Urgent! Dog Ate Ant Poison

[hiero2]

Originally Posted by PhinneyWalker

I am both relieved and happy to report that my dog did not get sick. I watched him until very late last night. I awoke this morning and found him his usual self, full of energy, ready for breakfast. I told my neighbour he must remember never to put down poison where any dog or cat or bird, etc., could access it.

I did water in the ant granules really well last night, and so far today, I have not seen the hornets return. This is at least the 4th year that they have come back to the same spots in the ground in front of our porches. I have to wonder what complex nest is buried deep down there, but I am not going to try to dig up anything as I will be relocating soon. I really do not wish these creatures harm. I just do not feel comfortable with them that close to our porches, and having my dog in the yard is an extra concern.

Good news that your pup is ok!

But, as for the wasps, seriously, you're almost certainly worried over nothing. Look up Cicada killers. It won't take but a few minutes of your time. They look almost exactly like a GIANT yellow jacket. But they are about as close to harmless as you can get.

If they ARE cicada killers, I TOTALLY get your fear reaction. They look VERY scary! Here's the Wikipedia page on them: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sphecius_speciosus

The burrows are to SINGLE nests - they are solitary wasps. However, for solitary wasps, they do seem to like company, and so you can often find multiple burrows in close proximity to each other.

According to Wikipedia, the males can't even sting. And the females are only likely to if you handle them roughly, AND, when they do, the sting is nothing as bad as a yellow jacket.

I have a LOT of respect for wasps, and I kill any paper wasp nests in my yard - without exception. They can have the woods, I protect my yard. But if I had cicada killers in my yard? No sweat, dude. Leave 'em. And I wouldn't even worry about my dogs with them.

[PhinneyWalker]

Yikes, the photos in that link do look like them. Gosh, I feel awful.... I hope the universe forgives me. It is just that they are so bloody scary looking! Something that big flying around in circles a couple of feet in front of me is enough to make me want to faint.

I was just outside watering the grass. The holes look abandoned now. I think they are gone. Well, at least in future if I see any, I will know what they are.

[kionci]

Originally Posted by hiero2

Huge hornets? And they are burrowing holes? Most likely they are Cicada Killers - COMPLETELY benign towards humans. We had a bunch one year at a golf course who are our clients. They LOOK scary as heck, but they are about as harmless as a wasp can be.

1st time saw one it was in front of my entrance door I needed to get in. Very scary big. I went to my neighbor who just moved it away gently with a stick and told me what you said about being harmless. It just sat hanging out most of the day in the shade (kept looking out window at it).