FAQs on Yellowjackets

When is yellowjacket season?

The season begins anywhere from March to May (depending upon the climate) and lasts through September or October. The queens emerge in the first warm days of spring to select a nest site to lay eggs, and the worker population grows to maximum size in late summer/early fall.

I think I have a yellowjacket nest in my yard. What should I do?

We recommend calling a professional pest control operator to remove the nest because of the danger involved. Yellowjackets will vigorously defend their nest if it is disturbed.

If yellowjackets are bothering me, does that mean there is a nest nearby?

Not necessarily. Yellowjackets will travel over 1,000 feet from their nest to forage for food. That’s a distance of three football fields! 

Where do yellowjackets make their nests?

Yellowjacket nests are most often built underground. The nest has a single entrance, usually no larger than the size of a nickel. Other locations include wall voids of buildings, hollow trees or logs, and attics. There is also a species commonly referred to as the “aerial yellowjacket” which makes nests in trees. 

Do yellowjackets keep the same nest year after year?

In most cases, no. The nest decomposes after the season and is not reused. In some warmer climates, however, perennial nests have been found to exist. 

How do you treat a yellowjacket sting? 

• Wash the wound carefully with soap and water. This will help remove the venom. Apply cold water or ice in a wet cloth, or a paste of meat tenderizer with water.
• Take a pain reliever or an oral antihistamine to reduce swelling.
• Apply a calamine product to reduce itching.
• Lie down.
• Lower the stung arm or leg below the heart.
• Do not drink alcohol or take sedatives.
• If the sting is to your throat or mouth, seek medical attention immediately because swelling in these areas can cause suffocation.  

How do you know if you are allergic to a yellowjacket sting?

Some signs you may be allergic:

• Severe swelling in parts of the body distant from the sting site.
• Widespread skin irritation
• Constriction in the throat and chest, or difficulty breathing
• Dizziness or fainting.

If you experience any of these symptoms after a sting, contact a physician immediately.

Do yellowjackets die after they sting?

No. Unlike bees, yellowjackets do not lose their stinger, so they can sting numerous times. They can also bite.

What times of year are yellowjackets most likely to sting?

In late summer or early fall, when their nests reach maximum size. 

What is the difference between queen and worker yellowjackets?

Yellowjacket queens can be up to three times larger and wider than the workers. Queens are the first to emerge in the first warm days of spring; at this time, they select a new nest site and lay their eggs. The workers emerge about 30 days later, and the colony attains maximum size -- up to 4,000 workers – in August or September. 

When you use the RESCUE!® Reusable Yellowjacket Trap in the spring, you can catch several queens and thereby lessen the chance that a yellowjacket nest will be built on or near your property.

What is the difference between yellowjackets and paper wasps?

The yellow and black coloring may appear similar, but paper wasps have more slender abdomens and longer legs that dangle down while they are in flight. Their nests are usually built under eaves, while yellowjackets most often will build their nests in the ground. 

The appearance of yellowjacket and paper wasp nests also differs. Paper wasp nests look like honeycombs with multiple openings, while yellowjacket nests have a single opening. 

If it has been over 4 hours since you activated your RESCUE!® trap and it is not attracting yellowjackets, you may have paper wasps instead.

Do yellowjackets serve any beneficial purpose?

Some reports indicate that yellowjackets attack other insects such as house flies, caterpillars and grasshoppers. Fall webworms and codling moths may be taken as prey by several yellowjacket species. It is commonly accepted, however, that the problems caused by yellowjackets outweigh any beneficial aspect. Besides the danger they present by stinging and biting humans, they cause damage to fruit crops such as apples, pears and grapes, resulting in economic losses. Beekeeping operations, commercial tree growers, logging/sawmill businesses and forest firefighters have all been thwarted by yellowjacket problems.