Want to reduce the number of flying Yellow jackets around your property and keep them away from your deck pool, swing set, food, and guests? Before handling treatments on your own, you should learn more about what yellow jackets are and why they’re around your property.
What Is a Yellow Jacket?
Yellow jackets are easily the most aggressive stinging insects in NJ and PA. You can identify them by their long, narrow waist, covered in black and yellow stripes. They are very small wasps, measuring only ½ inch long. Yellow jackets are social insects that live in nests or colonies with up to 4,000 workers. They feed on sweets and proteins and, therefore, commonly invade outdoor events.
Yellow jackets nest in wall voids, attics, and in the ground outdoors. Their nesting behavior can be startling if they start flying indoors with no warning. Yellow jackets have the ability to come in from outdoors, access wall voids, and fly around your house. Another unfortunate but common situation can happen if yellow jackets are nesting in the ground on your property. If you don’t notice their activity, you can easily run their nest over with a lawnmower or step directly on it with flip flops or even worse, bare feet.
Why Do I Have Yellow Jackets?
Yellow jackets can be found anywhere humans are found. Your property can be appealing to yellow jackets when they find an abundant food source. Nests grow where it’s easier for them to thrive.
Attics are another ideal space for yellow jacket nesting. Within attics, yellow jackets can travel in and out, being in the sun during the day and nesting in a protected area overnight. Broken vents, openings around fascia boards, and small cracks and crevices allow them to fly in and nest. They build paper carton nests out of chewed-up cellulose, which are usually found in the ground or in cavernous areas such as eaves and attics.
Are Yellow Jackets Dangerous?
Yes, yellow jackets are dangerous if disturbed. They can sting multiple times and will defend their nests if they feel threatened. As the summer season comes to an end, they become more aggressive because many are dying off as their natural food sources die.
Can I Get Rid of Yellow Jackets on My Own?
If you go on YouTube or search on Google for ways to get rid of yellow jackets at home, you’ll probably come across the following “effective” solutions that don’t involve professional pest control services.
- Gasoline poured into the nest entrance
- Store-bought repellent sprays
- Bleach and Ammonia mixture poured into the nest entrance is extremely dangerous. Do not do this.
- Boiling water dumped into the entrance of the nest
Most of the DIY remedies suggest that homeowners get in close contact with the yellow jacket nests to spray or dump the solution into the nest, however, this can be extremely dangerous. Yellow jackets are one of the most aggressive wasps that will stop at nothing to protect their nest. You should never get near a yellow jacket nest without the proper safety gear on otherwise you’re subjecting yourself to the possibility of getting stung multiple times.
Not only is it extremely unsafe to treat for stinging insects on your own, your efforts in eradicating the insect may actually be making the problem even worse (to a point where it is even more difficult for pest professionals to solve the problem).
If you have a nest within a wall void of your home and you decide to self-treat the yellow jackets by spraying an aerosol spray inside the entrance of the nest, you can force the yellow jackets further into your home. Clearly the better option is to call the professionals in handling yellow jacket infestations.
How Can I Prevent Yellow Jackets?
Yellow jackets are attracted to sweets. During the hottest time of year, they search for open cans of soda and sweets left out at your family barbecue or outdoor party. Keep food and beverages covered to avoid swallowing yellow jackets.
Do you leave your trash cans open outside? Do your trash cans have holes from wildlife break-ins?
- Tightly secure all trash cans and replace those that have entry points even when closed.
- Yellow jackets will hover over open trash cans and sting if you disturb them.
- Repair broken attic and gable vents.
- Yellow jackets often nest in attics, and sealing up any entry points will prevent them from entering.
How Can I Avoid Getting Stung by Yellow Jackets?
Allergists-immunologists recommend the following additional precautions to avoid all stinging insects, including wasps and yellow jackets:
- Avoid wearing sandals or walking barefoot in the grass. Honeybees and bumblebees forage on white clover, a weed that grows in lawns throughout the country.
- Never swat at a flying insect. If need be, gently brush it aside or patiently wait for it to leave.
- Do not drink from open beverage cans outdoors. Stinging insects will crawl inside a can attracted by the sweet beverage.
- When eating outdoors, try to keep food covered at all times.
- Garbage cans stored outside should be covered with tight-fitting lids.
- Avoid sweet-smelling perfumes, hair sprays, colognes, and deodorants.
- Avoid wearing bright-colored clothing.
- Yard work and gardening should be done with caution. Wearing shoes and socks and using work gloves will prevent stings on hands and feet and provide time to get away from an unexpected mound.
- Keep window and door screens in good repair.
- Drive with car windows closed.
- Keep prescribed medications handy at all times and follow the attached instructions if you are stung. These medications are for immediate emergency use while en route to a hospital emergency room for observation and further treatment.
- If you have had an allergic reaction to an insect sting, it's important that you see an allergist-immunologist.
When Should I Get Yellow Jacket Treatment?
The best time to get yellow jacket treatment is in the fall. There are several reasons why fall is the optimal time to treat any yellow jacket nests that you have noticed on your property or home.
“Nests are at their largest at the end of the summer and generally the yellow jackets can be more aggressive,” said Dave Burgess, Vice President of Operations at Cooper Pest Solutions. “Also as it gets cooler the workers all die off, so if during this time the nest is in the home, the yellow jackets may find their way inside the house.”
In early fall, yellow jackets tend to become more aggressive as their natural food source declines. Since they are attracted to sweets and proteins, you may notice them more around trash receptacles, barbecues, and tailgating events near beer or sugary drinks.
The fall months are the most dangerous time for being stung without provocation because Yellow Jacket numbers are at their peak, coupled with an increased level of aggression. Those who are allergic to bee stings should exercise caution around the wasps because they are capable of stinging multiple times. Do not taunt or provoke the yellow jackets – otherwise, they will easily sting you, especially in the fall.
If you currently have a nest on or in wall voids of your property, Burgess recommends immediate action before it is too late. “Typically nests located in wall voids are hard to remove, but we highly recommend it,” he said. “Abandoned nests can become breeding sources for other pests. If we cannot remove the nest, we will treat the nest with non-repellents to keep the yellow jackets from forcing themselves into your home.”
Why Use Cooper Pest Solutions to Treat Your Yellow Jacket Nest?
There are some reasons why homeowners should opt to use a professional pest control company over any DIY treatments when dealing with the aggressive yellow jacket populations.
Unlike any DIY remedies you may try, Cooper Pest Solutions technicians are thoroughly trained to handle these situations. Our technicians wear protective bee gear and treat the entrances with non-repellent liquids and dust, which will be more effective than any product sold at a big retailer.
Not only do Cooper Pest Solutions technicians have the protective gear and tools to handle the treatment of yellow jacket nests, but they also have the training and experience to deal with wasps. The skilled technicians understand the biology and behavior of yellow jackets, allowing them to utilize the knowledge needed to treat the wasp nest effectively.
If you have yellow jackets around your home, Cooper Pest Solutions offers One-Time Wasp Nest Removal service that can be done same-day or the next day.
