Monroe County Master Gardener Association

Yellow Jackets are particularly a problem for us during August through now. I’ve been trying to control two nest under my deck at our camper. They’ve built their home in the ground. As suggested by sites on the yellow jackets, I’ve used a wasp spray to spray the opening. I’ve sprayed several time…no doubt there must be hundreds there, because I still see them going in and out of the ground opening. I’ve also set wasp traps out. These have helped by luring them away from our picnic area. Although many have met their demise, the nest is still active. I am not sensitive to their sting. However I have a friend that is extremely allergic. One happy note…by now the nests have produced a crop of queens and males. By the first frost most will leave the nest and find a wintering spot. They’ll emerge in the spring, but only the new queens will survive the winter. They seldom return and reuse the previous nest. That’s my hope for Spring.