After reading everyone's stories here, I thought my own yellow jacket experience worth sharing. I'd read all the bad things that comes from pouring gas or kerosene into the ground, but after several attacks by our little ground-dwelling monsters, I decided to resort to this particular form of chemical warfare. As the nest I was trying to eradicate was located in a slight depression in the middle of my backyard, it was situated perfectly for "pouring". But then... as a small creek borders my yard, I couldn't help keep away thoughts of benzene-disfigured frogs showing up at my doorstep some rainy night in the future. So... feeling guilty and in desperation, I had a vision... of the hot water heater. I'd heard about the boiling-water-down-the-hole solution, but the stove is a very long way from my backyard. But not the basement door, which is a straight shot of some thirty feet from the nest, and the hot water heater, about ten feet inside the basement door. SO... During a sunny late afternoon, with the little buggers zipping in and out, I carefully made mental note of the nest's entrance. Then, I rigged a ten foot pole (a couple of sturdy branches taped together with too sticky masking tape, the kind you'll never use again but can't throw away), taped the female end of a long garden hose to just inches over the end of the pole, then taped the rest of the hose securely to the pole. Then, I sat on the ground and slooowly crept the pole/hose combo along the grass towards the nestÂs entrance, careful to take many rests along the way, giving time for the little critters to adjust to the newby in the neighborhood. Once the end of the hose was just slightly off center above the hole (so as to not block the all-important flight path), I retreated back into the house to wait until the night. That evening, around nine, I went back to the hole; no guards were in sight, but I didn't lean too far over in case one of them got energetic to attack. I made a mental note of the hose's location, and VERY SLOWLY pulled it away from the hose and away from the depression. I went into the basement, connected the hose to the flush-out valve on the hot water heater, and turned on the water to get the hose heated up for the ultimate event. After a couple of minutes, I shut off the water, and went back to my pole and carefully pushed it back into its original position. I even cheated and used a flashlight to verify that I was in the correct position. And then I turned the water back on and essentially drained the hot water heater until the brass coupling on the hose was only warm. I expected some buzzing at the back door, but nothing happened. I figured I'd failed, but the next afternoon, upon checking out the nest, was amazed to discover that nary a bee buzzed in and out of the ground. Success! Now, if I can only figure out a way to get that masking tape off of the hoseÂ

We use a combination of Nickel Plus and K-Phite. It's working great. We spray with both, using a sticker-spreader we got at Tractor Supply. We also add their blue dye now, because it helps us see where we have missed a spot. It isn't very easy to see through goggles, with sweat pouring down in your eyes. Just avoid spraying any blossoms, unless you are really desperate for a blue daylily. We were advised to spray once a week for 3 weeks, then wait 3 weeks before spraying again. I've only sprayed once this fall, since it has been raining off and on ever since. Occasionally, I will have a plant that shows sign of rust, but nothing like it was before I started using the nickel. I wouldn't use anything else. Well, let me take that back. I am going to try some Actinovate on just a few isolated and unimportant plants to see how it works. The only thing I don't like is having to don all that protective gear, but I wouldn't have it otherwise. I'm very cautious. We use goggles, a special pesticide mask we bought at Lowes, chemical gloves (also at Lowe's), rubber boots and a yellow rain slicker. My hubby and our yardman refuse to put on a garbage bag drawstring skirt, but if I'm doing the spraying, I wear that, too. I'll have to get my hubby to take a picture of me in that fancy outfit so everyone can get a good laugh. When the weather is warm, we get very sweaty in all that garb! We start very early in the morning while it is still cool. We have a big tank sprayer on wheels we pull behind our riding lawn mower. It runs on the lawn mower battery. We got an extra length of hose so we can cover more territory. One of us drives the lawn mower while the other sprays. I could do it by myself, but it takes longer to have to keep stopping to move the mower ahead. We wash the tank out thoroughly after spraying and run clear water through the wand when we have finished. Aren't you cold climate people lucky??? Nancy

We can't be totally sure about your bright yellow 'mold' without seeing a photograph. However, there's a pretty good chance that it is one of the harmless slime molds, very commonly observed on mulch. Slime molds are the source of much concern to those who have never heard of them. There are many, many species of this very unique organism (which is not a mold or a fungus, by the way). Yellow is one of the more common colors, though I've seen it in bright orange, pink, and white. Pretty cool stuff and it will eventually go away on its own. Slime molds are not harmful to your plants, and you really shouldn't do anything to contain, remove, or eradicate it. If its appearance really bothers you, simply remove it with a flat shovel and dispose. Can we see a picture?

Thanks guys, I just found some "tomato dust" out in the barn, a copper based product that maybe I can use until I get into town again. Not too many tears are going to be shed over losing a couple of P.O.s, I think I have 11 of them planted, and maybe I can head this off at the pass for the other varieties with some copper spray. Any recommendations on the brand? Also, should I pull these plants or leave them to die a slow natural death? I was expecting a fairly high mortality rate being my first year growing so if I pull these, I will have approx 70 tomato plants left. LOL, hopefully, knowing my weakness can become my greatest strength (in the garden, anyhow)!