How To Get Rid of Yellow Jacket Pests Quickly and Safely

Many people want to know how to get rid of yellow jackets, as they are often regarded as unfriendly pests that sting without provocation. However, they are helpful insects found in gardens. Like many species of wasps, they are significant yellow jacket pollinators and consume plant pests.

From late summer to fall, as less food is available in their natural habitat, yellow jackets seek alternatives, like barbecues or picnics. To eliminate yellow jackets, be aware of what is attracting them. 

According to experts, prevention is the best approach to get rid of these wasps rather than using chemical sprays that could harm other insects and pose risks to pets and people.

What Are Yellow Jackets?

Yellow jackets are a type of wasp with distinctive yellow and black stripes. They have slim, smooth bodies with a narrow middle. Although yellow jackets are smaller than bees, they are more aggressive, especially when hunting for sweet liquids, meats, or plants. They pollinate like honeybees, though they could be more efficient.

What Attracts Yellow Jackets?

Yellow jackets and other pests are attracted to common food sources around your home. Food items like open soda cans or sweets attract yellow jackets. Additionally, products with sweet smells, such as perfume, shampoo, and body sprays, can be a beacon to these insects.

• Types of Yellow Jackets and Yellow Jacket Nests

Proper examination is essential before learning how to get rid of yellow jackets. You need to identify the signs to eliminate yellow jackets around your home successfully. A nest is likely nearby if you spot several yellow jackets near your house. Yellow jackets have nests in various locations around your home. When inspecting your home, look for:

• Yellow Jacket Nests Found in Buildings

The German Yellow jacket originated in Europe and is found in the Midwestern and Northeastern USA. It is widespread in temperate climates across the country. The German Yellow jacket poses an issue for beekeeping, as a whole colony of bees could be destroyed by its workers.

The German Yellowjacket typically nests in walls, structures, crawlspaces, attics, crevices, and cracks in building exteriors. Similar to paper wasps, yellow jackets make nests of paper from wood fibers and saliva, making them hard to remove. The German Yellow jacket can reuse the previous year’s nest, so if you find one around your house, eliminate it immediately.

• Yellow Jackets Nests Found in Soil

Are there flying insects that live on the ground? Yes, some species do. Certain types, like the Western Yellow Jacket (Vespula pensylvanica) and Eastern Yellowjacket (Vespula maculifrons), build their nests in the ground. Yellow jackets use rodent burrows to build nests, expanding the area as the colony grows. 

Small dirt particles or stones may collect within burrow openings, housing a sizable yellow jacket colony. They may also use nearby ground materials with openings, such as railroad ties or concrete blocks.

It can be challenging to eliminate yellow jackets with nests in the ground, but infestation will lessen with the proper elimination and prevention strategies.

• Yellow Jackets Nests Found in Structures and Ground

The common Yellowjacket, Vespula Vulgaris, is found in several states in the USA. They build both above-ground and below-ground nests. 

The Eastern Yellowjacket usually nests on the ground, though it may have aerial nests. The Southern Yellowjacket (Vespula squamosa) builds both terrestrial and aerial nests.

• Yellow Jacket Aerial Nests

Certain Yellow Jackets (Dolichovespula arenaria and Dolichovespula maculata) build hanging nests attached to trees or the eaves of buildings. These Yellow Jackets are generally less aggressive. Use a structural Yellow Jacket kit for these situations.

How to Get Rid of Yellow Jackets

Step 1: Locate Yellow Jacket Nests

Locate nests in the middle of the day to spot them entering and exiting entry points. Yellow Jackets are active throughout daylight hours. Find entry points with multiple entrances, noting them for later.

Yellow Jackets are active during the hottest part of the day, so look for nests then. If they have built an underground nest, you may see small holes with workers entering and exiting. Mark the entry point. Treat at night when the Yellow Jackets are least active.

Step 2: Eliminate Yellow Jacket Nests

When attempting to eliminate yellow jackets, do it at night. Yellow Jackets don’t see well in the dark, lowering the risk of getting stung. The entire population is inside the nest at night, wear appropriate clothes to make treatment more effective. 

Treat the nest using pyrethrum aerosols, like Stryker 54 Contact Aerosol or PT 565. Pyrethrum gas will fill the cavity, eliminating Yellow Jackets immediately.

After the aerosol dries (10-15 minutes), spray the entire nest, entrance, and surrounding areas with insecticide dust to prevent future hatch-outs. Use Tempo Dust (a top option to repel flying bugs), Evergreen Dust (a botanical insecticide dust), or D-Fense Dust.

Check the nest the next day to ensure the Yellow Jackets are dead, confirmed by the absence of activity. Repeat if necessary.

Do Yellow Jackets Sting?

Yellow jackets are social insects that can be territorial in their habitats. Colonies may become hostile when threatened, using their stingers repeatedly. 

Stings can cause redness, swelling, hives, and itching, sometimes triggering allergic reactions. If a yellow jacket sting doesn’t stop hurting after being cleaned and wrapped in a cold compress, over-the-counter antihistamines or pain medication can help.

Natural Remedies For How To Get Rid Of Yellow Jackets

The chemicals used in some wasp and yellow jackets removal methods may not be safe for homes with pets or children. Try these natural methods to get rid of yellow jackets:

1. Use Peppermint Oil

The scent of peppermint is a solid yellow jacket repellent. Mix a few drops of peppermint oil with dish soap and warm water in a spray bottle. Spray the mixture around any active nest entrance points. Repeat the spray every couple of weeks until the wasps abandon the nest.

2. Hang an Imitation Nest

Yellow jackets prefer nesting away from other wasps. Hang a replica wasp nest near the infestation source. If yellow jackets see it, they’ll likely move their nest elsewhere.

3. Create a Protein Bait

Yellow jackets are constantly searching for protein. Make a homemade wasp bait using a protein source like fish, chicken, or liver. Fill a bucket with soapy water and hang the protein above it. As yellow jackets latch onto the protein, they may grab a piece too large to move, dropping it into the bucket.

4. Cover the Nest

Place a large object over the yellow jacket nest’s entry and exit points, like a bowl or container. Any wasps inside will eventually die, and those that cannot return will relocate.

Tips to Prevent Yellow Jackets

• Keep yellow jackets away by removing food sources and scents they’re attracted to.
• Keep outdoor trash bins sealed and clean.
• Clean up spilled drinks and food items promptly.
• Store pet and animal food in airtight containers.
• Avoid using floral-scented cosmetics outdoors.
• Clean your outdoor area with soapy water regularly.

Additional Tips:

• Secure trash bins away from living areas and clean them frequently to eliminate residue that may attract yellow jackets.
• Avoid picnicking near trash bins, a common foraging site for yellow jackets.
• Use fine-mesh food covers to keep flies and wasps away when dining outdoors. Clean up spills promptly.
• Pour drinks from soda cans into a cup with a lid so wasps cannot reach the bottom and sting you, especially for children using juice boxes or enclosed cups.
• Do not swat yellow jackets around your picnic. Instead, gently push them away with a napkin.
• If you have fruit trees or a vegetable garden, remove fallen produce to prevent it from fermenting and attracting scavenger wasps.

FAQs

What is the perfect way to stop yellow jackets from entering your home?

Garlic is an effective natural insect repellent that can help prevent yellow jackets. Garlic cloves can be crushed and scattered around areas where yellow jackets nest. Bay leaves are aromatic in a scent that yellow jackets don’t like. It is possible to hang bay leaves where yellow jackets are nesting.

What scent do yellow jackets dislike?

Mint: The strong smell of peppermint, spearmint, or pennyroyal is an excellent way to stop yellow jackets from attacking wasps and yellow jackets. You can plant mint plants in your backyard or pots for your porch or patio. Marigolds: Marigolds are known for their strong smell, which may keep insects away. Place them in the yard or plant them in pots around your house.

What’s the best solution to get rid of yellow jackets?

The bucket should be filled with soapy water. Then, an animal protein bait should be hung just a few inches above the water. Putting a wire screen around the bait and bucket is possible to ensure pets or other animals do not eat the bait. Yellowjackets eat a chunk of bait too heavy to fly, sink, and become trapped in the water and eventually drown.

What is a homemade anti-yellow jacket spray?

Homemade Wasp Repellent Spray

Some accurate essential oils for repelling wasps are clove, geraniol, lemongrass, peppermint, and rosemary. Mix several drops of each in a sprayer, and then include dish soap to aid in helping the mixture spread and stick!