What do you know about yellow jackets?

July 22, 2020

We venture to guess that most people are afraid of or experience anxiety about bees. Yellow jackets are particularly aggressive and were bestowed with the ability to sting multiple times. Let’s take a closer look….

Facts about yellow jackets

The U.S. Forest Service has identified over 4000 species of native bees. The yellow jacket is found in North America and is very destructive.

Yellow jackets are carnivorous, primarily feeding on other insects like flies and bees. They also feed on picnic fare, fruits, carrion, and the nectar of flowers. Yellow jackets will forage for about 1 mile from their nest. *
Yellow jackets can both sting and bite and they do not lose their stinger. Their stingers are smooth, un-barbed, and can be remove and used to re-sting repeatedly.
Nests are not reused. They build a new nest every year.
Males do not have stingers and appear slightly different in color and striping.
They are inactive at night…. hmm, good sleepers!
Some yellow jackets build nests in the ground, others suspended in trees.

How can I get rid of yellow jackets?

We cannot stress this enough- please do not attempt to remove nests on your own. Yellow jackets are very aggressive when threatened. They do not want you near their nest! Yellow jacket ‘colonies’ are very large and can contain thousands of bees.

We are licensed and trained to remove yellow jackets, along with wasps, hornets, paper wasps, and honeybees. There are so many species of bees, as we mentioned, and our technicians will identify the insect, examine the nest or nests, and review treatment with the homeowner. Damage can occur from bees’ nests and we will offer solutions for removal, repair, and ongoing treatment. If a nest is removed, the Queen will be looking to build a new home and you need to reduce her ability to do so.

Maintenance agreements play a vital role in keeping your home and family safe and healthy. Typically, commercial pest control maintenance agreements are monthly and residential is bi-monthly, but we offer customized frequencies and can modify per customer depending on the needs. This specific agreement covers all crawling and flying insects as well as rodents (mice, rats), stored product pests, and roaches.

Professional pest services are the safest way to remove yellow jackets.

Let’s discuss our treatment plans and find the one best suited for your needs. Yellow jacket treatment can be combined with other pest control services such as carpenter ants, ticks, termites etc. Be safe and keep your family safe.