Wasps Yellow Jackets
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Frequently asked questions about wasp and yellow jacket control in Salem
Why are yellow jackets so aggressive in late summer and fall?
By August a colony can hold several thousand workers, the queen has stopped laying, and the workers switch from hunting insects to scavenging sugar and protein. That is why they crowd picnics and garbage cans in September. Nests near doors, decks or play areas are worth removing before the season peaks.
Can I remove a wasp nest myself?
Small paper wasp nests on eaves can be knocked down early in the season, but yellow jacket nests in the ground, in wall voids or in attics should be left to a professional. Those colonies defend the entrance in numbers, and treating a wall void incorrectly can drive the wasps into the house.
How do you treat a yellow jacket nest inside a wall?
We locate the entrance, treat the void through the opening with a product labeled for that use, and leave the hole open so returning foragers carry the treatment inside. Sealing the entrance too early traps wasps in the wall, where they chew toward light and can end up indoors.
Will the nest come back next year?
Yellow jacket and paper wasp colonies die off after the first hard frost, and only new queens survive the winter. Queens rarely reuse an old nest, but they do like the same kinds of sites. Sealing gaps in siding, soffits and eaves in spring removes the easy real estate.
How fast can you get to a nest in Salem or Keizer?
Wasp and yellow jacket nests are treated as priority calls. In most of our service area, including Salem, Keizer, Albany, Dallas and Woodburn, we can be out the same day or the next morning. Call (503) 362-4539 and tell us where the nest is and whether anyone has been stung.