Yellowjacket Wasp (Vespidae) Control

Help for dangerous or threatening yellowjacket wasp nests to reduce the potential for stings from these insects.

Wasp identification

Yellowjacket wasps are medium size (~1/2") distinctive black and yellow insects (see photo right), some species such as the misnamed "baldfaced hornet", however, are white strips over a black body color. Yellowjackets make a relatively large nest that is completely enclosed in a papery envelope. Paper wasps, on the other hand, make an open nest in which the individual cells are clearly visible (see The European Paper Wasp).

Yellowjacket wasps (Vespula spp.) are sometimes called simply "wasps", "social wasps" or "social vespids". The common names we use for wasps can be very confusing. The social wasps that cause problems for people worldwide are discussed below. These wasps make large, papery nests either below ground or above ground. Some species have adopted a scavenger habit that brings them into contact with people that makes them even more dangerous.

There are many species of yellowjackets but most people only encounter the scavenger species. Scavenger species feed on both living and non-living prey so are drawn to any food within their search area such as a dead animal, tree fruit, or our picnic food. These species also tend to build larger and more threatening nests. Some social wasps, on the other hand, are predators, seeking only live prey, and therefore have no interest in our picnic food or fruit trees (see What Are Scavenger Yellowjackets?).