Question
We have a bazillion wasps or hornets flying around the our ground-level deck and they appear to be going in/out of a partial bag of mulch under a canoe on one side of the deck. Can you advise on the best method to eradicate them w/o getting attacked (my wife has been stung once -very painful).  Thank you in advance.
Dave

Answer
David,

The nest is obviously under the canoe and possibly inside the bag. The best way to treat nests is to treat the nest opening but in this case it sounds like the opening may be hard to locate exactly. I think the only option will be to treat the whole surface where you see wasps flying in and out and hope for the best. Use one of the "wasp & hornet" type sprays that sprays a jet of insecticide so you can stand off a safe distance. Here's an article about treating wasp nests in general http://www.livingwithbugs.com/yel_nest.html that may be useful. Treat the nest in the evening after sunset and be sure to have an escape route planned in case the wasps swarm when you start to spray (usually they don't). Post a follow up if you have any questions.

Jack DeAngelis, PhD
Extension Entomologist (ret.)
My website about home and garden pests: http://www.livingwithbugs.com