# YELLOW JACKETS BEES ON MAIN SALMON



## Boaterrx (May 27, 2012)

Got a trip planned for main salmon with a July 10th put in. Just looking for any beta on the yellow jacket/bee situation this year. I heard 2013 was awful with respect to the YJs. We will have 4 children with us in our group and I am worried about a buzz-kill (couldn't help it) from the bugs. 

Also, any other info from those who have been on the MS this season would be helpful. 

Thanks!


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## yetigonecrazy (May 23, 2005)

*WHY ARE YOU SHOUTING????????*

HEY HOPE YOU FIND THE INFO YOU NEED BUT JUST ONE QUESTION WHY ARE YOU YELLING?

GENERALLY ONLY TOPICS OF GRAVE IMPORTANCE OR EXTREME CAUTION ARE GIVEN TITLES WITH ALL CAPS AND THIS DOESNT SEEM LIKE THE KIND OF POST THAT WOULD MERIT ALL CAPS.

GOOD LUCK AND HOPE YOUR TRIP GOES WELL! HOPE YOU DONT HAVE ANY ISSUES WITH BUGS. LET US KNOW AND GIVE US A BUG REPORT SO OTHERS CAN PLAN ACCORDINGLY! (preferably not in all caps)

Also, run a search for "yellow jackets salmon", last summer some folks provided some great DIY traps to use in the event they are bad, some genius ideas in there!


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## kayakfreakus (Mar 3, 2006)

Just off today, saw some yellow jackets but nothing bad or any camp problems. Water is dropping fast so that might change. Bring lots of shade and sunscreen, hot. Should have a great trip.


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## TuffGonG (Jul 10, 2007)

Yellow Jackets are wasps not bees. Just FYI


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## wshutt (Jun 20, 2013)

Last year they were getting bad mid Summer, I think we had a July 17th launch. We found that the smaller camps were generally better than the popular reservable camps where there was more chance of food spills/attractants. Time for the Salmon system to adopt the mandatory kitchen tarp?? FYI Meat drives them wild, especially raw - avoid or minimize prep (so speaketh the vegetarian )


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## duct tape (Aug 25, 2009)

wshutt said:


> Last year they were getting bad mid Summer, I think we had a July 17th launch. We found that the smaller camps were generally better than the popular reservable camps where there was more chance of food spills/attractants. Time for the Salmon system to adopt the mandatory kitchen tarp?? FYI Meat drives them wild, especially raw - avoid or minimize prep (so speaketh the vegetarian )


Agree. We started July 19 and had bad YJ's (aka meat bees) at several campgrounds. They were prob worst at Corn Ck and Carey Ck, but if you were near the kitchen you were a target at many other spots. I was stung about 8-9 times total, usually while cooking, although I got it twice while loading raft and derigging at Carey Ck. One guy got a fat lip after getting stung from one on his beer can.

The do it yourself traps, with a 5 gallon bucket and chicken suspended over soapy water didn't work for us. The YJ's were laughing at this one.

We also brought along the rescue traps which others have said worked pretty well. Our's didn't but I'm thinking I didn't use them right as I don't believe I added any water after opening.

From my experience around the kitchen I'm thinking sweet rather than meat might be the best bait.

If you search "yellow jackets site:mountainbuzz.com" on Google you'll see several threads on this.


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## dirtbagkayaker (Oct 29, 2008)

When the wasps get thick, I hang a small fish about 3" over a bucket of soapy water. I usually do three buckets around the camp. Wasp love the fish but will get too heavy and fall into the soapy water. I'll bet the bees start getting thick very soon! Everything is about a month ahead this year.


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## Poky (Jun 27, 2011)

*DIY yellowjacket killer*

Take a piece of lunch meat and wrap it around a stick with thread or floss. Dangle it inches above a bowl of water mixed with a couple of squirts of dish soap. YJ's will eat themselves full, fall into the bowl and drown in the soapy water. You'll have a bowl of wasp gespacho by morning.


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## duct tape (Aug 25, 2009)

I'm thinking the Main yellow jackets are on MB and have read all of this since it wasn't working for us!


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## wshutt (Jun 20, 2013)

BUUZZZZZZZ (shouting loudly of course) says the vegetarian yellow jacket planning to avoid all meat/fish products hung over buckets of soapy water... especially in Duct Tape's camp. 

No kidding about a month early - for everything! The Winter wheat has turned on the Palouse and there is barely any snow left on the mountains around McCall, triple digits forecast all over the inland NW. Expecting a low water MF next week, what are you thinking about that Sept launch, DT?


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## duct tape (Aug 25, 2009)

wshutt said:


> BUUZZZZZZZ (shouting loudly of course) says the vegetarian yellow jacket planning to avoid all meat/fish products hung over buckets of soapy water... especially in Duct Tape's camp.
> 
> No kidding about a month early - for everything! The Winter wheat has turned on the Palouse and there is barely any snow left on the mountains around McCall, triple digits forecast all over the inland NW. Expecting a low water MF next week, what are you thinking about that Sept launch, DT?


Sept launch has been reluctantly given back to the NPS/rec.gov. I wanted to provide more privacy for the spawning salmon. Plus my project attaching wheels to the bottom of my cat wasn't progressing too well.

Maybe next year...

_ Jon


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## cmharris (Apr 30, 2013)

*My opinion*

Read on for non-scientific, barely relevant speculation. Numbers are down at my house and a friend's in Salmon. I don't think we will have a bad year. Certainly not like 2013, I'm guessing.


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## Boaterrx (May 27, 2012)

Thank you for all the feedback!


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