It’s been a couple of years since we’ve had a yellow jacket infestation. For a few years, we had one or two nests just about every summer, and taking care of them became a simple process: a few gallons of boiling water around ten in the evening, when they’re all bedded down in their nest, and no more problem.

This year, though, one hive made its home under the slab that supports our heat pump. If it were a concrete slab, I might consider the water method again, but it’s some strange concrete/foam “slab” that is just a little bigger than the unit itself. The thought of pouring water into that area, possibly destabilizing the whole unit — not a good thought. The other hive has made its home within a bush: it’s impossible to pour the water through the bush to make a good clean shot.

So today, I went by a DIY pest control place, bought some Talstar and Evergreen Pyrethrum Dust and let them have it.

I hit the nest under the heat pump while it was still daylight: I turned the nozzle on my sprayer so it was a fast, fat stream, stood back about ten feet, and sprayed into the opening for a good ten to fifteen seconds. I went back ten minutes later and did it again. After ten more minutes, I hit them a third time. Then a fourth time.

By then, there were yellowjackets everywhere, all rolling around on the ground, all struggling through their last moments.

It’s a strange moment: on the one hand, I feel a little bad for the guys. There they are, just doing what instinct has trained them to do. They’re breeding, raising young, defending them when necessary. On the other hand, they’re assholes. It doesn’t take much to get them riled up, and with two kids, two cats, and a dog around, it’s not a chance I’m willing to take.

Still, I can’t help but feel a little like Ender…