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Mission: To
provide accurate, up-to-date and unbiased
information for solving common insect and mite
problems in least-toxic ways.
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Yellowjacket Wasp
Baits
Jack
DeAngelis, PhD
OSU Entomologist (ret.)
Summary:
An insecticide is now available that can be used to
prepare bait for control of both aerial and
ground-nesting yellowjackets. Poison baiting has many
advantages over conventional methods for control of
dangerous wasp nests. It is no longer necessary, for
example, to locate individual nests.
Disclaimer
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Aerial yellowjacket
(social wasp) nest
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Wasp nests
Yellowjackets, or social wasps, build large nests
both above ground (aerial nests; see photo) and below
ground (see Yellowjacket
Wasps for details about wasp biology and nest
building). These nests can contain thousands of wasps
and may become dangerous, especially in late summer
and early fall when numbers peak.
When these nests occur in high traffic areas such as
playgrounds or picnic sites it may be necessary to
destroy the nests. Until recently the only options
were to locate and carefully treat individual nests
with insecticide, or use decoy traps to move wasps
away from human activity.
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Baits control the entire
wasp nest
The use of insecticide-laced baits has always been the
preferred way to control troublesome wasp nests on an area-wide
basis. The problem has been that the only insecticide that could
be used to prepare the bait was taken off the market about 10
years ago. Recently, however, a new insecticide has come
along that once again allows for use in baits for control of
yellowjackets. Baiting has a number of advantages over
conventional control options and really no significant
disadvantages.
The "theory" behind how baits work is that foraging wasps
locate the insecticide-laced bait and carry some back to the
nest where they feed it to developing brood and the queen thus
destroying the entire colony. Only those wasp species that
scavenge dead animals (see Scavenger
vs Predator Yellowjackets) will be attracted to the bait;
these species tend to be the pests at outdoor events and build
the larger, more threatening nests.
Advantages
- No need to locate individual nests
- Targets only the scavenger yellowjacket species, the type
that cause the most problems
- May reduce wasp activity the following year
- Very low environmental impact
- Very low non-target impact; even non-pestifierous wasp
species are not affected
Disadvantages
Please read: Social wasps, including scavenger
yellowjacket species, are considered to be beneficial insects
in that they prey on many plant pests. It is only when wasp
activity becomes threatening should control of nests be
considered. These procedures involve obvious risks and should
only be undertaken if you are comfortable working with
concentrated insecticide and are willing to assume
all risks associated with this activity. Read and
follow all pesticide label instructions.
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The bait
Meat (protein)-based baits generally work best. Sugary baits should be
avoided since these can attract and kill
non-target insects like honeybees.
Bait can be prepared from canned fish such as tuna,
minced meats, canned cat food and so forth. Several
different unpoisoned baits should be tested to find
the one that is most acceptable to your local pest
species. A small amount of vegetable oil can be added
as well to enhance bait acceptance.
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The insecticide
The only insecticide that can currently be used to
prepare wasp bait is Onslaught
Microencapsulated Insecticide (see label
below). Unfortunately the label for Onslaught does not
give much detail regarding the mixing of the bait but
1/4 teaspoon per 12 oz of bait is probably a good
starting point. Don't overdo it because too much
insecticide can cause the bait to be rejected by
foraging yellowjackets. This works out to 4 x 3oz bait
placements per 1/4 teaspoon of Onslaught.
Onslaught Insecticide is available here
and through other online sources.
Bait dispenser (bait station)
The bait dispenser and placement must ensure that only yellowjackets
can access the bait. It
is
your
responsibility
to protect non-target animals from exposure to the
bait. Keep bait placements small, no more than
3 oz, and constructed and placed so that they are
secure. It is against
the law to put pesticides, including yellowjacket
baits, into used food and drink containers.
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As an example, one commercially-available bait
station, costing about $10 each (w/out bait), looks
like a large pill bottle with a 1/2" hole drilled near
the top and a string from the screw-on cap that is
used to suspend it from a support. Wasps enter
and exit through the hole and the cap keeps other
animals out. Other designs may work just as well. Two
bait stations per acre should be sufficient for most
situations and dispersers can be hung from a variety
of supports (vegetation, fence posts, and so forth).
Bait needs to be replaced when it is no longer
accepted by worker yellowjackets, probably every 3
days or so.
Start your baiting program around mid-summer when you
see an increase in foraging yellowjacket activity.
Starting any earlier than mid-summer is probably a
waste of time because of limited wasp activity.
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