Late Summer Yellow Jackets & Tractors

GEORGIA FOLK AND FARM LIFE - Sometimes the best offense is a good defense—especially when it comes to late summer yellow jackets. Those pesky critters are downright incorrigible this time of year, filled with hate and pent-up violence toward anything that stirs them out into the sun to defend their homes.

Here at Fair Chance, we’ve had more than our share of trouble with subterranean nests. Just when I think I’ve got them licked, another swarm rises up, spoiling for a fight. It got me to wondering—how did our grandparents deal with these over-tempered demon bugs? Turns out, they had a system.

Tip 1: Plan Ahead

Grandpa didn’t just plow when the mood struck him. He timed his work with the rhythm of the land. If the wasps were hot-tempered in August, then serious plowing waited until a safer season. Holding off heavy tractor work or mule work until cooler days was the first line of defense.

But sometimes you can’t wait. Hay’s ready. Fields need cutting. Then what?

Tip 2: Scout Your Fields

The old-timers weren’t overzealous. They’d take a walk through the field before hitching up. Eyes peeled, they watched for wasps coming and going from a single spot—sure sign of a nest underground.

Some carried a shop rag—most times the red kind—so if they stirred up a hornet’s nest, they could toss it and run. That little rag gave the swarm something else to chase while Grandpa made his getaway. Smart thinking from folks who didn’t have a tractor cab to hide in.

Tip 3: Soap, Not Smoke

Like I said, the best offense is still a good defense. But if you find a nest, there’s one safe trick that’s worth keeping handy. Our own Oracle of the South, Wade Peebles, reminded me the other week after a monster nest planted itself right by my workshop door.

Now, Wade’s first tip was to “rub yer’ hand under yer’ armpit real good, then grab the nest and crush it in your fist.” I thanked him kindly and moved on to his second suggestion—the dish soap method.

Here’s the science part: wasps breathe through little openings in their abdomen called spiracles. Dish soap breaks down their outer layer and lets water slip in, drowning them quick. Two tablespoons of dish soap to a gallon of water is the official recipe, but let’s be honest—I just give that bottle a good squeeze.

For best results, pour your soapy solution straight into their hole at night. That’s when the whole crew is home, fast asleep, probably dreaming about stinging the heck out of you at first light.

What Not To Do

Now, I’ve heard of folks using gasoline, diesel, or even a can of ether starting fluid. One friend of mine tried that last trick—with another fellow standing too close, cigarette in hand. The fireball lit up the night sky and singed off Randy’s hopes of ever leaving with a clean pair of pants. It worked on the wasps, but it’s not what you’d call “safe farming.”

A Word on Living & Letting Live

As mean as hornets are (and believe me, they are), they’ve still got a place in God’s creation. Wasps may not be as efficient as honeybees, but they do pollinate while foraging for nectar. Some plants, like figs, even depend on them.

So if you can live and let live, do so. If a nest isn’t in your way, leave it be. But if you’ve got a buzzing time-bomb waiting to ambush your tractor tires, reach for the dish soap before you reach for the gasoline.

Stay safe out there, folks. And keep an eye out—because those yellow jackets surely have one on you. Poor Randy can tell you all about that… though his one eyebrow still hasn’t grown back quite right. ~Matt Jolley

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