A wet summer meant a prolific year for yellow jackets. The number and size of the underground nests were more than I can remember in any previous year. The nasty insects occupy previously dug animal burrows. Their home below ground resembles the more often seen paper hornets nests in trees. Levels of honeycombs are built with a protective paper nest structure to keep them from collapsing. I saw no need for so many yellow jackets this year and decided to get rid of the nests along out forest trail and in our yard. One sting was enough to prompt this decision. My initial attempt to eradicate the nests by spraying Wasp and Hornet Killer, did not accomplish the task. Subsequent research indicated another approach might work.
Early one cold morning, I poured a couple gallons of boiling water down the hole. Next day I checked to see if they were still active. In both cases, the nests were dormant and the innards were strewn about nearby. It is likely a raccoon dined on the boiled yellow jackets. I've learned that consuming them is not toxic - for raccoons anyway.
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