Yellow Jackets

Landscape professionals are stung by yellow jackets every year after unexpectedly and accidentally disturbing their nest while landscaping. By fall, the yellow jacket population is typically quite high. Combine that with less available natural food and unfavorable weather conditions and you have unhappy, hungry, yellow jackets foraging for food.

Contractors who stumble onto a nest of yellow jackets need to first determine if they are in a problem area or not. Yellow jackets are excellent predators of potential insect pests, and should not be killed unless they impact humans. To eliminate a yellow jacket nest, spray one can of a liquid insecticide labeled for yellow jacket control into the entrance hole of the nest after dark. Only do your control treatment at night when the yellow jackets are resting. Be sure not to shine a flashlight directly at the nest because you may startle them and get stung.

Use products sold in ready-to-use pressurized containers, described as wasp and hornet killer, and can spray the insecticide up to 22 feet. Some common brands are Hot Shot, Raid, Spectricide and Ortho. Keep in mind the yellow jackets will become aggressive once disturbed. For difficult or severe yellow jacket problems, call a pest control professional.