the stall door and went back to investigate. It seemed like they were coming in and out of the hay. I told the horses sorry, no more hay for them (we still have plenty of grass on property, so no worries there)

The reaction. Hot and hard to the touch. Itchy and painful. Also square.

New hinges and screws in the door! Hoorah!

This is the entrance. We tried spraying it but it just caused more of them to fly out. And it clearly wasn't making a difference. I also hung traps but I caught ONE. ONE. Clearly I needed professional help.

I tried calling a guy who would vacuum them out and collect their venom for medicine but he was a school teacher and the school year had just started up again and he was done for the season. So instead I called a local pest control.  They came out and treated the whole property, but especially the hay. He also said we had a bald faced hornet nest in one of the bird houses. That sucker is getting BURNED this winter.

I was told, everything should be pretty subdued by Monday. If things are still moving on Tuesday, call me and I'll come back out to re-treat.

This was Monday. We didn't see activity at the entrance and so we started moving hay bales. Pulled this away and there was buzzing and movement. Eric and I beat a hasty retreat, then cautiously returned to grab a picture once it was clear a swarm wasn't on our tail.

I called the pest guy back that night and left a message.

No response. Tuesday afternoon I called again, left another message, still no answer (WTF) so I stopped and grabbed wasp and hornet spray that kills on contact.

I went back into the barn, turned around corner and realized that WE TOTALLY MISSED SEEING THIS SIDE. And it still had activity. I soaked that sucker.

I only got this close the day after it was soaked with kill on contact spray.

Those white things are larva. The nest goes under the wood pallets and is fully integrated into the hay bales.

I think I've sufficiently finished it off so I'm hoping to clear out all the hay this weekend and spray it all down before bringing in new hay for winter.

But geez. I'm getting anxious that I haven't stocked up on hay for winter, even though we're good on pasture for at least 2 months still. Dealing with this wasp issue has just delayed me.