Yellow Jacket Hive on Gas Cover

OK - yesterday afternoon I stopped at a gas station to put gas in my mother’s 2000 Chevy Cavalier. When I opened the flap to get to the gas cover, I noticed that a small yellow jacket hive about the size of quarter, with a yellow jacket on it! YIKES! I did not attempt to put gas in the car and left the flap open and drove home. I bought wasp killer and was going to spray that on the hive, but after reading the label - noted it is highly flammable - and so did not try it. I then thought I could spray it off at a car wash with a high pressure hose, but then chickened out. I was hoping the thunderstorms forecasted for last night may help to loosen it or cause the YJ’s to leave the hive. I was not able to check on it this morning. My building and grounds maintenance people will not help. I left a message for Orkin. I have NEVER, EVER encountered anything like this in my life and I guess it is quite rare as no one I’ve talked to has come across this before either. The car is only driven a couple of times a week and gas is only needed a couple times per month. Any helpful recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Are you allergic to bees or something? Just open the gas filler door and knock the nest off. If you do this at night or first thing in the morning you probably won’t even even have an angry bee to deal with.

You also can just shoot it with the hornet/wasp killer. After that is when you go to the car wash.

Just knock it off with a stick as Cig says.
Plus , the flamability of the spray would only be a concern if there were a source of ignition while spraying.

  • there’s not -
    spray away.

I;m with Ken. Spray away.

I dont blame you for not wanting to get stung but…
Go to the farm supply store and get some wasp spray. Get the right one and it will spray 25 feet. IT DOES!! Shoot the buggers and get on with it. And no, it wont blow up on you.

Use the spray. I had wasps build a nest behind one of my side mirrors on a car I didn’t drive much. The spray quickly got rid of them.

Use WD40. They don’t like the stuff and will move on. Spray a light coat all around the area behind the gas cap to keep them from coming back. Keep it off the paint outside the gas cap.

take the gas cap off and close the gas door. Any wasps in the nest will be dead by morning.

That foaming wasp and hornet spray kills almost immediately and washes off. Don’t spray it on a car if the sun has been shining on that side, making the car hot. Doing that could discolor the paint.

Be sure to check other crevices for them varmints too.
If they found that place to set up shop you can count on others.

I’ve found hives in the door jambs back beyond the hinges.
I’ve seen scouts looking for real estate in my outside mirrors.
wheel wells, under hood and in engine area, bumpers, grilles, and spaces between body and lamps.
Put on your bee thinking cap. if they can get into a protected space, they will.

A good spray will have residual effect and keep them out for a while.

Give em a shot of ether,very little residue.BTW, the 25 ft spray makes an excellent personal defensive weapon-Kevin

Just about anything works, especially the spray for hornets… I find a power spray is excellent, so car wash should work. They will leave a watery environment. Heavy gloves and quick reflexes are reasonable too.