There are dozens of types of bees to be on the lookout for, but yellow jackets might just be the worst to have patrolling your property. Yellow jackets have aggressive tendencies, making them more likely to bite and cause problems. Whether you have a yellow jacket invasion or want to prevent one from happening, use our tips below on how to get rid of yellow jackets.
Yellow jackets are a type of wasp with signature black and yellow stripes. Unique to yellow jackets are their smooth, slender bodies with a narrow mid-section. Although yellow jackets are smaller than bees, they tend to be more aggressive, especially when prowling for sugary liquids, meats, or plants. Yellow jackets pollinate like honeybees and bumblebees, but they are less efficient. Yellow jackets are easily provoked due to their forceful nature. Certain sounds and movements can trigger them. Unlike bees, yellow jackets sting multiple times and attack in swarms. The sting will hurt much more than a bee sting, likely leaving behind a large red welt. If you are stung by a yellow jacket, immediately leave the area you were stung. A yellow jacket sting will release a pheromone that attracts other yellow jackets, which could lead to follow-up stings. Almost every country across the globe deals with yellow jackets, most prominently in the summer and early fall seasons. The black and yellow insects are attracted to sugary substances found in certain plants as well as small insects. When not air-bound, yellow jackets are known to bury beneath the ground. Much like other pests and bugs, yellow jackets are always searching for shelter and food. Yellow jackets will make nests in tight spaces around your property, like the eaves of your roof or around stairs and railings. On their hunt for food, yellow jackets will seek out specific plants around your home that have a sugary smell or taste. Yellow jackets will also congregate around trash cans or other debris piles that contain sugary food waste.What Are Yellow
Jackets?
The Dangers of Yellow
Jackets
Where Do Yellow Jackets Come From?
What
Attracts Yellow Jackets to Homes?
**There are multiple ways to get rid of yellow jackets—consider using one or a combination of the methods below.
1. Apply a Spray Treatment
Using a spray treatment is the most popular option for taming yellow jackets around your home. Look for an aerosol spray with a long-range jet sprayer to reach the wasp hive or nest from an adequate distance. Purchase enough spray to thoroughly saturate the nest. Then, respray every few days as needed until the nest is gone.
2. Hang Traps
Consider hanging a wasp trap if yellow jackets are prevalent near your porch or backyard patio. Put up a trap near the colony—yellow jackets will be drawn into the sweet, sugary bait. If the trap does not already have bait, add a protein like chicken or fish. Check the trap every few days and replenish the bait as needed.
3. Place an Electric Zapper
While electric insect zappers aren’t the most humane wasp removal option, they are certainly effective. The zapping device emits a humming noise that causes sound and vibration. Yellow jackets will interpret this noise as an invasion of their colony and fly to the zapper to be shocked.
4. Use Preventative Measures
To keep yellow jackets away in the first place, implement preventative measures around your property. Keep your outdoor trash area clean with no prevalent food residue. Ensure your landscaping is always kept. Spray a mixture of dish soap and water where yellow jackets tend to gather on your property.
Reapply this mixture every few weeks during the summer and fall months.
5. Call an Exterminator
If DIY yellow jacket removal methods don’t do the trick, it’s time to call in the experts. The cost of professional wasp extermination will likely be worth it for the peace of mind alone. A wasp exterminator will employ multiple removal methods until your yellow jacket problem is completely solved.
Natural Remedies for Getting Rid of Yellow Jackets
The chemicals associated with some wasp removal methods might not be practical if you have children or pets around your home. Consider these natural remedies to remove yellow jackets instead.
1. Use Peppermint Oil
The smell of peppermint is a yellow jacket repellant. Combine a few drops of pure peppermint oil, a few tablespoons of dish soap and warm water in a spray bottle. Locate any active wasp nests and carefully spray the concoction around the entrance. Reapply every few days until the wasps have left the nest.
2. Hang an Imitation Nest
Yellow jackets prefer to nest in their own territory, away from any wasp competitors. Purchase an imitation or fake wasp nest and hang it in your yard near the infestation. If the yellow jackets notice the nest, they will likely move their home elsewhere.
3. Create a Protein Bait
Yellow jackets are always looking for protein sources. You can make your own wasp bait using a protein, like chicken, fish, or liver.
Fill a bucket with soapy water and hang the protein over the top. When the yellow jackets feed on the protein, they will eventually grab a heavy piece that makes it difficult to fly and drop into the bucket.
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4. Cover the Nest
Place an object such as a bowl or a box over the entrance and exit of the yellow jacket’s nest to deal with the infestation. Any wasps
trapped inside the nest will eventually starve to death. Any wasps that cannot get back inside the nest will make a new nest elsewhere, hopefully off of your property.
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