So far, he and his staff of three have exterminated more than 30 yellow jacket nests in the central campus and the season has just begun. In a normal year, the yellow and black bee-like pests start becoming a problem in July. But, because of an unusually cold spring and summer, they didn't emerge this year until late August. They go for dead meat, hotdogs or whatever you're eating for lunch. And, that's where the problems begin.
Yellow jackets seem to gravitate to the places where people hang out.
According to Slater, they're especially fond of outside dining areas, swimming pools and the campus's nine child care centers. If yellow jackets get aggravated, they're likely to sting, said Slater. If you stop and swat at them, then you're in trouble. The yellow jackets are defending their nest and the farther you get away from their nest the less defensive they are. The campus pest controllers use a variety of traps and baits to get rid of yellow jackets.