Yellow Jackets are the most predatory wasps in our area.

Sierra Pest Control Yellow Jacket

Yellow Jacket Wasp

This species is aggressive & has a small barbed stinger that they will use repeatedly, which releases a venom that some humans are allergic to. If stung we recommend you seek medical treatment as a precaution.

Yellow Jackets usually make an appearance during late August all the way thru October.

They build their nests in hollow logs, soil cavities, mouse burrows & man made structures such as porches, attics, side walks, & cracks in walls. If a nest is built inside the void of a building, sealing off the entrance is not recommended until fall has ended so that all of the workers have a chance to exit otherwise they could find exit routes within the building structure causing a stinging hazard to the occupants.

Their nest can expand rapidly, housing up to 5,000 ‘workers’ at a time. Once the nest has been used for the summer they will fly away & start a new colony.

Sierra Pest Control Yellow Jacket Nest/Colony

Yellow Jacket Nest/Colony

In the beginning of the season Yellow Jackets feed mostly on other insects, but as the season progresses & their colony grows those natural food sources become scarce so they begin scavenging for sweet human foods. Which is why you will find them hovering over garbage cans & pestering snacking humans.

You can buy a Yellow Jacket trap & place it away from human occupied areas to help control the situation, but they are not effective in treating whole colonies.

If the nest continues to pose a threat to passerby’s, including pets, then you may want to consider giving us a call so that we can remove them for you.