How Orkin Treats for Yellow Jackets

Inspection and Identification

Since yellow jackets are beneficial predators of many damaging insects, treatment should only be applied when yellow jackets pose a stinging threat to people or pets. Therefore, a yellow jacket treatment program begins with a thorough inspection and correct identification from your pest management professional. This is important since yellow jackets usually build their nests below ground, but they may also build them in hidden, protected locations above ground. Once the nest is located, your pest management professional can use the most effective control products and methods to help eliminate control the yellow jackets within the nest.

Application

The treatment products used by your pest management professional consist of various insecticide dust and aerosol products that will be used in accordance with the product’s label. The specific products and application methods will generally depend on whether the nest is above or below ground. For below ground nests, the most likely product of choice is an insecticide dust. The dust is applied to the below ground part of the nest and to the nest entrance. Since during the daytime there are numerous yellow jackets that are outside of the nest searching for prey, the nest entrance is left open so any returning nest members will come in contact with the product and die. For aerial nests, usually the use of either a dust or aerosol product is best. For aerial nests, your pest management professional may decide to perform the treatment work after dark when most all of the nest members are within the nest. Once the nest is inactive, it can be removed and destroyed.

Treating Nests Inside a Building

Yellow jacket nests constructed in a void or cavity in a building’s interior presents a situation whereby the yellow jackets’ entrance must never be sealed until all of the nest’s yellow jackets are dead. If the entrance is sealed, members of the nest will try to escape the void through the inside of the structure and thus create a stinging hazard inside the structure.

Prevention is Key

Some of the preventive efforts that your pest management professional may recommend include keeping trash cans closed and clean so that yellow jackets are unable to feed on food residues either inside or outside the refuse container, keeping fallen fruit from fruit trees cleaned up and using specialized traps to capture yellow jackets that are attracted to the traps.