Yellow Jacket Traps And Controls

Yellow Jacket Traps And Controls

There are some measures that can be taken to reduce the numbers of Yellow Jackets that are on our properties. Keep in mind that they are beneficial in many ways, and do help to reduce pest insect populations. If they are still a bane, there are measures that can be taken to reduce their numbers.

Trap fertile females no later than May. Eliminate the fertile females, and no colonies will be established. This is perhaps the safest way of reducing the population of Yellow Jackets in the immediate vicinity.

I can offer tips on eliminating the nests themselves, but I feel it is too risky for the amateur to attempt. I won't do it, and if I won't do it, I wouldn't recommend anyone else to, either! If a nest is in a remote corner of the yard, I leave it alone. If it is near areas frequented by people and pets, then I call in a professional.
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Homemade Yellow Jacket Traps:
--Suspend a piece of fruit over a pan of soapy water, only an inch or two above. It helps if the pan or container is broad and shallow and for some reason, colored yellow. The wasps fly erratically, and if they drop into the water, the soap breaks the surface tension, so they can't "tread" on water to the edge of the container to escape. They drop in, sink, and drown.

---Plastic clear pop bottles with the tops removed and a 50:50 concentration of frozen apple juice concentrate, water, and a few drops of soap will have the same effect. Screw the lid on and dispose the bottle after a few days.

--Take a plastic gallon milk jug. About halfway up the jug, cut down slits into the jug and about 3/4 of an inch across and petal the edges inwards. Next, poke a hole, very small, into the bottle top. Feed a wire into it. Now, bend the wire, and jab a piece of salami, if they are still in the meat-seeking mode, or fruit onto the wire. Suspend the wire over the same mixture of juice, water, and soap, within an inch or so of the soapy juice solution. This can also be placed at ground level or suspended from grapevines, bushes, or fruit trees where the yellow jackets are most active.

--If you can, eliminate the fertile female in the spring, no later than May with the above traps. You can also use a piece of fresh meat that time of the year as a lure. If you do use meat, be sure that you change the bait every few days as Yellow Jackets, including the fertile female, will not be attracted to decaying meat.

Recommended Organic Sources For Commercial Yellow Jacket Traps: (Click on the names):
Planet Natural.com
Peaceful Valley Farm Supply
Victor® Yellow Jacket Traps
Greenfire Organics Yellow Jacket Traps
Spray 'N' Grow Yellow Jacket Traps
Pest And Lawn.com Yellow Jacket Traps
Superseeds (Pinetree Seeds) Disposable Yellow Jacket Traps (order page)
Hirt's Greenhouse Super Yellow Jacket Trap

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