Go with 1 oz of the Cypermethrin and 2 oz of the Spreader Sticker per gallon of water.

Cypermethrin: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/viper-cypermethrin

Spreaders: http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/spreaders/scatterbox-spreader

Use 1/2 to 1 gallon of the mixture per hole you treat.

If you are asking about all the products we have listed in our article then yes, you and your pets will be perfectly safe to be in the treated areas following the treatments. Simply follow the directions on how to apply these products the way we explain in our article keeping the pets and family away during the treatment and for a couple of hours afterward. If you follow these guidelines, everyone will be fine. More on how to safely use our products can be seen in our safety video’s seen here:

Safety Videos: http://www.bugspray.com/video/safety-videos.html

We’ve got two organic options that are safe for vegetable gardens and plants. So if she wants to treat with a dust as explained in our article above, she can use the Diatomaceous Earth with a Hand Duster. It won’t pose any kind of hazard to the plants.

Diatomaceous Earth: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/diatomaceous-earth

Hand Duster: http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/dusters/crusader

But if she prefers to spray, go with the organic Multi Purpose Insect Killer. It has just one day to harvest and can be used on the plants as well as the cucumbers so again, it’s perfectly safe for soil treatments too.

Organic Insect Killer: http://www.bugspraycart.com/organic/liquid/multi-purpose-insect-killer-24-oz

As our article above explains, the “freeze” method of treating is not an efficient method to use when you have a lot of nests. And you are correct in thinking that liquid treating sandy areas may not work. In many cases the liquid won’t get down to where it’s most needed.

But what will work is the Drione Dust. It’s ideally formulated for these type of nests. And you’ll get fast results. If you treat every hole you see at night, the next day you’ll be cicada killer free if the holes were treated properly. Go with this treatment method if you want to get rid of this pest for good.

Drione: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/drione-dust

Hand Duster: http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/dusters/crusader

Dusting Nests: http://www.bugspray.com/articles99/cicadakillers.html#cicada-killer-dust-treatments

Of course you can put sod over the top of the nests. But if you are thinking that this will affect them in some way you are wrong. They’ll merely chew through the sod within minutes and be right back to their normal day to day activity. In fact, they’d no doubt like the sod since it will protect them more providing shelter from the sun and rain.

So if you decide to lay any down and you have nests that are active, be sure to treat first with the liquid or dust spray listed above. This way they won’t start chewing through the costly grass.

In fact you do not want to water but try to keep the area dry as long as possible. In most cases the treatment will do it’s job in an hour or less. And since the dust should be going down deep into the hole, moisture around at the entrance of their nest and on the top soil will take awhile to penetrate enough to have any impact.

That being said, if you have a heavy rain just after dusting and note activity the day after treating, treat again with the Drione.

Drione: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/drione-dust

Hand Duster: http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/dusters/crusader

I suggest you read the article above and either liquid treat with the Cypermethrin or dust them with the Drione. Both options work well.

Cypermethrin: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/viper-cypermethrin

Drione: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/drione-dust

http://www.bugspray.com/articles99/cicadakillers.html#cicada-killer-treatments

Generally one to three per hole. And as our article above explains, if you don’t start treating it will just get worse and worse.

Cicada Killers: http://www.bugspray.com/articles99/cicadakillers.html#cicada-killer-treatments

It can. But as our article explains, you really need to get the treatment into their nests.

With that being said, I suggest you lift some of the slats to get a better view of where they’re going, if there are nests reachable, etc. and then directly treat as many as possible.

Now if the slats are close to the ground, dusting through them could get enough of the Drione into the nest because it will float around quite a bit when applied. In fact, it can drive several feet and this could be a viable way to treat the area “blindly”. But you’ll have to pay special attention to where they enter and then apply the dust directly to that spot. If that’s where the nest is, you could very well take care of them this way.

Drione: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/drione-dust

Hand Duster: http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/dusters/crusader

The next best thing to do when you can’t find their nests is to treat the ground or other areas where they are seen with Cypermethrin. It can kill them if they land on treated surfaces enough and if you spray their nests, it will get them over time too. Also, it will work on the cicada’s as well.

Cypermethrin: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/viper-cypermethrin

First and foremost, everything listed above in our article can be used safely around people and pets. In fact we have safety videos on every product page which goes over most everything you’ll need to know regarding general safety guidelines. Additionally, Drione does not require any special preparation or followups after being applied and in general, just keeping pets and children away during the application is all you need to do to use it safely. And within an hour (longer if you want to wait to make sure the target pest is gone), everyone can return to the treated area.

Drione: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/drione-dust

More importantly, Drione should be applied directly into the nests of the Cicada Killers to get the best results. That being said, it is labeled for use over lawns like one would apply a lawn granule. Now in our opinion that would be wasteful since you don’t need to use it this way to get control of cicada killers. But the point is you can use it this way safely with no hazard to people or pets and therefore, if you apply it directly to the nests as you should for cicada killers, there would be little or no exposure to people or pets and therefore no risk or hazard presented.

First, the “burrows” you see are in fact their nests. Second, the sting from these wasps can be a problem so they must be controlled to avoid conflict with the kids. Third, treating playgrounds and places where kids are playing falls into the category of “sensitive areas” which means that only the safest products should be used when pest control treatments are needed. And for that need, the Essentria line is the only way to go.

Made from food and plant oils, these federally exempt products pose no hazard to people or pets. Review the label yourself and you’ll see the product can be applied at boat docks around water, in schools and even playgrounds. Essentria has this liberal label because once mixed with water, it has such a low impact on the environment that it can be used safely when treating sensitive areas. The good news is that it can still control a wide range of pests even though it is so safe.

Essentria IC3: http://www.bugspraycart.com/exempt/liquid/eco-excempt-gal

So in this case, I would mix up 4 oz per gallon of water and pump one full gallon per burrow that’s active. I’d repeat this daily until I saw no activity the following day. So if you treat one evening and note that half the burrows are quiet the next day but half still have activity, treat the active burrows a second time. Repeat this process until they’re all gone. Essentria is labeled for use as a soil drench and won’t pose a hazard when used this way so the kids will be okay to use the area the next day after you treat. And once the cicada killers are gone, the kids (and you) won’t have to worry about getting stung anymore.

I have seen and treated similar scenarios for this pest. In the cases I’ve handled, the sheds have been resting on the ground or close to it with access to the space underneath most commonly made at the entrance way to the shed. Some of these sheds have two swinging doors; others have normal single doorways. But in most all cases, there is a floor board and a slight space which is an ideal place for many pests to nest.

And once they gain access to such a small space, it can be tough to treat. What I’ve learned is that the Drione, because of it’s “smoke” like nature, can do the job. But it will only work up to 100 sq/ft. So if the entire shed is 10 feet wide by 10 feet deep, you should be able to get it properly dusted from one spot as long as the space underneath is fairly open to allow the Drione to drift about. If you watch the Drione video, you’ll see that it’s very light and will carry a long way so as long as that space is open, you’ll get the needed penetration.

Now the way you want to approach this kind of job is to use a Hand Duster and pump the Drione making sure to get about 6-8 oz per 10 x 10 area. We’d then let it sit for 1 week we’d get the desired results. But if we still found activity, we’d request the floor be cut up so we could direct treat using either Drione or the Cypermethrin.

Drione: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/drione-dust

Hand Duster: http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/dusters/crusader

So I would say to try the same approach because it will work; if the shed is 10 x 10 or smaller, the small sized Drione would be plenty. But after a week if you still see them flying around, opt to open up the area so the nests will become accessible and a direct treatment easier to make.

This sounds like a great place to employ the Drione Dust. Light and smokey, it will surely penetrate all the way into the hidden voids under the steps when applied with a Hand Duster. And once it permeates this area, any developing young or adults that try to move in the treatment will die.

Drione: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/drione-dust

Hand Duster: http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/dusters/crusader

Glad I could help!
Cheers,
Jonathan

Cicada Killers are ground dwellers and only nest in dirt. I suspect you either have Yellow Jackets, which are much smaller:

Yellow Jackets: http://www.bugspray.com/article/yellowjackets.html

Another possibility is European Hornets. These are quite large too and closely resemble Cicada Killers. They’ll readily nest in trees and homes and are active right now. Read up on them here:

European Hornets: http://www.bugspray.com/article/eurohornet.html

No doubt dusting the holes with Drione as explained above would prove to be more efficient compared to spraying. If you hit the nests in the evening, you should be able to knock most of them out instantly. After the first treatment, expect to do 1-2 followups to get the ones you miss. This happens most times; especially when there are a lot of nests to treat so it’s normal not to get them all at once. But the Drione is quick and efficient over the spray for this type of treatment.

Drione: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/drione-dust

Hand Duster: http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/dusters/crusader

Sorry but no. For the same reason that Permethrin can be used around bees safely it’s just not strong enough to effectively deal with Cicada Killers. In fact, Cypermethrin is a “newer” generation of Permethrin. Closely related, it’s made from the same base chemical chain with the main difference being that less of it is needed for target pests. But even Cypermethrin is barely strong enough on this pest and really, the Drione is the best way to go if possible.

Cypermethrin: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/viper-cypermethrin

Drione: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/drione-dust

Hand Duster: http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/dusters/crusader

If you can narrow the location where they’re active to just a couple of square feet, you should be able to have success even without knowing exactly where the entry hole is located. So lets say you know the spot is somewhere in the range of a garbage pail cover, that would be small enough to achieve success even without knowing the exact entrance point.

So if you’ve got the location narrowed down to something that small, you can attack them with the Cypermethrin by mixing and applying 1 gallon over the spot every evening. Now understand it will most certainly take more than 1-2 treatments to get them all but if you apply 1 gallon to this spot for at least 3 nights in a row, you should be penetrating the ground well enough to insure they’ll die.

Now I have seen where 4-5 treatments are needed every now and then but that would be extreme and usually involves cases where there are 10-20 cicada killers nesting. Since you’re only seeing 2, I’m sure less will do the job.

Cypermethrin: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/viper-cypermethrin

When done properly, so much dust would be applied to the nest that the cicada killers won’t be able to leave quickly because they’ll be caught off guard and totally covered in dust. This will many times cause them to die in their nests but in cases where they might eventually crawl out after being directly dusted will take a few minutes. That gives you plenty of time to clear the area since the time needed to dust is just a few seconds per hole.

Drione: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/drione-dust

Hand Duster: http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/dusters/crusader

Drione is a specialty product that’s won’t be located in retail shops. Order it on line through our site; we ship within one business day.

Drione: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/drione-dust

Hand Duster: http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/dusters/crusader

If you have established nests, neither mulch or weed fabric will help. Here’s why.

Wasps have powerful chewing mouth parts and can chew through most anything. We’ve seen active nests chew through thick plastic that was laid down over them and in the end, the only way these nests were controlled was by treating them with either the Drione or Cypermethrin listed above.

Drione: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/drione-dust

Cypermethrin: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/viper-cypermethrin

Additionally, once an area gets nests, there are certain pheromones that will linger. These scents are nothing you or I can detect but to cicada killers, they’re powerful smells that indicate things like good nest site locations. That means your land is naturally attracting this pest all the time and one of the main reasons why you typically get more and more nesting every year.

Now if you treat your existing nests with one of the methods mentioned above, let it stand for a day or two to make sure it’s dead and then cover it with some weed fabric, the chances of it getting new nests will be reduced. Just don’t cover it up and think the problem will go away because they’re way too strong for this approach to be effective.

If you wish to treat the nests the most direct way via the listed dust, Drione is the way to go. No problem sending it to you:

Drione: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/drione-dust

Hand Duster: http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/dusters/crusader

If you wish to liquid spray, we have several options. One is Permethrin which is closely related to CyPermethrin. You will need to mix more per gallon so instead of just 1 oz you’ll need to use 4 oz.

Vegetables Plus Perm: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/veg-plus-10-perm

And if you’re wanting to cover a large area via a hose end sprayer, get the Cyonara RTS.

Cyonara RTS: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/cyonara-32-oz-rts

Thanks or sharing. The one thing we have found is that anyone who tells us they don’t “sting” is someone who has never been stung. I guess that only makes sense. But since I’ve been working with insects for over 30 years, the one thing I know is that any insect species which has a stinger can in fact use it at any time. And if you happen to be in the way of that stinger when they decide to use it? Well, you’ll end up feeling it’s wrath.

Not surprisingly, we hear this a lot regarding snakes and spiders. The common comment is “you don’t have to worry about that snake (or spider) because they’re not venomous”. Well, rest assured, if it’s got jaws and teeth, it can bite.

And just because it doesn’t have venom it does not mean the bite the will go un noticed. Just try and grab a water snake and see what it will do to any unprotected skin you have within striking distance! Same with Wolf spiders. They have powerful jaws and their bite will leave a nasty mark.

The moral of the story is you should avoid contact with insects and animals to avoid getting stung or bit. And that means keeping their populations minimized in and around the home is the way to insure you don’t cross paths because really, it’s just a game of numbers. Less conflict, less chance of getting bit or stung.

No doubt treating now will help. Nests may not have active adults but they can contain developing larvae and pupae. By treating with Drione and then filling the holes with some dirt will enable you to get ahead of the problem big time.

Drione: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/drione-dust

Now as explained above, there will always be some stages you can’t kill so don’t expect to be free of them next year. That being said, the problem will no doubt be a lot easier to work on if you do some of what’s required now.

Unfortunately no. There are a few reasons.

The first is that traditional grub killers are designed to get the grubs as they feed shallow. So these treatments aren’t getting deep enough. The Cypermethrin we recommend penetrates a lot deeper. Like 5-10 times as deep compared to granules. And this is important.

Also, as explained in our Grub Control article, most people only treat grubs once in the new year which is not nearly enough. And it’s not even the best time to get Cicada Killers anyway with just granules.

The main reason is that as our article above explains, the cicada killers will be in their pupae stage as the new year rolls around. This means they’re in a shell which no chemical can get through anyway (the vulnerable larvae stage is active in the fall and early winter and then goes into it’s pupae shell for the winter). So as the last section of our article above explains, the only way to get them once the new year starts is to liquid spray from early spring on.

Now if you treat with the Cypermethrin in the spring, it can penetrate deep into the soil so adult cicada killers that are emerging can be affected and killed. This can happen because when they come out in spring and summer, the process will take weeks and during this time they are weak and vulnerable. So if the soil has been treated, you can kill them before they ever get above ground and active.

On a side note, the converse of what you were asking about will work on grubs. In other words, if you were treating for Cicada Killers like we explain above and started your treatments last fall, the treatments you did would have killed off any grubs in your yard.

Of course, you would have to treat the entire yard and many times cicada killer treatments are restricted to a small area because that’s the only place you see them. But my point is the cicada killer treatments are highly effective on all grubs and no doubt the best way to get rid of them too.

Are you sure they were cicada killers? I ask because this species of wasp will not get active until cicada’s are out which generally won’t happen until late May or June. So if you’re in the United States somewhere, it’s highly unlikely they were cicada killers.

Now what is likely is that what you saw was some other species of wasp. They’ll commonly get inside homes in the spring as they become very active following the winter and this is in fact happening right now all around the USA.

Paper wasps, golden wasps and mud daubers are the most likely species to get inside and all three can be repelled and controlled by using either Cypermethrin or NBS.

Cypermethrin: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/viper-cypermethrin

NBS Repellent: http://www.bugspraycart.com/exempt/additive/nbs-paint-additive-16-oz

You can read up more on Mud Daubers and other Wasps here:

Mud Daubers: http://www.bugspray.com/articles99/muddauber.html#mud-dauber-treatments

Wasps: http://www.bugspray.com/wasp_treatments.html