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How to Kill Yellow Jackets With Household Products

Yellow jackets are wasps that are commonly mistaken for honeybees because of their similar size and color. They are considered beneficial insects because they prey on pest insects. Yellow jackets can, however, become a problem when they find their way into your home or lawn. The wasps can deliver many painful stings that can cause itching, swelling and even anaphylactic shock in sensitive persons. If you discover yellow jackets in your home or property, use some inexpensive household products to get rid of them.

Things You'll Need

5 gallon bucket
String
Fish or meat protein
Dish soap
Water
Spray bottle
Boric acid
Drill
Caulk
Weather stripping

Instructions

- 1
  Make a homemade water trap to catch the yellow jackets. Fill a five-gallon bucket with soapy water and suspend a piece of string with fish or some other protein 1 to 2 inches above the water. The yellow jackets will feed on the protein bait and become trapped in the water and drown.
- 2
  Pour a soap and water solution in underground yellow jacket nests. Soap removes the protective waxes that cover the insects' bodies, causing them to die. Look for holes or other cavities in the ground where you see yellow jacket activity to reveal the nests.
- 3
  Fill a spray bottle with water and add two tablespoons of dish soap and mix well. Spray any yellow jacket wasps you see inside your home with this homemade insecticidal solution.
- 4
  Apply boric acid to yellow jacket nests behind walls or siding in your home. Drill small holes in the wall where you suspect the nest is located and inject the boric acid. Seal the holes when you are sure the yellow jackets are dead.
- 5
  Seal cracks and crevices in your home with caulk to keep yellow jackets from entering. Repair tears in screens, and use weather stripping to eliminate any voids around windows and doorways.

Insects & Science