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Yellow Jackets

What do yellow jackets look like?

Yellow jacket adults have a segmented body with a defined thin waist; they are hairless and have elongated wings that fold laterally against their body when they are at rest. Their body has a yellow and black banded pattern on it; their face and head are usually black and yellow in color. Adult yellow jackets grow to between 3/8th and 5/8th of an inch in length.

yellow jacket

Are yellow jackets dangerous?

Yellow jackets are extremely territorial and become very aggressive when they feel that their nest is being threatened. Yellow jackets have a smooth stinger which means that they are capable of painfully stinging a victim multiple times, injecting more venom with each sting. People who have an allergy to yellow jacket venom can have a severe reaction that requires immediate medical attention.

Where do yellow jackets nest?

Yellow jackets tend to build their nests up off of the ground, they are typically found in bushes, trees, under roof eaves, and if given the opportunity inside of walls voids, and in attic spaces. Their nests are created from a paper-like material that they create from a mixture of chewed cellulose and saliva.

What do yellow jackets eat?

Adult yellow jackets feed on any sugary substance that they can find including flower nectar, fruit, and soda or juice from open beverage containers. The yellow jacket larvae feed on insects and other types of protein that the adults hunt for and bring back to the nest. Yellow jackets play important roles in the ecosystem by pollinating plants and helping to reduce nuisance insect numbers.

How do you get rid of yellow jackets?

The best way to safely eliminate a yellow jacket infestation and prevent a re-infestation is to get help from a professional. Yellow jackets are aggressive and inject dangerous venom through painful stings. Spencer Pest Services can get rid of yellow jackets from your property through our stinging insect control services. Our pest control professionals have the experience, training, and safety equipment needed to find and eliminate all of the yellow jackets nesting on your property. Contact us today for more information about our stinging insect control services.

Yellow jacket prevention tips

It is difficult to stop yellow jackets from choosing your property to create a nest on, but the following tips can help to deter them and help stop them from getting into your home.

  • Trim back trees, bushes, and other landscape from the exterior of your home.
  • Make sure that outdoor trash cans have tight-fitting lids, yellow jackets love to feed on spilled drinks and meat scraps that have been thrown out.
  • Seal all cracks in your home’s foundation, caulk gaps around windows and doors, and make sure that vent covers are secure.
  • Make sure that all chimneys have tight-fitting caps on them.
  • If you have fruit trees on your property, pick up any fruit that has fallen to the ground.

For more information about how Spencer Pest Services can eliminate yellow jackets from your Greenville, upstate of South Carolina, or northern Georgia property, call us today.