I've heard that meat tenderizers which contain a papaya extract help. Also, ammonia. I had neither available when I stepped into a yellow jacket nest while mowing, and got over 100 stings on my legs. I did have antihistimine tablets on hand and swallowed a double dose before driving to the emergency room. Within a half-hour, my legs were so swollen that I couldn't bend my knees-- actually could barely determine where they were. Janis is right, the pain is agonizing... I don't know about a single sting, but it was over a week before the multiple stings eased off. I've always thought it a bit unfair-- all that pain from the stings, and there's not even a possible benefit arthritis-wise, lol.

A friend just stopped by moments ago to tell me that my suggestion of providing an alternative sugar water bowl for the yellow jackets worked wonders at drawing them away from his hummingbird feeders. He said he had hundreds of yellow jackets, and they swarmed around the feeders and prevented the birds from feeding. I suggested bowls of sugar water some feet away from the feeders, and sure enough they went to those instead, and bonus!, they landed up drowning in the bowls! The birds are back to enjoying the feeders and his yellow jacket problem has gone away. Okay, okay I don't want to hear about the poor yellow jackets...they're backyard terrorists! Step in a nest once and you'll agree. They also terrorize bees (yellow jackets are not bees) while trying to steal their honey. There's a reason for the term "mean as a hornet". Believe me, I try not to purposely kill anything unless it becomes an overwhelming pest like fire ants and yellow jackets. I love the birds, squirells, butterflies and bees, but yellow jackets gotta go, and it appears this technique really works well.

take a lawn chair to where you see them .. and sit there and watch them until you figure out where they are .. and then do something about it ... they will not bother you.. just sitting there ... adult beverage.. might help you calm down enough to sit there long enough.. lol ... are you sure the are YJ's .... as compared to what i call paper wasps.. the ones that make those big paper hives??? once you find their house... you can kill them ... or alter your own patterns ... you would get a can of spray .. and come at them.. just before dark.. they come home at night.. and you spray the nest.. when they are all there.. and lethargic ... try to avoid spraying into the wind... its not pretty.. lol ... if they are the paper wasp ... you can use the spray as above... or you can just keep watering the hive .. i said they are paper wasps.. not paper mache' ... lol.. they will simply move the hive if it keeps getting wet ... simply point the hose at them.. keep an eye out.. and run, screaming like a little girl.. should you see a black swarm coming at you .. been there.. not proud to say.. done that.. lol ... [actually that is along bee story] .... but joking aside... just set a sprinkler to soak the thing for a few days.. and they will move on.;... i once did that.. they were at 3 feet in a shrub .. later that fall i found them at 12 feet in an oak 200 feet away ... which was a much better place for me ... presuming of course.. it was the same horde ... ken

There are hundreds of ways of dealing with these, none envromentally friendly. Sealing "the" entrance hole will do noting since they already have another means of egress and can easily make more as needed. Pouring gasoline on and lighting that does little since the nest is deep enough that the heat from the resulting fire won't reach it, and since it is illegal to dump petroleum products in that way could result in serious trouble for you. The single best way of dealing with these buggers is to put some Sevin around the entrance holes in a way so that the returning wasps need to walk through it to gain entry and will haul the Sevin down into the nest where it will poison those down there, including the queen. Now the good thing is that even if you do nothing this year they will not use the same nest next year.