Nothing can ruin a backyard barbecue or swim party faster than
having to deal with swarming yellow jackets and other wasps. These
fierce insects become more active, and many people believe more
aggressive, in the hottest part of the summer. But there are some
things you can do to help.
Nothing can ruin a backyard barbecue or swim party faster than having to deal with swarming yellow jackets and other wasps. These fierce insects become more active, and many people believe more aggressive, in the hottest part of the summer. But there are some things you can do to help.
Before your party, check out your backyard for signs of yellow jackets. Their preferred targets are sweet fruit, such as strawberries, tree fruit, grapes and melons. And the gardeners who tend them. Damage signs include holes in ripe fruit and a buzzing noise followed by a sharp pain. In my backyard, for instance, there’s no need to search for yellow jackets and other wasps because they tend to find me.
Ah, but I get my revenge on the little buggers by trapping them and knocking down their nests. There are commercial yellow jacket and wasp traps on the market that are very inexpensive. They’re usually yellow plastic cone-shaped traps where you can put a small piece of fruit or meat inside to attract them. Once they get into the trap, they can’t fly out and die. One word of caution: place these traps well beyond your patio and barbecue area on the outskirts of your yard. You don’t want to be attracting yellow jackets to where you and your family are gathering.
You can also make your own traps by suspending a piece of sweet, ripe fruit or fresh meat over a large pail of water containing some liquid soap. After yellow jackets gorge themselves, they will drop into the bucket of water. Don’t forget the liquid soap or the smart pests will swim to the edge and crawl out.
Yellow jacket nests are often built underneath the eves of houses. Nests will consist of chewed wood pulp connected into combs and surrounded by a papery covering with one opening. Be forewarned that yellow jackets are very protective of their nests and, if you venture too close, you’ll be met with a fast, headlong charge. Flailing and screaming seems to only encourage the attack and, unlike honeybees, each worker yellow jacket can sting numerous times.
The good news is that you’re fairly safe if you attack their nest at dusk when yellow jackets are much less active. There are commercial pesticide products on the market that come in ready-to-use cans that spray upwards of 25 feet. Usually you can get to even second story nests by standing on the top of a ladder and spraying the pesticide at their nest.
So, don’t have your backyard party wrecked by yellow jackets and wasps. Gain the upper hand and get them under control first.
