Yellow Jackets

What do yellow jackets look like?

a yellow jacket wasp in its nest outside of a home in princeton illinois

Yellow jackets are aggressive stinging insects that have smooth, hairless bodies that are patterned with yellow and black bands. Their faces are usually black, yellow, or a combination of both colors. They have a thin, defined waist and elongated wings that fold laterally against their body when they are at rest. Adults grow to between 3/8 and 5/8 of an inch in length. Yellow jackets are an aggressive species and will think nothing of defending themselves or their colony against a perceived threat. Their smooth stingers allow them to sting their victims repeatedly.

Where are yellow jackets found?

Being social insects, yellow jackets live and work together in colonies. It is common to find their aerial nests in the walls of Iowa or Illinois homes or other buildings, but they also build nests inside attics and chimneys. Yellow jackets prefer, however, to build ground nests in areas of bare vegetation or in spaces found next to building entrances. Their nests are created by forming multi-layered paper combs that are covered by multi-layered paper envelopes.

What do yellow jackets eat?

Yellow jackets primarily feed on other insects and any sweets and proteins that they come across as they are foraging for food. Yellow jackets are common nuisances at outdoor events where they feed on sugary drinks and leftover food scraps, especially in late summer and early fall when colony numbers are large. Yellow jackets are responsible for some pollination, but what really makes them beneficial is that they control the populations of many nuisance insects.

DIY yellow jackets prevention and control tips

There are a few things that you can do around your property to try and prevent problems with yellow jackets in order to help stop them from being able to get inside of your home or business. Trim back trees and bushes from your home and make sure that outdoor trash cans have tight-fitting lids placed on them. Seal all cracks in your home’s foundation, caulk gaps around windows and doors, put caps on all chimneys, and make sure that vent covers are secure. If you’re eating outdoors, keep food covered and take care of empty cups and soda cans or bottles quickly.

Professional yellow jackets control

If you’ve found a yellow jacket nest near your home or commercial building, contact Quik-Kill Pest Eliminators. Our experienced service technicians will work with you to resolve your stinging insect problem. Reach out to us today!