Wasps, yellow jackets and hornets? Don't let them pester you

This article is written for those lovely ladies of the Community Assistance League, especially for Joyce.

As a contractor I encounter wasps, yellow jackets and hornets all the time. Usually we don’t know their nest is there until we disturb it with painful results.

Wasps, yellow jackets and hornets look similar and most people get them confused; however, each one of them are from different families and nest differently making then separate.

An individual hornet or yellow jacket queen begins building a nest alone in spring. Once the queen has produced enough workers to take over the nest-building and foraging duties, she remains inside producing more offspring. The workers expand the nest, forage for food, feed the young and defend the nest. Their diet consists mainly of other insects such as flies, bees and spiders.

Bald-face hornets feed on their yellow jacket relatives. They will continue to build their nest until fall. Typically a nest will contain 30 to 40 hornets, or 60 to 80 yellow jacket workers. They mate in late summer where a solitary queen will fly off to start a new nest the next spring.

Wasps have smooth bodies, as opposed to bees that have hairy bodies. They are about 1/2 to 3/4 inches long in a variety of shapes and colors. They are social insects, with a queen laying eggs.

Wasps build their nests from wood fibers, producing a paper like shelter. Paper wasps commonly build their nest under eves of houses and porch roofs. Mud daubers build a variety of mud nest in holes left in yards from rodents.

Yellow jackets are bright yellow with black patterns. Bald-faced hornets are white and black. Paper wasps are yellow, brown or red patterns on black.

The hornet nest resembles a large, inverted tear-drop shape ball which typically is attached to a tree, bush, or side of a building. Hornet nest can contain 80 hornets which become aggressive when disturbed.

Yellow jackets, in particular, hang around trash cans, picnic areas and humming bird feeders where they scavenge for food.

Before I destroy a nest I try to consider the following because they help control the insect population:

n Does the nest affect my work area, if it does, the nest is eliminated.

n Does the home owner want the nest removed, if they do, the nest is history.

n Is the nest located in a heavily populated area, if it is, it is removed.

The best time to remove a nest is at night because most if not all of the colony is in their pajamas getting ready to bed down for the evening. 

Once contact is made with a nest, it location is marked with a flag so it can easily be found in the dark. We come back at dusk and spray directly inside of the nest with a chemical that will quickly kill the nest’s inhabitants.  We return in the morning, remove the nest and clean up the area.

Note:  Never shine a light directly on the nest, if you do, the occupants will become mobilized (active) and sting the crap out of you because they are trying to protect their nest.

If you can’t find a nest in the area around your home or work site has a high population of wasps and hornets, trapping them is your best answer. Yellow jackets love sugary treats and hornets love fresh meat. This solution attracts both insects. I’ve found mixing one cup of sugar water with one cup of apple cider vinegar and add two drops of Dawn Dish soap works well. Pour that mixture into a one-liter small mouth soda bottles and place them around the property. The soap removes the water tension which causes the insect to drown in the fluid. You’ll be surprised at how many insects you will catch with this technique.

Note:  Empty, clean paint cans with lids work as well. Just cut holes in the lid so the insects can enter.

When cleaning with any cleaning product, always wear eye protection and rubber gloves to protect your hands. If you would like to share a cleaning idea or concept with the reading audience, call Ed at NWES (255-2266), e-mail them to nwees@hughes.net or send them to Bonner County Daily Bee, 310 Church St., Sandpoint, ID 83864, Attn: What Would Ed Do?  For more information about Ed, and his new handyman services, check him out online at www.nwees.com.

Copy written by Edmond E. Madan, certified forensic, fire, flood, mold inspection & remediation/restoration contractor. Ed is the president of Northwest Environmental Services, Inc.