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Ground bees

Printed From: Unofficial Allis
Category: Other Topics
Forum Name: Shops, Barns, Varmints, and Trucks
Forum Description: anything you want to talk about except politics
URL: https://www.allischalmers.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=182760
Printed Date: 10 Aug 2025 at 4:23pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.10 - http://www.webwizforums.com


Topic: Ground bees
Posted By: Don(MI)
Subject: Ground bees
Date Posted: 23 Aug 2021 at 8:49pm
So i just dumped 2 gallons of "Wisdom tc" down the hole, hoping it kills them. I double dosed the batch potency too.


If that don't work, what should I do next?

The hole is about 3" from the basement foundation and house siding, i don't really wanna burn it out from fear of burning the house down.

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Galatians 5:22-24

"I got a pig at home in a pen and corn to feed him on, All I need is a pretty little girl to feed him when I'm gone!"



Replies:
Posted By: DiyDave
Date Posted: 23 Aug 2021 at 8:54pm
Just plain gas.  About a pint.  Don't have to light it, vapor kills them...

I once hit a YJ nest with a tractor, got 8 stings from the right ear down to the right chin, neck swelled up anf I looked like boss Hogg, fer a coupla days.  Now that nest I gassed and lit!Wink


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Source: Babylon Bee. Sponsored by BRAWNDO, its got what you need!


Posted By: steve(ill)
Date Posted: 23 Aug 2021 at 9:56pm
How about a garden hose... then CRANK ER UP !

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Like them all, but love the "B"s.


Posted By: dee_veloper
Date Posted: 23 Aug 2021 at 10:37pm
I had several YJ nests a few years ago.  Tried several things but they kept coming back.  I had to buy a bee jacket and hood so I could dig out the nests.  That was the only thing that worked for me.


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Don't confuse my personality with my attitude.
My personality is who I am. My attitude depends on who you are.


Posted By: HD6GTOM
Date Posted: 23 Aug 2021 at 11:33pm
Today while cleaning out dads machine shed we found dozens of little round holes in the dirt. Every now and then we would see a big Ol wasp land and walk down in the hole. I've got 5 gallon of gas in the pickup. There is a old pitcher there. We are gonna use it to pour gasoline into the holes and then kick dirt over the holes


Posted By: DiyDave
Date Posted: 24 Aug 2021 at 4:41am
Originally posted by HD6GTOM HD6GTOM wrote:

Today while cleaning out dads machine shed we found dozens of little round holes in the dirt. Every now and then we would see a big Ol wasp land and walk down in the hole. I've got 5 gallon of gas in the pickup. There is a old pitcher there. We are gonna use it to pour gasoline into the holes and then kick dirt over the holes

These are probably digger wasps, essentially harmless...Wink


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Source: Babylon Bee. Sponsored by BRAWNDO, its got what you need!


Posted By: Ray54
Date Posted: 24 Aug 2021 at 10:11am
Killed 100's of nests over the years gas or diesel which ever is handy. In modern times with the price and gas going bad, I save any that is drained out and use that. Very rarely do we ever lite it on fire. A good way to start another wild fire out here. Never saw the yellow jacket nest live after 2 or 3 gal of gas.


Posted By: Tad Wicks
Date Posted: 24 Aug 2021 at 10:38am
I can only hope all you guys are doing your due diligence to file the proper paper work and obtaining the permits necessary required by the  EPA and the Endangered Species Act, I don't think that I even need to bring up that fact of the intentional dumping of a petroleum product ???? OMG I am just horrified at the thought of it.WinkLOL


Posted By: allisbred
Date Posted: 24 Aug 2021 at 11:57am
Originally posted by DiyDave DiyDave wrote:

Originally posted by HD6GTOM HD6GTOM wrote:

Today while cleaning out dads machine shed we found dozens of little round holes in the dirt. Every now and then we would see a big Ol wasp land and walk down in the hole. I've got 5 gallon of gas in the pickup. There is a old pitcher there. We are gonna use it to pour gasoline into the holes and then kick dirt over the holes


These are probably digger wasps, essentially harmless...Wink

I had the exterminator out earlier in the year to get rid of carpenter bees. When they saw the thumb holes in the dirt, they would not fumigate the building as he said they eat the cicadas I believe.


Posted By: Don(MI)
Date Posted: 24 Aug 2021 at 9:27pm
GOT EM buddies

Looked today and no nest activity. Will check next couple days to be sure though. Good news!!

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Galatians 5:22-24

"I got a pig at home in a pen and corn to feed him on, All I need is a pretty little girl to feed him when I'm gone!"


Posted By: klinemar
Date Posted: 25 Aug 2021 at 6:01am
I had shutters on my house for years and all they were good for was a place that yellowjackets could nest. The Kids playing out in the yard was always getting stung. I used a lot of aerosol spray cans and then somebody told me that soapy dish water kills wasps. I bought a Super Soaker squirter gun and every year I would kill yellow jackets from 20 feet. When we resided the house away went the shutters.


Posted By: JTOOL
Date Posted: 25 Aug 2021 at 7:40pm
@klinemar; I've never heard of the soapy dishwater remedy. Is there a "formula"? Or do you just put some dish soap in some water and start spraying liquid death on the little demons? Do you know if this works for bumblebees as well? Thanks.


Posted By: klinemar
Date Posted: 25 Aug 2021 at 8:02pm
JTool ,I usually mix pretty strong for Wasps and I would believe it can work on Bumblebees although I have never used dish soap and water on them.


Posted By: JTOOL
Date Posted: 25 Aug 2021 at 8:10pm
klinemar; Thanks for the reply. Is pretty strong 1:1? Thanks.


Posted By: allisbred
Date Posted: 25 Aug 2021 at 8:43pm
Originally posted by JTOOL JTOOL wrote:

@klinemar; I've never heard of the soapy dishwater remedy. Is there a "formula"? Or do you just put some dish soap in some water and start spraying liquid death on the little demons? Do you know if this works for bumblebees as well? Thanks.

Not sure about soap and water for bumble bees. I had carpenter bees boring holes in my old shed. In the spring when the weather warms up, you could see 500 plus at any given time. The males would hover around the boards and the females drill holes and lay eggs. The pesticide they used did not kill anything, only warded them away. Within a few hours, there were maybe 5 male bees hovering and by the next day, I haven’t seen one since. Was a surprise to me, I have been spraying them for years, traps, etc… again, these were not bumble bees but they looked the same to me.


Posted By: klinemar
Date Posted: 25 Aug 2021 at 9:25pm
I aways used the glug method. When you squeezed the dish soap bottle a big glug came out and I normally used two glugs to a gallon of water.


Posted By: JTOOL
Date Posted: 25 Aug 2021 at 9:40pm
@allisbred; Thanks for the post my man. I think you're right. I have some carpenter bees around here (just a few. 500? Good night.) and the "RAID" spray that I use on them kills them but then, next year, they're back. I'm going to soap them up and see what happens. I'll report back.


Posted By: JTOOL
Date Posted: 25 Aug 2021 at 9:43pm
@klinemar; You are the man. Glug. That's boss. Do you think that we should petition the SI authorities to add "glug" to their system of official measurement? LOL.


Posted By: DaveKamp
Date Posted: 25 Aug 2021 at 9:50pm
I've never found bumblebees to be a problem around here... they're extremely gentle, even if you bump into them accidentally, they just get up, and go about their Bees-ness LOL

We have honeybees, which again, are very amicable as long as you go about your work and don't stare at their hive.  Honeybees will attempt to communicate with humans and animals, first by introduction, then by addressing you, then by warning.  Introduction is when they cruise over towards you, and just fly around you once or twice.  They might hover around in a few places about three feet away, then carry on elsewhere.  When they address you, they fly right up and hover in your direct view.  They look at your eyes, to make sure they're in your line of site, to get your attention.  They're telling  you 'Hey... I'm rather concerned about your intentions here"...   and if  they can't get your attention that way, they'll WARN you, by flying in, and bouncing off you.  They won't sting, they just fly in and bounce off to tell you that they don't think you're heeding their request.

If you come across honeybees, domestic or ferile, don't kill them, as the ecology will fall apart rapidly without them.  It's also a serious offense - In many states, if you kill honeybees with something systemic (like SEVIN), it will kill domestic hives over large areas extremely fast.  Some states, doing something like that will put you in prison, and land you an unbelieveable restitution.  Look up your state's Apiary Agriculture department, and ask, they'll put you in contact with local beekeepers that can positively identify and assist in resolving issues.

Carpenter bees, hornets, and wasps, however, are different.  They're not like honeybees, they don't develop the social structure, and while many do, they don't serve as prolific pollinators like honeybees do.  There's many ways to deal with them.

For insect control using dish-soap, I have several different methods, but one of the best, is to use a Dial-And-Spray hooked to garden hose with a 50/50 mix of dish soap and water.  The garden hose makes it easy to just walk along my grapes and hose 'em over, which kills all the japanese beetles.  It leaves enough soap on the leaves' tops to discourage more beetles, but a visit with the spray every week or so does a good job.  Seems to be fairly effective on other types of insects, too.


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Ten Amendments, Ten Commandments, and one Golden Rule solve most every problem. Citrus hand-cleaner with Pumice does the rest.


Posted By: DMiller
Date Posted: 26 Aug 2021 at 3:28am
My deceased brother when lived at Independence MO had a nest of YJs in his backyard stung his boy so attacked with gas. He poured some
In where they became active then backed off until settled again did that a couple times then threw a match in the hole and Thump FOOM!, had seven small fires where they had escape holes, lit bees would try to fly from holes and start grass fires, he was quite busy for a hour but satisfied he killed the nest.


Posted By: Ray54
Date Posted: 26 Aug 2021 at 10:18am
I was aware soapy water interfered with bees ability to fly but was not aware it would kill them, or their relatives.

I never go after yellow jacket nests during day lite hours. After dark the biggest challenge is finding the nest whole. Many times just put a rock or stick close, if handy a bucket is easier to find. But even at night they will come out and after you. So I pore fast and then set the bucket over the whole to keep them to all in to die underground. 


Posted By: Ted J
Date Posted: 26 Aug 2021 at 12:12pm
I'll have to try that soap and water trick!  I've got a nest of paper wasps/bees that have built a nest under my other pickup.  They were in the right taillight first and I got rid of them from there using PB Blaster.  They just moved a few feet.......dang things!
I'm gonna have to go buy a squirt gun cause the truck is parked too far from the garden hose to use the small fertilizer sprayer gizmo,,,,,,,,IF I could find it...


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"Allis-Express"
19?? WC / 1941 C / 1952 CA / 1956 WD45 / 1957 WD45 / 1958 D-17


Posted By: Brian Jasper co. Ia
Date Posted: 29 Aug 2021 at 8:59pm
I have gotten rid of ground pests with a few of my old small engines. The old cast iron Briggs & Stratton engines are the best since their exhaust is the dirtiest, at least that’s what it looks like to me anyway, especially if they burn some oil. A flexible gas appliance connector works great for plumbing the exhaust into the holes. Pack some mud around the pipe and let them run until out of gas...

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"Any man who thinks he can be happy and prosperous by letting the government take care of him better take a closer look at the American Indian." Henry Ford


Posted By: tadams(OH)
Date Posted: 30 Aug 2021 at 9:18am
  I got rid of mine with soappy water dumped down the hole


Posted By: john(MI)
Date Posted: 30 Aug 2021 at 9:26pm
Soap and water works on all insects.  It coats them with the soap and they can't breath.  Kills them dead!  We use it a lot for box elder bugs. but it works on all of them.  I guess, never tried myself, if you put some dish soap on a cotton ball and put it on a tick it will make them pull out and then you kill it.


Every recipe I have read all recommend the original blue Dawn dish soap.


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D14, D17, 5020, 612H, CASE 446


Posted By: JTOOL
Date Posted: 30 Aug 2021 at 10:00pm
@john(MI); Thanks for the info. I'm about to declare war on these 6 legged b@st@rd's. Bees, wasps, horseflies. They're all terrible at my place this year. I don't know the reason why but ME NO LIKEY!! By "insects" do you include arachnids as well? Because I hate spiders too. Thanks.


Posted By: shameless dude
Date Posted: 30 Aug 2021 at 11:17pm
i've used Dawn dish soap in hot/warm water for years to kill boxelder bugs. if anything that flies goes down in the ground, like said above put something over the hole...rock/bucket/plywood/tin...



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