I recently purchased a new home in So. California soon discovered that there
are a large number of yellow jackets and wasps hovering over my lawn, both
front and back. Upon closer examination I noticed that there are also a
large number very small insects that look like fleas or mites hopping around
in the lawn. I believe the yellow jackets feed on these smaller insects, so
my thinking is that if I find a way to eliminate these insects, the yellow
jackets will leave. My question is, how do I get rid of the fleas/ mites (or
whatever they are) with out dumping a bunch of toxic chemicals on the area
where I would like to put up a swing set for my 3 year old? Any thoughts
would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
-Chris

Chris McCarty wrote:

I recently purchased a new home in So. California soon discovered that there
are a large number of yellow jackets and wasps hovering over my lawn, both
front and back. Upon closer examination I noticed that there are also a
large number very small insects that look like fleas or mites hopping around
in the lawn. I believe the yellow jackets feed on these smaller insects, so
my thinking is that if I find a way to eliminate these insects, the yellow
jackets will leave. My question is, how do I get rid of the fleas/ mites (or
whatever they are) with out dumping a bunch of toxic chemicals on the area
where I would like to put up a swing set for my 3 year old? Any thoughts
would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
-Chris

they are Leaf Hoppers and are harmless to the kids. You might try a dishsoap
water solution of 1:4. and spray the yard once once or twice a month.

Chris,

I have used yellow jacket traps, which you can buy at any garden store or
nursery, and they work very well. They come with an attractant, but a piece
of meat works just as well. The yellow jackets fly inside and can't get
out. You can see how many have been trapped and if the device fills up you
just empty it out and start again. It took 2-4 weeks in my case but after
that I didn't have any yellow jackets for years...I must have trapped almost
the entire nest. Years later I only see a yellow jacket once or twice a
year, and then only one at a time. They seemed to be coming into my back
yard to drink water from containers I used to water plants.

John

BTW, leafhoppers are very distinctive, they are green like a leaf and have a
pyramid like(or triangular) shape and I think are about 1/4-1/2 inch in
size. I don't think they look anything like fleas and I've never seen one
hopping around in my yard, but they may do that in other states.

Someone else on this newsgroup wrote about a similiar problem, lots of wasps
around his lawn and going into the blades of grass for to get something.



"Chris McCarty" wrote in message
et...
I recently purchased a new home in So. California soon discovered that
there
are a large number of yellow jackets and wasps hovering over my lawn, both
front and back. Upon closer examination I noticed that there are also a
large number very small insects that look like fleas or mites hopping
around
in the lawn. I believe the yellow jackets feed on these smaller insects,
so
my thinking is that if I find a way to eliminate these insects, the yellow
jackets will leave. My question is, how do I get rid of the fleas/ mites
(or
whatever they are) with out dumping a bunch of toxic chemicals on the area
where I would like to put up a swing set for my 3 year old? Any thoughts
would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
-Chris

I agree with the soap.

Put about a cup of cheap dishsoap in a hose-end sprayer. Bugs don't like it
and plants do.


"Chris McCarty" wrote in message
et...
I recently purchased a new home in So. California soon discovered that
there
are a large number of yellow jackets and wasps hovering over my lawn, both
front and back. Upon closer examination I noticed that there are also a
large number very small insects that look like fleas or mites hopping
around
in the lawn. I believe the yellow jackets feed on these smaller insects,
so
my thinking is that if I find a way to eliminate these insects, the yellow
jackets will leave. My question is, how do I get rid of the fleas/ mites
(or
whatever they are) with out dumping a bunch of toxic chemicals on the area
where I would like to put up a swing set for my 3 year old? Any thoughts
would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
-Chris

BTW, leafhoppers are very distinctive, they are green like a leaf and have a
pyramid like(or triangular) shape and I think are about 1/4-1/2 inch in
size. I don't think they look anything like fleas and I've never seen one
hopping around in my yard, but they may do that in other states.

mine are about 1/8th inch long maybe shorter and sorta diamond shaped . 1/2
inch long leaf hopper would be scarry lol YIKES when I walk on or mow the
lawn, you can see then hopping away from me.