Safely Remove Yellowjacket Nests from Your Lawn

Yellowjackets may seem like a pest, but they are really beneficial for your garden or yard. Yellowjackets are insect hunters that prey on other insects as their primary food source. If you have a garden you may want to allow them to have free access to your plants, since yellowjackets can put a serious dent in the local insect population.

However, If you do spot yellowjackets nesting in your yard, then it may be a good idea to get rid of the nest. There are several ways to go about getting rid of the nest using of various pesticides. You may be tempted to use gasoline and a match to torch the nest of yellowjackets, but this is not the smartest method to use. Try to stick to something that is a little safer and does not involve the use of pyrotechnics.

Speaking of safe, you primary concern when you set about removing the yellowjacket nest will be to keep yourself from getting stung. Yellowjackets are very aggressive and will do anything to defend their home. Keep in mind that yellowjackets are not a bee. They are a type of wasp. This means that their stingers are not barbed, so they will be able to sting you multiple times. Wasps are naturally more aggressive than bees and are more likely to attack when you disturb the nest.

Yellowjackets are active during the day. Daytime is the worst time to take on a nest of angry wasps. Observe them from distance during the late afternoon hours so that you can pin point the location of the yellowjacket entrance. The late afternoon is when all of the workers will be returning to the nest, so it should be easy to spot the entrance. It would also be a good idea to look for any secondary entrances nearby.

If the nest has been there for a short time, then a shot of wasp or hornet spray during the late evening hours should be sufficient. The best time is after sunset. Yellowjackets are virtually blind at night, so even if they do get out of the nest, the will have a hard time finding you to sting.

For larger nests, you can try Seven brand yellowjacket dust. Inject the dust into the hole in the late evening, and sprinkle some dust around any entrance site and plug the hole. That will likely be the last you'll see of these nasty little buggers. They will not attempt to dig themselves out if the hole is plugged, and will either die of the poison, or starve to death.

Prevent Yellowjackets from nesting in your lawn
Take a stroll around your property in early spring. As you walk, look closely at your lawn to see if you have any potential nesting places for yellowjackets. Yellowjackets like any small crack or holes created by small rodents as potential nesting sites. Cover and plug any holes that you find to prevent yellowjacket queens from nesting in the spring. Yellowjackets also like to nest in home foundations. You should also look for holes and cracks in your foundation and cover those up. If you limit the number of potential nesting places, then you will cut the chances of a yellowjacket nest becoming established on your property.