Yellow Jackets, also known as “meat bees” are some of the worst and most dangerous pests in Northern California. They are aggressive, can bite and sting, and their nests can often be difficult to locate.
To make matters worse, they are strongly attracted to animal protein, such as the hotdogs and hamburgers we BBQ during the warmer months. They gather this protein to feed their young. While they would normally feed on insects, the meat on your plate is easier to access and there is much more of it.
Yellow Jackets look like somewhat of a mix between a wasp and a bee. They are similar in size to a honey bee but are striped black and yellow with a more shiny and segmented body similar to a wasp, They nest in the ground which can make their nest more difficult to find. Unlike bees, yellow jackets are able to sting multiple times, often while biting at the same time.
Yellow Jacket Pest Control
One effective method to controlling yellow jackets is to put out hanging yellow jacket traps in the early spring. Yellow Jacket traps use a pheromone that attracts yellow jackets. The queen will be attracted to the trap and will never have a chance to start a nest.
A single colony of yellow jackets can contain thousands of yellow jackets. Once a nest reaches this size, even several traps will struggle to control the problem.
Because yellow jackets are so aggressive, we don’t recommend trying to destroy/remove the nest yourself. A yellow jackets will generally have multiple entrances and it is likely that at least some of the yellow jackets will start attacking before you get to the nest.
Our technicians wear full-body bee suits when dealing with yellow jackets and have specialized equipment to eliminate the nest and keep them safe.
If you have a yellow jacket problem please give us a call. We can safely remove it without you taking the chance of getting stung.
Contact us here or by calling (530) 878-8786