From time to time, my wife and I raise orphaned, baby squirrels and soft release them into our back yard, which contains several scrub oak trees. For some reason, sap has begun to leak from some peculiar, small holes in the bark of the trees and the sap attracts yellow jackets.....lots of them. They actually land on the trees and drink the stuff. They also sting the squirrels. I climbed a ladder and killed a few with a flyswatter, but that turned out to be a huge mistake. I need to plug the holes in the bark with some putty, but I don't want to get hammered again and I can't use regular, bug spray to solve the problem because I won't be able to avoid getting it on the trees and my wife says the residue might harm the squirrels. I need something I can spray on the yellow jackets that will kill them, but that won't hurt other critters. Any suggestions?
Don't smash or squash any more. They release a theramone (sp?) that attracts others and they will be angry. Personally, I'd saturate them with one of them wasp spray cans that shoot 25' then after it dried, I'd hose the tree down with water to dillute it. I don't think this will harm the squirrels.
Fifty Fifty solution of Dawn and water reeks havoc on bees, hornets, wasps, etc. Not sure how good it is at keeping them gone, but once applied, they are toast.
Maybe try picking up a few of those containers where you can put in some sap/bait and they can't get back out? As far as filling the holes, I actually used a can of that blow foam insulation, I don't know how long it'll last though, I haven't checked back tbh.
This^^^ One of these or something similar: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Victor-M362-Yellow-Jacket-and-Flying-Insect-Trap/21798161 I had problems with yellow jackets building nests in one of the older cars (non-daily driver) I have in my driveway. I managed to get the queen with one of these and it was three or four years before I saw another yellow jacket in my yard. Jim
Smashing them with the flyswatter is exactly what set them off. Prior to that, they were just flying around me, or sipping tree-sap coladas. I killed five, or six, real quick while they were sitting at the bar and the rest of them went ape-shit. They were quick, too. Three got me before I jumped off the ladder and one got me on the forehead while I was running away. I'll give the Dawn and water mixture a shot in a few minutes.
Any chance you can set up the GoPro when you do it? By the way, I really can't wait to try the Dawn/water trick either!
for your situation, the little bait jars will probably be the best thing. An aerosol will work, only on contact and do you really want to spend the time hunting them constantly? Just put a few of those traps around and see how it works.
Aerosolized residual pyrethroids will not harm the squirrels...LD50 too high. YJ are social and they have established a feeding pattern there...when they begin to die, they'll move on and feed elsewhere. If you could eliminate the food resource, you wouldn't have to spray anything.
As for the sap out of the (possible exit) holes...I would have the tree looked at for wood boring beetles or other insects...they could kill the tree(s).
i use chlorinated brake parts cleaner shot through the straw. shit is like a nerve agent. they fall dead out of the sky. i love killing those things.
