You might not feel comfortable about killing yellow jackets, but there are issues to bear in mind. ‘Yellow jackets are aggressive and territorial,’ says Brad Woods, district manager for Trutech Wildlife Service in Dallas-Fort Worth. ‘If their nests are in a prominent place, they need to be removed for your safety.
‘Yellow jackets are pollinators, but they are also predators to honey bees. Yellow jackets will scavenge on human food and garbage. Prevention is one of the best solutions: covering garbage, cleaning up spilled food outside, feeding pets inside, and covering sugary drinks when outside.
‘Homemade yellow jacket traps can keep them away from you and your family. Cut the top off of a plastic water bottle and set aside. Fill the bottle with soapy water and a yellow jacket bait (soda, fruit juice, wine – something sugary). Turn the top of the plastic water bottle upside down and slide it back into the bottle.
‘If possible, avoid their nests. Sometimes yellow jackets build nests in places that are impossible to avoid.’