How to find yellow jacket nest. A Yellow Jacket is known for its aggressive nature and harsh temperament. If you accidentally disturb one of their nests, you run the risk of getting stung.
If you suspect that a yellow jacket is on your property, it’s best to check after 10 am as they tend to become most active during this time.
Keeping an eye out for them in the sunlight will also help greatly since yellow jackets make it easier to spot them regardless of whether or not they are flying around.
You can also lure them out with food, but if that doesn’t work, then you should seek out a professional exterminator who works with insecticides during the night when shining lights on the nest isn’t a problem.
How to find yellow jacket nest
Yellowjackets fly close to the nest which is usually within 1,000 feet from where the yellowjacket colony was first discovered although it can be closed if there is a source for water supply.
Walk your property and look for signs of yellow jacket activity. Nests will likely appear as piles of wood, stones, or leaves that have been stacked in an unusual fashion.
When you’re looking around, also keep an eye out for flying yellow jackets that seem to be in a straight path.
Begin Your Search
The most active time of day for yellow jackets is between 10 am and 4 pm. It is estimated that a majority of their nests may be found in close proximity to feeding spots during this time.
Depending on the temperature from season to season or lasting several months, Yellow Jackets tend to be less active when it’s very hot or very cold outside.
Look For Holes In The Ground
Yellowjackets prefer to build their nests underground. There are a lot of people who fail to get rid of yellow jackets because they don’t find their nest and only kill a few.
Yellowjackets may be seen flying near the ground when you walk your property.
It is a good indication that you have located their underground home if there is a large number of them scrambling about, appearing to protect an area from outside intruders.
Yellowjackets Fly in Straight lines
Although yellow jackets build their nests outside in warm weather, they typically live underground. They will fly in a straight line from the nest to a food source and they only travel during the day while it’s sunny outside.
It is most likely that any insects flying quickly by that seem to be going in a straight line are them. If you see several insects, then chances are they’re traveling between their nest and food source, so you can identify the area where they are nesting.
Attract Yellow Jackets with Food
Yellowjackets can be lured with food and then followed back to their nests if you cannot find any flying around.
As you wait for them to appear, place a shallow dish of food near where you think they might be hiding.
Yellowjackets prefer protein-based baits to food, such as tuna-flavored canned cat food, chicken skin, cold cuts, or ground meat, which will all attract them to your traps.
Summertime sugar baits like fruit juice and grenadine are more effective than food alone.
Mark Nests When You Find Them
Keep a note of the nests you see and mark them with spray paint. You can do this from a close distance so that accidental overspray is not an issue.
It’s important to avoid marking the nest directly as this may cause colony members to swarm and attack you.
FAQs
When are yellow jackets most active?
Don’t bother with the yellow jackets during the day, as they are most active during this time. They will return to their nest at night, which means that you are more likely to avoid being stung (which is bad) at nighttime when it’s dark (which is good).
Yellow Jackets stay around for how long?
Yellow Jacket colonies remain active for only one summer in which the queen from the previous season will fly away to start more colonies. The remaining ones die as winter approaches.
How to find your yellow jacket nest?
Conclusion
How to find yellow jacket nest. If you have had a problem with yellow jackets or wasps in the past you know how destructive they can be. They can be a real problem when you try to do yard work, play outside, or enjoy the outdoors.
In this blog, we want to help you locate yellow jacket nests. If you think you might have a yellow jacket nest you can contact a professional pest control company to help you locate and remove the nest.
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