Understanding Yellow Jackets

There are thousands of different wasp species in North America. Most of them are solitary insects that live alone in underground burrows, hollow plant stems, or small nests built of mud and other debris. Without a large hive or nest to defend, these solitary wasps are relatively non-aggressive. Plus, they benefit gardens by pollinating plants and feeding on pests, such as caterpillars, grasshoppers, beetle grubs, and aphids.

Yellow jackets also provide these benefits to gardens, and, if they nest in an out-of-the-way location, you may just want to leave them be, as they are an important part of garden ecosystems. However, unlike solitary wasps, yellow jackets live in communal nests, and they may defend their nests aggressively if their home is disturbed or threatened. Taking a few simple precautions can deter yellow jackets from nesting in unwanted places and help you avoid the hassle of getting rid of established nests later on.

What Attracts Yellow Jackets

Like other wildlife, yellow jackets are attracted to yards that provide a ready source of food and shelter for the adult wasps and their larvae. If you don’t want yellow jackets hanging around, making sure your property doesn’t feel inviting to wasps is key.

While some wasps, like paper wasps, create papery nests under roof peaks and in the high branches of trees, yellow jackets usually build their nests in hollow logs and stumps, or in underground burrows, often abandoned rodent dens. Removing these inviting shelters and closing up entrance points to your home will make your space less likely to attract yellow jackets and other communal wasps.

As far as food goes, yellow jackets are omnivorous insects that primarily feed on insects and other protein sources during their larval stage. As adults, however, they prefer sugary foods like nectar. Reducing the amount of easy sources of food that your yard provides will also make your space less appealing to yellow jackets and help you avoid issues.

How to Prevent Yellow Jacket Problems

A single yellow jacket nest can house thousands of yellow jackets by the end of summer. Most yellow jackets die when the weather gets cold in the fall, and only the queen yellow jackets overwinter. When these queens emerge from their hiding spots in spring, most of them build brand new nests and don’t repurpose nests from a previous season. That means that removing old nests may not prevent future nesting, but there are other ways to keep yellow jackets from sticking around.

Reduce Food Sources

The single best way to avoid yellow jacket issues is to make sure that there aren’t food sources attracting yellow jackets. Make sure trash, compost, and recycling are in lidded containers, and windfallen fruit and leftover garden produce are cleaned up as soon as possible. Also, keep pet food indoors.

While you’re at it, you may also want to add nectar guards to hummingbird feeders and add fruit protection bags over grapes and other growing fruit. Ensure that you have food covers ready when picnicking or barbecuing outside.

Remove Potential Nesting Spots

Although yellow jackets usually won’t reuse their old nests, they are drawn to abandoned rodent burrows and other tight spaces where their nests feel protected. Reduce the chances of yellow jackets nesting in your yard by checking around your space for unoccupied rodent burrows. Fill in any that you find with soil.

You may also want to remove old logs, dead trees, and hollow fence posts. However, these spaces also provide habitat for other beneficial insects and birds, and leaving them in place can provide benefits to other local wildlife.

Close Up Entrance Points

Yellow jackets are particularly problematic if they find their way indoors. To prevent this, seal access points that yellow jackets may use to enter your attic, garage, potting shed, or other areas where you don’t want them to be. This can include installing mesh covers over vents, fixing loose siding under eaves and rooflines, or filling small holes with expandable foam. Just make sure that no animals are living inside crawl spaces before you seal them.

Use Natural Deterrents

Yellow jackets don’t like the scent of some strongly scented herbs. Growing peppermint, spearmint, lemon balm, and basil in your garden or in pots may encourage the wasps to go elsewhere. Deterrent sprays made with peppermint, eucalyptus, citronella1, clove, geranium, and lemongrass2 essential oils are even more effective than the plants themselves. These products can be applied to potential nesting spots to keep yellow jackets away.

For safety and effectiveness, reapply repellent sprays after heavy rains, avoid using these sprays in areas where pets may come in contact with them, and don’t apply the sprays to active yellow jacket nests.