What To Know About Yellow Jackets
Common worldwide, and particularly abundant in the southeastern United States, 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. They will forage for about 1 mile from their nest.
Yellow Jackets Species by Region
Eastern Yellow Jacket
Western Yellow Jacket
German Yellow Jacket
Common Aerial Yellow Jacket
Southern Yellow Jacket
How To Eliminate Yellow Jackets
They often build their nests underground or in hollow logs, tree stumps, attics, between walls, under eaves and inside recycling bins where sugars are common. [1] If you see signs of yellow jackets in or around your home, it’s best to take the necessary precautions to get rid of them. In the event that you have enough distance from the nest to not fear an immediate threat, bait traps are an excellent way to lure them away from locations with human interaction. Bait traps that use a sugar or protein-based food lure will appeal to the widest range of social wasps. Due to their diet, these baits will effectively lure and trap those that pose a risk.
[1]Yellow jacket. NatureMapping. (n.d.). http://naturemappingfoundation.org/natmap/facts/yellow_jacket_712.html
[2] Wasp identification. Wasps. (2020, July 31). https://wasps.ucr.edu/wasp-identification
[4]Akre, R.D., A. Greene, J.F. MacDonald, P.J. Landolt, and H.G. Davis. 1980. Yellowjackets of America North of Mexico. USDA Agriculture Handbook No. 552.
[5]Colorado State University. (n.d.). Colorado Insects of Interest. colostate.edu. https://webdoc.agsci.colostate.edu/bspm/arthropodsofcolorado/Yellowjackets.pdf.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Spotlight on an Invasive Yellow Jacket Species
These are the wasps which harass people at outdoor eateries, theme parks, receptions and picnics, congregate at bakeries or candy factories, and they actively seek out spilled sodas at sporting stadiums, etc. [6]
- Approximately 1in in length (Queens can grow up to 1.25in)
- Dots along the abdomen with 3 dots on the face
- About 4,000 wasps live in each nest, measuring about 2ft in diameter
- Reached America in the 1970’s