The husband called because he wanted to know what pesticide to use because there were still a few wasps around. When it comes to protecting their children, people sometimes stop being rational. Boy, do I wish he had called me first. Gasoline poured into the ground to kill insects will do that. What the gasoline also does, however, is sterilize the soil, get into groundwater, and evaporate into the air we breathe.
Gasoline is a mixture of materials, some of which are known carcinogens.
If you spill gasoline on you it is readily absorbed through the skin, which it can also chemically burn. It can permanently damage the eyes and lungs. And it is extremely toxic if swallowed. Gasoline has become a favorite cure for yellow jackets, ground nesting wasps and fire ants. A lot of folks think pouring gasoline into a yellow jacket nest or fire ant mound is a terrific idea.