Less-Toxic Pest Management controlling YellowjacketsYellowjackets around your home

ith their potent Less-Toxic Controls Tr a p p i n g Yellowjackets Traps can provide temporary relief from sting, yellowjack- Re m o v i n g a n In d i v i d u a l Ye l l o w - yellowjackets, however individual ets can be men- j a c k e t f r o m In s i d e t h e Ho u s e yellowjackets can sometimes escape Wacing creatures when it comes If you are not hypersensitive to yellow- traps. There are a number of traps to a showdown over the picnic jacket stings: on the market, some disposable and table. In years when the spring • don’t aggravate the yellowjacket by others reusable. Experiment to find the is warm and dry, yellowjacket swatting at it, trap or traps that work best for you. populations can increase to • wait until it lands on a flat surface, • Follow label directions for setting the point of making outdoor • place a glass or plastic container over traps, disposing of trapped yellow- activities difficult. But few the insect, jackets, and cleaning and reusing traps that are reusable. people are aware that yellow- • slide a stiff piece of paper under the opening of the container, and • Place a number of the traps around jackets are voracious predators the periphery of your yard or picnic of insect pests such as caterpil- • seal the container and place it in the freezer overnight to kill the area to lure the yellowjackets away lars and flies. yellowjacket or take it outside and from your activities and food. release the insect. • Set the traps out a few hours before Identification and If you are finding many yellowjack- bringing food outdoors so the insects Detection ets inside, you may have a nest in a change their foraging patterns. Yellowjackets are a type of wasp but wall void. • If one of the traps is not attracting they are often mistaken for bees. Some- yellowjackets, move it. If you set out times they are confused with other De s t r o y i n g Ne s t s several traps and none of them are less aggressive predatory wasps, espe- Because of the danger of multiple attracting yellowjackets even though cially paper wasps. Yellowjackets are stings, we strongly recommend calling they are present, try changing the relatively short and stout compared to your local vector control district or a bait. Use baits such as tuna-flavored paper wasps. Paper wasps have longer private company for information and cat food in the spring and early more slender bodies and long dangling assistance. summer. Try using grenadine or the legs. Yellowjacket nests are spherical attractants that come with the traps Yellowjackets build nests in abandoned and are enclosed in a papery envelope in late summer and fall. rodent burrows and other holes in with a small entrance hole at the the ground, in attics, in wall voids, in bottom. Paper wasp nests are usually Po i s o n Baiting shrubs and trees. Sometimes they hang suspended from eaves or porch ceilings As a last resort in years when yellow- their nests from eaves. and look like tiny umbrellas filled with jacket populations are extremely high, hexagonal cells. poison baiting may be necessary. Call a pest control professional.

Choose less toxic products for your home and garden. Look for this symbol before you buy. Prevention • You can brush the yellowjacket off Pesticides and • Seal holes and cracks in foundations, with a piece of paper or some other Water Pollution walls, roofs, and eaves to prevent object as long as you move slowly Common household pesticides show up in yellowjackets from entering your and deliberately. treated wastewater and in local waterways, sometimes at levels that can harm sensitive home. • Do not squash a yellowjacket. When aquatic life. So, water pollution prevention crushed, many yellowjacket species agencies have teamed up with participat- • Cover attic and crawl space vents ing retail stores, pesticide distributors, and with fine mesh insect screen. emit a chemical that can cause other manufacturers to reduce the risks associated nearby yellowjackets to attack. with pesticide use. This fact sheet is part of a • Yellowjackets scavenge for meat and series of fact sheets and store displays aimed sweet foods and drinks in outdoor Yellowjackets can be a problem in May at educating residents about less-toxic pest and June, but they are most notice- management. For the rest of the series of garbage and recycling bins. Clean fact sheets, visit www.ourwaterourworld.org. recyclables before storing them. able and annoying late in the summer. Also, look for the “Our Water Our World” Keep garbage cans clean and tightly During yellowjacket season, the follow- logo next to products in participating stores and nurseries. See the Pesticides and Water covered, or seal all food garbage in ing tips will help prevent stings. Pollution fact sheet for information on active plastic bags. • Wear protective clothing when ingredients in common pesticides that may mowing grass where you suspect cause water quality problems. underground nests. Pest control strategies and methods described Why Yellowjackets in this publication are consistent with inte- Sting • If you are hypersensitive to yellow- grated pest management (IPM) concepts, and are based on scientific studies and tests in ac- Yellowjackets seldom sting when they jacket stings, avoid outdoor cooking tual home and garden settings. Use suggested are foraging for food, unless they feel or eating. Hypersensitive people products according to label directions and should wear clothing that cov- dispose of unwanted or leftover pesticides threatened. They are, however, likely at a household hazardous waste collection to attack when their nests are disturbed ers as much skin as possible, and facility or event. For more information on by a direct blow or by vibrations that carry an epinephrine kit (available by pesticide disposal, call 1-800-CLEANUP or visit: www.1800CLEANUP.org. No en- are detected by the wasps inside. prescription) at all times. dorsement of specific brand name products Mowing the lawn near an underground • Outdoors, do not drink soft drinks is intended, nor is criticism implied of similar products that are not mentioned. nest, construction work near a nest in a or other sugary drinks from open wall void, or even walking near a nest containers. Use cups with lids and ACKNOWLEDGMENT can provoke an attack by one or more straws, and look before you sip. Do yellowjackets. This is especially true if not carry snacks containing meat or The Central Contra Costa Sanitary District originally developed this IPM outreach the nest has been disturbed before. sugar in open containers. program. • Do not wear perfumes. Use unscented Avoiding Stings deodorant, sun screen, hair spray, etc. FOR MORE INFORMATION When a yellowjacket approaches: • Avoid going barefoot, especially in For more information, contact: • Remain calm vegetation. Bio-Integral Resource Center (BIRC) • Do not strike at a yellowjacket with • Always examine wet towels or wet (510) 524-2567; www.birc.org sharp, sudden blows. Slow, gentle University of California Cooperative clothing before you pick them up Extension Master Gardeners in your area motions that mimic the movement of outdoors. (in the phone book) a branch in the breeze will be safer in • Wear light-colored clothing without University of California IPM website: www.ipm.ucdavis.edu encouraging the yellowjacket to leave. patterns.

Products Examples of trade names for traps listed in this fact sheet • Rescue! Yellowjacket (disposable) • Rescue! Trap (reusable) • Victor Yellow Jacket Trap (use liquid bait such as apple juice) • Victor Yellow Jacket and Flying Insect Trap (use liquid bait such as apple juice) • Seabright Yellow Jacket and Wasp Trap (use solid bait such as tuna catfood); (800) 284-7363; www.seabrightlabs.com

www.OurWaterOurWorld.org Paper content: 25% post-consumer waste, 50% November 2008 recycled content. Printed with soy-based ink.