Question 1

WHAT DO YELLOW JACKETS LOOK LIKE?

Accepted Answer

Yellowjackets are 3/8" to 5/8" in length Yellowjackets are typically shiny, bright yellow with black stripes Color patterns, including some red, vary depending on the species Yellow jackets have a hard body with few hairs Some species may have spots, triangles, or diamonds on their abdomen The wings fold onto the top of the abdomen

Question 2

WHAT DO YELLOW JACKETS EAT?

Accepted Answer

Yellow jackets will kill spiders and insects like caterpillars, flies, and crickets to feed their young. Workers pre-chew and condition the food before feeding it to the larvae. The larvae, in turn, secrete a sugary substance that is eaten by the adults. Once the larvae mature, adult yellow jackets feed on sugar such as the juices of ripening and overripe fruits and honeydew… and your favorite outdoor food.

Question 3

WHY ARE YELLOW JACKETS IN MY YARD?

Accepted Answer

Yellow jacket queens locate new nests each spring. Your yard may have provided a suitable location, such as a former rodent burrow or protected cavity, for a queen to establish her new nest. Yellow jackets also enter yards because they are attracted to food. Anyone who eats outdoors, particularly in the late summer, knows picnics, grilling on the patio, open beverages and garbage are open invitations to be visited by yellow jackets

Question 4

ARE YELLOW JACKETS DANGEROUS?

Accepted Answer

They certainly can be. When left alone, yellow jackets are not quick to sting. However, yellow jackets are aggressive defenders of their colonies and will also sting while foraging for food if they are threatened. Because they have lance-like stingers, yellow jackets can and will sting repeatedly. Yellow jacket stings are known to induce severe allergic reactions in some individuals.

Question 5

WHERE DO YELLOW JACKETS NEST?

Accepted Answer

Yellow jacket nests are usually located underground in pre-existing burrows or in protected above ground cavities, such as hollow logs, wall voids, attics, cracks in masonry work, or woodpiles. Yellow jackets build their nests with a mixture of plant fibers and saliva similar to paper-maché. Nest size varies depending on the species involved and the region.

Question 6

CAN YELLOW JACKETS CAUSE DAMAGE TO STRUCTURES?

Accepted Answer

Typically, yellow jackets do not cause damage to structures. On rare occasions, yellow jackets may chew through drywall to enter living spaces from a wall void.

Question 7

WHAT IS THE LIFE CYCLE OF YELLOW JACKETS?

Accepted Answer

Yellow jackets go through a complete metamorphosis: egg, larva, pupa, adult. In our area, yellow jacket colonies live only one year. Only the new queen survives the winter. Queens find shelter from the winter in buildings, under siding, under loose tree bark, or in old rotten stumps. If you see a yellow jacket indoors in the winter months, it is not coming from an active nest. The yellow jacket queen emerges from her winter shelter in late winter or early spring. By April or May, the queen has become active and selects a location to construct her new nest. (The old nest will not be reused.) Yellow jacket queens lay a single egg in each hexagonal nest cell. The first offspring are the workers (sterile females), who look for food and care for the larva while the queen produces more eggs. By late summer, new queens and males are produced. After mating, the new queens fly off in search of a place to spend the winter. Temperatures in the mid to upper 20°s F will kill the nest

Yellow Jackets

Nobody quickly forgets a painful encounter with a yellow jacket.

Adam’s Gets Rid of Yellow Jackets Fast!

Yellow Jackets Treatment Options

One-time Perimeter Stinging Insects

Premier Perimeter Stinging Insects

Premier Home Pest Prevention

More About Yellow Jackets

Contact us Today