Yellow jackets are social wasps recognized by their distinct black and yellow markings. These insects are common across North America and often encountered during warmer months. Understanding their nesting behaviors is important for safely navigating outdoor spaces.
Understanding Yellow Jacket Nesting Habits
Yellow jackets construct nests from a papery material, created by chewing wood fibers and mixing them with saliva. While many species are known for building their nests underground in abandoned rodent burrows or other soil cavities, some yellow jacket species build aerial nests. These aerial nests can be found in trees, shrubs, or within sheltered elevated locations such as attics, wall voids, and under eaves.
Nesting locations are chosen for the protection and temperature regulation they offer the colony. Underground nests benefit from the insulating properties of the soil, while aerial nests in sheltered spots are protected from weather extremes. Yellow jacket colonies are annual, lasting only one season, with the workers, males, and the old queen dying off with the onset of cold temperatures. Only new, fertilized queens overwinter in protected places like hollow logs or soil, emerging in spring to establish a new nest. A single queen starts the nest, which can grow to contain thousands of workers and reach the size of a basketball by late summer.
Identifying a Yellow Jacket Nest
A yellow jacket nest is a smooth, grayish, layered, papery structure. The nest usually features a single, small entrance.
Identifying a yellow jacket nest often involves observing the insects’ behavior. A consistent stream of wasps entering and exiting a specific opening can indicate a nearby nest. Yellow jackets have relatively hairless bodies with distinct yellow and black bands, distinguishing them from hairier honey bees. Paper wasps often have more slender abdomens and their nests feature exposed, visible comb cells, unlike the enclosed structure of a yellow jacket nest.
What to Do If You Encounter a Nest
If a yellow jacket nest is discovered, prioritize safety and avoid disturbing it. Maintaining a safe distance from the nest is advised, and swatting at individual wasps should be avoided, as this can provoke the colony.
For larger nests, or those located in high-traffic areas, contacting a professional pest control service is recommended. Attempting to remove a yellow jacket nest without proper training and equipment can be dangerous. DIY removal methods may anger the colony, cause them to find new exit points, or fail to eliminate the queen. Professionals typically treat nests at night when most workers are inside and less active, ensuring a more effective and safer removal process.