11:30 update After trickling water for an hour, dozens of yellow jackets are now swarming above the nest hole. So they didn't give up. I turned the water on full blast and the water finally overflowed the hole, but is draining almost as fast. I don't see any water running out at the bottom of the bank, but I bet it would eventually. I'm going to pour some Tide in the hose and turn the water off shortly afterward. Hopefully leaving a coating of soap down there. I think this would have worked except for the rocks down there.
I was thinking more like a box of mothballs down the hole with a wheelbarrow load of dirt on top. Wish there were headlights on wheelbarrows.
I read that you don't want to shine a flashlight on the hole because the yellow jackets are attracted to light.
Whatever you choose to do, maybe you could also buy some yellow jacket traps and set them up near the entrance. I've never used them.
I think Mary is going to try a DIY trap. Let us know how it works, Mary. Spray worked with the nest I got stung by.
so far it's a no go. I have not gotten the right bait. I will keep trying different substances. I can try cat food, chicken, fish....I want to mix whatever with boron so they take it back to feed the hive. It is a slow poison to insects. I don't want to trap them. I want to do in the queen.
I've tried homemade borax bait for small ants in my home. It did not work, meaning they didn't touch it. I'm curious to see if Mary gets results.
Just got back from Home Depot with 5 gallons of wood preserver for the fence. Was planning on doing it with a spray gun tomorrow if it doesn't rain tonight. This is the problem bank of rocks I've been talking about. It marks the back property line. There is a narrow walking path between the fence and the rocks. The yellow jacket nest is about 18" inside the fence. I may do both sides and skip the back 'til later.
I used Terro on carpenter (big black) ants one year when they came into my house. Kept refilling until no more ants came. Have tried it on some that it did not work on. Some ants are sweet eating and some are fat eating. So annoying.
I had a service come a knocking saying they were running a special on our area. They were up from near Milwaukee and were going to cover the property for ants, spiders, wasps yellow jackets... I thought Great! Untill they said they would come back and charge every month. Why are they up here looking for business? and I don't want people crawling around the property, monthly, spraying poison.
If there is another entrance to that nest, the yellow jackets would be using it...from my limited experience. You would see them enter in the evening. I know that a hard freeze will kill them, but don't know how cold it would have to be for an underground nest. You need a skunk.