Will Gasoline Kill Yellow Jacket Nest In Ground? Ultimate Revelation!

One day, you notice a buzzing sound, and a single yellow jacket flitting about your yard doesn’t faze y

In mid-2023, TikTok experienced a viral trend involving the removal of yellow jackets or other wasps using gasoline. Numerous videos were uploaded showcasing the process with mixed results. So, can gasoline kill yellow jacket nests in the ground?

As an experienced gardener, I’ve given this method a shot, and I’ll share the outcomes below. Keep scrolling down to uncover the truth!

Can Gasoline Kill Yellow Jacket Nest in Ground?

According to Texas A&M Agrilife Extension, it’s not recommended to kill yellow jacket or other wasp nests on the ground with gasoline. Doing so can pose a fire hazard and wreak havoc on the surrounding plants, the environment, and even your health.

Honestly, I was also curious about how to get rid of yellow jackets with gasoline like on that TikTok video and decided to give it a shot. 

I took about 8 ounces of gas and poured it directly into the nest so that the liquid could flood both their entry and exit holes.

In fact, I had thought that gasoline did kill those annoying insects effectively until I realized that my lovely daylilies around the nest became wilted and died after that. 

Texas A&M Agrilife Extension also warns us about an incident where people accidentally burned their house while killing yellow jackets with gas in their garden.

It’s easy to see that this method can do more harm than good, and you’d better find another way to control wasps in your garden.

Harmful To Your Health

While gasoline will kill yellow jackets, hydrocarbons inside it can easily evaporate and enter humans’ respiratory systems if inhaled. 

These toxic vapors can be lethal, leading to symptoms like dizziness, headaches, nausea, and breathing difficulties. It can even kill you with a large amount!

Toxic To Plants And The Environment

When you use gas to kill yellow jackets, it may contaminate the soil and find its way into your water sources. 

There is no way plants can survive in such a polluted environment. Not to mention, you might kill or drive away other beneficial insects as well.

Fire Hazard

We all agree that gasoline is highly flammable. If you pour it into the ground when there is a flame or a spark nearby, it can burst into a fire and destroy your entire house like the case I mentioned above.

7 Home Remedies To Use Instead of Gasoline and Chemicals

You’ve known the steps to adopt gasoline to kill yellow jackets. This section also unveiled other measures to eliminate this issue quickly.

Preparation: Wear Protective Clothing

Regardless of your chosen method, the first step is to put on proper protective clothing, such as gloves, long pants, long sleeves, and a hat (preferably with a veil). 

This precaution will protect you from irritated stings by yellow jackets and exposure to other harmful chemicals.

Glass Bowls

They can be a great alternative if you don’t want to kill a yellow jacket nest with gasoline. Find the points where the yellowjackets get in and out and cover all with your glass bowls to kill them.

The wasps will get stranded within their nest and die of starvation.

Dry Ice

If you don’t favor the method of using gasoline yellow jackets, try dry ice. Instantly place it into a yellow jacket ground nest to kill them all. Add earth right away to seal the entrance and exit holes.

Peppermint Oil

Yellow jackets are a common type of wasp that doesn’t like peppermint oil’s odor. It can function as a non-chemical wasp repellent yet doesn’t harm the wasps.

Thus, get started with a sprayer with lukewarm water containing a few teaspoons of liquid soap and drops of purified peppermint oil.

Mist the mixture around the entries and exits of wasp nests. Over several weeks, redo the steps above until the issue is controlled altogether.

Protein Bait

This DIY method can do the trick, even better than than removing the yellow jacket nest in the ground with gasoline.

To build a DIY wasp trap, consider protein bait, such as a minor quantity of liver, fish, or even canned chicken. Hang it a few feet above the water in a bucket filled with five gallons of soapy water.

These swaps will arrive to eat the protein. They can fly away when carrying such heavy pieces accordingly. Afterward, they drop into the water and drown.

Soap And Water

Wait till nightfall to approach the nest in safety. Put on strong gloves, a long-sleeved shirt, and closed-toe shoes to avoid injury.

Use a 50/50 solution of water and soap to flush out underground nests. Then, quickly flush the area with hot water.

Once you see no wasp movement in the nest for days, safely dig it out and throw it away.

Destroying a nest in the air requires the same time and protective clothing, as well as the following actions:

• Wrap the nest in a sack and secure the drawstring.
• Get it to close at once.
• To remove the nest from a tree, home, or other fixed objects, twist it off its anchor and drag it away.
• Put the nests in water and press down on it with a large object, such as a rock.

Imitation Nests

Due to their intense sense of territoriality, yellowjackets won’t set up a nest at a spot where they perceive hostile wasps to be present.

Hanging fake nests may be an epic trick to drive yellow jackets away.

You don’t need to replenish, throw away, or reset imitation nests. It’s a chemical-free but clever technique.

To deter wasps from nesting in your outdoor areas, just hang a few about your yard.

Wet-Dry Vacuum

You may remove these yellow bodies using a wet-dry vacuum. Just fill its tank with soapy liquid or water and use the nozzle.

When the yellow jackets are sucked into the tank, they fall into and perish in the soapy liquid.

Be mindful of wearing a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, and closed-toed shoes. Also, it is a good idea to hold off until the evening, when yellow jacket activity is at its lowest.

Being a gardener or farmer, chances are you face multiple issues in life, not just the unpleasant yellow jacket nest.

Perhaps, other topics like tiny black spots on pepper leaves and white spots on green bean leaves with their treatments also draw your attention.

Steps To Get Rid Of The Yellow Jacket Nest

After grasping the answer to “does gasoline kill yellow jackets?” Let’s learn the best way to let off the nest.

Follow the steps listed below to learn how to eliminate yellow jackets.

Preparation

Follow the two things before you begin:

1. Pick A Medical Coftiny black spots on pepper leavesurse Of Action

You’ll want a strategy before attempting to eradicate a nest.

Prepare all products such as sprays, dust, baits, foams, and traps to control yellow jackets.

For a yellow jacket nest that is low in a tree or another easily accessible location, foams and sprays are your best bet.

If the nest is in a small space, like a crack in your siding, use baits or traps to lure the yellow jackets out and minimize your exposure to stings.

2. Arm Yourself with Safety Measures

Normal wasp stings can induce anaphylactic shock, yet yellowjacket stings mostly produce localized redness, discomfort, and swelling at the sting site. Some people might die due to a severe allergic response.

Avoiding getting stung when treating the nest is a must, even if you aren’t allergic to stings. Equip yourself with these items:

• Long-sleeved tops.
• Gloves.
• Pants.
• Closed-toe footwear.

Step By Step Instructions

Step 1: Pick The Treatment

You may acquire various things to remove yellow jackets. The most popular ones include traps, baits, and sprays.

Step 2: Pinpoint The Nest Location

Locating the nest to eradicate a yellow jacket infestation.

Once you’ve located a hive, act immediately to solve the issue. Yellow jacket infestations may only last a short while.

Still, they may be significant pain and even be hazardous if someone suffers an allergic reaction to their sting.

Put on a long-sleeved shirt, trousers, a mask, and safety glasses before going outside. Find the nest by keeping an ear out for loud buzzing noises while the yellow jacket travels about your property.

Step 3: Find The Nest Entrance And Exit Points

You must pinpoint the nest’s entry and exit points since yellow jackets inhabit animals and burrow underground. You can seek holes by observing several yellow jackets flying nearby.

Step 4: Implement The Remedy

Wait until dark or right before daybreak to handle the nest after you’ve found it. Thus, it is harder for yellow jackets to detect and sting you. Apply an aerosol spray as it is the most secure option.

The product needs to have a far-reaching spray to distance yourself from the hole. Spray the inside nest walls as much as possible for at least a minute. Focus on the nest’s entry and exit points.

Be cautious about moving in circular patterns. Spray any escaping yellow jackets immediately to prevent them from approaching you.

Step 5: Check The Nest For Activity

Wait 24 hours after spraying the nest before looking for more yellow jacket activity. Reapply the medication if needed.

The Bottom Line

Can gasoline kill yellow jacket nest in ground? Now that you’ve grasped the answer.

For people with a severe allergy, yellow jackets are more than just an annoyance; the yellow jacket stings may be lethal. Now that you’ve known that gasoline 

Checking for animal burrows regularly, filling them as needed, and keeping garbage cans covered can help lower the risk of annual infestations. The sooner a nest is removed after being spotted, the less damage will come.

Share this post with other homemakers to stay safe from such an incident.