What do yellow jackets look like

Their colonies tend to reach their highest numbers in the late summer and early fall. A sting from one of these pests can lead to serious health concerns for some people that may require immediate medical attention.

Yellow jacket adults have a distinctive segmented body with a thin waist; they are hairless and have elongated wings. When at rest yellow jackets fold their wings laterally against their body. They are also equipped with antennae and have six legs.

The yellow jacket's face and head is a combination of black and yellow colors, while their body has a well-defined yellow and black banded pattern on it. If killed or attacked, yellow jackets release pheromones to alert other yellow jackets to come help. Each spring, fertilized queens emerge from their overwintering spots to create a new nest and lay her first batch of eggs; over the spring and summer months, both the size of the nest and size of the colony grow significantly.

They build their paper nests out of a mixture of chewed up cellulose and saliva. Their nests are found in the ground, but, if given the opportunity, they may place their nest under a deck or porch, or inside of a building behind its walls or in attic spaces. In the late fall, when the weather cools off significantly, new fertilized queens will leave the colony to find a safe spot to overwinter in and the remaining workers and males will die off.

Yellow jackets are a species of social wasp that are responsible for some pollination, but are mostly known for being predators. If yellow jackets do invade your home, it is wise to enlist the help of a professional exterminator who has access to specialized equipment and follows stringent safety protocols. To prevent wasps from returning to an old haunt, change up the environment where the nest once existed.

By cutting tree branches and hanging up new decorations, returning wasp scouts will be unable to relocate their former territories. If yellow jackets are getting in the way of your seasonal fun, get some much-needed help from Arrow by filling out the form below. We carefully conduct a home pest inspection of your property looking for potential entry points and signs of pest activity that are often difficult to detect.

This comprehensive pest and termite inspection is the only way to determine the real root of a pest problem, as well as the best way to solve it. For a no obligation free pest control quote for your home, please complete the form below. We'll take it from there. One of our trained professionals will contact you upon receiving your request and set up a date and time that is convenient for you.

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How to Avoid a Ratpocalypse in Your Home. Spotty Lawn? These Pests Could Be Why. Arrow's Command Center. First Name. Last Name. ZIP Code. Yellow Jackets Vespula spp. Are Yellow Jackets Bees or Wasps? Where Do Yellow Jackets Live? Why Do Yellow Jackets Sting? Why Do Yellow Jackets Swarm?

How to Get Rid of Yellow Jackets Though yellow jackets can be an important predator of pest insects, if you want to get rid of a yellow jacket nest, you can spray their nests with soap and water or pour soapy water into an underground nest to kill the whole colony. Preventing a Yellow Jacket Infestation To keep yellow jackets away from your home, leave high-protein foods like meats and pet food indoors.

Free Pest Inspection. Fill out this form and an Arrow representative will contact you. In my home, I am most interested in Select all that apply :. Common places for a nest are attached to bushes, trees, or the eaves of homes. Yellowjacket nests are built with a recognizable paper-like material made from chewed cellulose. Like many other flying insects, adult yellowjackets feed on sugary substances such as flower nectar, fruit, and the occasional soda when they find an open can.

What makes yellowjackets unique is that they consume protein in their larval stage. Workers bring insects and other types of meat back to the nest as food for the larvae. Most homeowners consider yellowjackets a pest, but their diet actually makes them an important part of garden pest control.

Yellowjackets are normally very slow to sting, but they are also very territorial. If the entrance to their nest is approached, they will become very aggressive. They can sting multiple times, and their stings can be very painful. People who are allergic to their venom could have a severe reaction, and it is possible to become hypersensitive to yellowjackets after being stung.

This sensitivity could cause a serious problem if stung again in the future.