Summer is here and so are yellowjackets – those one-half to one-inch-long bright yellow wasps with black strips and their signature “narrow” waist. Yellowjackets prey on other insects and scavenge on human food and garbage. They will fiercely defend their nests – in holes in the ground, inside wall cavities or hanging gray paper-looking ones, though are more likely to sting if disturbed while foraging. They are capable of repeatedly stinging without dying if they feel threatened. About 90% of all stings are likely caused by yellowjackets.
Prevention is the best way to avoid problems:
- Keep foods, including pet food, covered or indoors
- Cover soda cans outdoors so wasps don’t crawl in
- Keep garbage in sealed cans and empty regularly
- Pick up and dispose of ripe fruit
You can easily trap yellowjackets by hanging traps along the perimeter of your property. Place traps away from areas, such as picnic tables, where people congregate. You can make your own with bait hung on a string just above a container of soapy water.
If a yellowjacket lands on you, don’t swat it or run. Wait for it to leave, or gently brush it away.
Don’t disturb nests. Wasps flying from a hole in the ground, or a building indicate a probable nest. Here’s how to find an underground nest. If you identify a yellowjacket nest in the ground, contact Marin Sonoma Mosquito and Vector Control District; they will come and destroy the nest at no charge.
Thank you for your service. I was watering a hydrangea plant that looked like it was dying as it no longer had the shade tree near by. I had to remove the tree as it was within 5 feet of my house The hydrangea plant was on a sprinkling system, but was suffering. So I was watering with my hose and I was attacked by at least 12 yellowjackets one morning at 9 a.m. Because I couldn’t stop the attack, I stepped into my atrium and closed the front door. I then wiped another 6 more off my sleeves and drove myself to the ER. 4 days later I called your service and you came out on the 5th day.
Thank you for all this helpful information. And thank you for letting me know what to look for after you have come. This Sunday, I will check to see if I see any more yellow jackets coming out of the nest. If I do, it means you haven’t killed the Queen Bee and you will come back and service the nest. WAHOO. And all of this for FREE!!! Thank YOU, Thank YOU, Thank YOU, Jesse!