Last year was the worst yellowjacket year in 36 years at our house. I was stung four times. I had to call out a pest control company twice to eradicate one nest in a cottonwood bole, after their first try didn’t work. I have never resorted to a pest control service before, but angry wasps were swarming aggressively next to our front walkway. I do NOT want another year like that, running from attacking wasps, so I’m starting my prevention program early.
My friend Peg says she has had success putting yellowjacket lure traps out the first week of March. I’m trying that this year. Hanging traps in early spring can help prevent queens from forming new nests. These traps are widely available at retail outlets and garden centers.
The lure is a smell that entices the wasps into the trap. The design of the trap prevents them from escaping. They die in the water inside. No insecticide is used. Some traps are disposable. You set the trap out according to directions and then throw it away when it is full of wasps. Others are re-usable. These have to be cleaned of all the dead insects and rebaited with the attractant. After waiting for insects to fill the trap and die, you empty it and clean it. Sometimes a bit of chicken or bacon in a trap helps improve the attraction of the trap. Refresh the meat regularly since yellowjackets are not attracted to rotting meat.
Traps are easy to use, but wear rubber gloves to handle the attractant, so you don’t get it on your skin. Wash your hands after handling the traps and bait. Lure traps are safe, since there are no insecticides. However, if you get the attractant on your skin, yellowjackets may be drawn to you and sting you. They are least active in the cool of early morning and at dusk.
Traps need to be hung at least 20 feet from people. One trap covers roughly a 25-by-25-foot area. In large yards, space the traps 150 feet apart. When wasps are present, keep pet and human food covered or inside. Seal garbage cans securely. I found this and much more useful information on the Oregon State website here.
You can make your own trap with a 5-gallon bucket filled with soapy water, with a bait of bacon, ham, turkey, etc., suspended about 1 inch to 2 inches above the water. These have to be refreshed daily to be effective.
— JoAnne Skelly is an Associate Professor and Extension Educator, Emerita, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension. She can be reached at skellyj@unr.edu.
