Please help ID this vespid (hornet, wasp, or yellow jacket)

[Lisak1]

along with my most hated creature. Ticks.

The ticks have been SO BAD already this year. I had one crawling across my computer screen the other day. It must have come in on the dog and she brushed past me when she got into her favorite napping spot behind the chair. We check them RELIGIOUSLY, but ugh. So disgusting and scary! And it's barely spring.

 

[mrsclem]

You don't normally see that many yellow jackets this early in the year. They love trash cans and open containers of soda! Several years ago I had a bad run in with them. Ended up with over 40 stings. Not fun!

 

[MoonShadows]

The ticks have been SO BAD already this year. I had one crawling across my computer screen the other day. It must have come in on the dog and she brushed past me when she got into her favorite napping spot behind the chair. We check them RELIGIOUSLY, but ugh. So disgusting and scary! And it's barely spring.

Get chickens. They love ticks.

 

[sissy]

I was told they land on you because of moisture from your skin smells sweet to them and they want a drink,but will sting for no reason at all .I use 20 mule team borax that is washing machine detergent on my back yard .It is an old wives tail thing but it seems to work .Does not harm pets and seems to keep ants and ticks away .I used to use it on both my NJ homes so I would not get ants in the house and dogs would not get ticks .It has always worked for me

 

[MoonShadows]

Borax (and boric acid) is a very effective insecticide. Do you know where the name 20 Mule Team Borax comes from....for the method by which borax was originally hauled out of the California and Nevada deserts in large enough quantities to make it cheap and commonly available.

 

[sissy]

They used to have the story on the box when I was a child but I guess it was not interesting enough so they took it off the box .My mom and grandma swore by that stuff and old habits die hard I guess because to this day I still use it .I can remember lots of times sitting by the wringer washing machine and looking at the box .OH BOY does that age a person

 

[MoonShadows]

We make our own laundry detergent, and borax is one of the ingredients...along with washing soda and fels naptha. Cost comes to just a few cents per load and is environmentally friendly.

 

[Jimmy Gibson]

Yellow jackets are terrible especially when you run over a nest with a push mower with shorts on..... Ouch

 

[Lisak1]

Yellow jackets are terrible especially when you run over a nest with a push mower with shorts on..... Ouch

Amen! Been there. Spent two weeks walking like I had one wooden leg!

 

[Lisak1]

Get chickens. They love ticks.

I wish we could have chickens! I'd be a happy girl!

 

[sissy]

Well not ants in the pants but bees HMMM