How to Kill a Yellow Jacket Nest Naturally

They say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. To prevent yellow jacket infestation, make sure to clean up around the yard and close garbage cans. Yellow jackets will make their nest near reliable food sources, so a clean yard might stop the problem before it starts. If your yard has any fruit, pick up the fruit that has fallen off the tree and throw it away. Dog and cat food should stay inside, as it attracts yellow jackets as well. Yellow jackets also love anything sweet, so do not leave out pop cans and keep hummingbird feeders clean.

Use a mechanical non-toxic yellow jacket trap. Jonathon Hatch recommends setting these in the early months of the warm season. If a queen bee is killed, then the colony is wiped out before it even got started. Even if the trap is not successful in destroying the colony, it will keep the local population in check. The bees are lured into the trap and cannot escape. Place the traps in a freezer, until the yellow jackets die.

Place 5 or 6 tablespoons of Joy dish soap with a half bucket of water. Dump the water over the nest. This is best done on a chilly night, when the yellow jackets are less active. Be sure to cover yourself with thick clothes. After dumping the solution, wait about a half hour and return to the nest and cover it with dirt and rocks.

Use an organic eco-friendly insecticide. Organic pesticides are safe for the environment and safe to use around children. According to Ecosmart, the pesticides work by blocking Octopamine neuro-receptors, which do not exist in mammals. This explains why it is safe to use around humans and pets.