Yelllow Stinging Insects

Identifying, killing, and Exterminating Yellow Stinging Insects

Yellow Jackets are also called meat bees -- They like to eat meat.
They are really a type of wasp.

Yellow Jackets are often mistaken for honey bees because they look so similar, however honey bees are actually larger and have hair on the abdomen.

Eradication:
Warnings

When spending time outdoors, do not wear fragrances, like perfume, aftershave or lotions, and try to wear light-colored clothing. Yellow jackets are attracted to fragrances and clothing that is bright or dark.
Yellow jackets (Vespula spp.) are more aggressive than other stinging insects, such as wasps, hornets or bees, and will vigorously defend their nests.
A single colony can contain thousands of individuals, so use extreme caution around nests, and exit the area calmly and slowly if you disturb the nest or are stung.
When spraying a yellow jacket nest, wear protective clothing that covers your entire body. Wear the protective gear again to check for nest activity the following day and when re-treating the colony, if necessary.

Set out your traps at the first sign of meat bees. every one you see in March is a queen. For every queen eradicated, there will be 5000 less workers in August!

Water Trap:
Put something for the yellow jackets like to eat over water. They will dip down to get a drink of try to fly away and get caught in the water. Some say just water will work.

Fill a bucket with water and
a. Add detergent to reduce water tension so they won't float on top.
b. or Add vegetable oil on top to trap them.
One neighbor said to add chicken soup to the water.
a. Hang a piece of meat 1/4 -1/2" over the water.
b. or a couple of boards with wet cat food on the bottom. It should be sticky enough to adhere to the boards. The youTube video below uses mixed grill.
Nests can be 1. In the ground, 2. hanging from your house, 3. In a hollow spot of a tree or a soffit (hollow space under the edge of your roof).
Yellowjackets | Department of Entomology
Hanging nest:
Nest Cross Section

Nest Cross Section
The nests contain multiple, horizontal tiers of combs within. Larvae hang within the combs.

Treating Nests in Structural Voids How to Kill Get Rid Yellow Jacket Nest | Yellow Jacket Control Sometimes yellow jackets will nest in various elements of a home or structure, such as ceiling and wall voids, in the eaves behind fascia board, soffits, in hollow cement blocks, and inside excavated wood galleries. Such nests are best treated by drilling into the infested void and injecting the nest with Delta Dust Insecticide. 1) Locate the nest. If you are not sure exactly where the nest is located, use a listening device to hone in as close as possible to the exact location. 2) Drill small holes directly into the nest from inside of the structure. If it is not possible to drill from the inside, the drilling can be done outside. If you do this, be sure to leave any outside entrance holes open until the beginning of fall when hatching is sure to be completed. Then the entrance may be sealed to prevent further nest establishment. 3) Apply Delta Dust Insecticide liberally using a centrobulb duster (for easier application) 4) Seal any inside holes. 5) Repeat in 3 to 4 months to control for newly hatched yellow jackets.
Treatment: Only treat at night when it is dark. Yellow Jackets do not see well, and chances of being stung are greatly reduced. Also at night the whole colony will be present in the nest making the treatment more effective. Treat the nest with pyrethrum aerosols such as Stryker 54 Contact Aerosol, PT 565 or CV-80D. Pyrethrum forms a gas which will fill the cavity, killing the yellow jackets on contact. Wait until the aerosol is dry, and then dust in the opening with insecticide dusts such as Tempo Dust . The dust will prevent future hatch outs. Dust the nest, entrance and surrounding areas. Check the nest the following day, to see if the yellow jackets are dead which can be verified by lack of activity. Repeat, if necessary.
How To Get Rid of Yellow Jackets | Step by Step Guide 1) Using a red or amber colored light to illuminate the nest at night (a regular flashlight will attract the guard wasps), apply D-Force HPX aerosol aerosol or Delta Dust directly into the nest using the plastic injector tip. Poking the injector or duster tip through the back of the nest is often safer than using the front entrance used by the yellow jackets.
Stings - Reation - Treatment:
Wasp Sting: Reaction Symptoms, Treatments, and Remedies | Healthline
Links:
(2) Simple and Effective Yellow Jacket Trap - YouTube
How to Deal With Yellow Jackets | Home Guides | SF Gate
A Comprehensive Guide to Yellow Stripey Things | kottke.org
(2) How To Quickly Trap 1,000 YellowJackets In Just Hours. Mousetrap Monday - YouTube
2. Simple Ways to Kill Yellow Jackets - wikiHow
Yellowjackets | Department of Entomology
10 Ways to Treat Insect Stings at Home - Rentokil Pest Control