Swish Don’t Squish Yellowjackets

Why you should never, ever squash a yellowjacket

Squashed, crushed yellowjackets emit an alarm pheromone that sends a signal to other yellowjackets in the area to attack–so DO NOT squish them! Gently wave your hand to swish them away or leave the area. Yellowjackets are very aggressive, swarm, and each wasp can deliver multiple stings. This is not a fight you want.

It’s normal to see one or two yellowjackets in a garden on the hunt for other insects. And it’s normal to see up to a dozen yellowjackets swarming garbage cans, drinking fountains, and generally turning a picnic into a panic. However, when you see dozens of yellowjackets in your yard without a barbecue or picnic underway, your yard may be home to a yellowjacket nest.  Yellowjackets nest in abandoned rodent burrows.  Yellowjackets also build nests in other protected cavities, such as wall voids, attics, retaining walls, and hollow trees. Many people report seeing yellowjackets disappearing in the lawn. What isn’t usually seen is the opening to the underground nest.

Disturbing a yellowjacket nest can result in multiple stings. This happens when someone accidentally steps on an underground nest opening or disturbs a nest in a shrub or building. Sometimes merely coming near a nest, especially if it has been disturbed previously, can provoke a painful attack. Getting rid of yellowjacket wasp nests is not for the DIY’er. Thrasher Termite & Pest Control technicians have the protective gear and proper materials to deal with wasp nests. Call us for yellowjacket wasp control and for all your pest problems.