How to Find a Yellowjacket Nest

In my last post, I spoke of yellowjacket hives being underground and that my husband gets rid of them himself. However, I highly recommend getting a professional exterminator to do this, because it can be extremely dangerous to do this yourself. In this post, I'm just going to tell you how to know when a yellowjacket nest is nearby and how to discover where it is so you can safely mark the spot for your hired professional. And in case you don't know what a yellowjacket looks like, here's a picture you can use as a reference. 

yellowjacket image courtesy of Wikiepedia.

Yellowjackets are members of the wasp family, but they are plumper than the average wasp. And although they resemble the more docile honeybee we all adore, the yellowjacket is extremely aggressive and not as fuzzy.

So, if you begin to notice quite a few yellowjackets in your yard, just be watchful. Often, where they are more plentiful, you will be near their nest. Sometimes, you can see them come and go throughout the day. But near sundown is when they come back to the nest and will be more plentiful. From a safe distance, watch where they return to. Most of the yellowjackets will return from the direction the sun is setting in. So, you can usually find a safe place to watch them as they return to their nest. Safely mark the location with an object that you will recognize when the exterminator comes out. There will usually be a noticeable opening that leads underground. And they are capable of building a nest underground much like its close relative, the hornet, builds its nest above ground. 

One sting from a yellowjacket hurts, but several stings from several yellowjackets can be deadly even if you aren't allergic to wasp and bee venom. And the least little thing can set them off, such as a lawn mower mowing over their nest as has happened to my husband. Another time, I was washing the house siding and I was spraying the soap suds on the ground. My older son who was not even 2 years old at the time was with me. The water happened to be flooding the yellowjacket nest that I was unaware of. So, they came after my son and me. I turned loose of the running water hose and got him to safety, because he was the closest in their line of attack. Thankfully, each of us got away with only a couple of stings. Needless to say, I don't worry about the soap suds on the ground any more when I'm cleaning the house siding.

So, never approach a yellowjacket nest. Keep your distance when you know one is nearby. And call your exterminator to eliminate the danger.