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Yellow Jackets
A Pest That Preys on Gardeners
Yellow jackets are not bees; they're wasps. Early in the summer, they prey on flies and caterpillars—a benefit to gardeners, for sure. But in late summer, when yellow jackets' tastes turn toward sweets, swarms of the stingers hover around raspberries and other soft fruits, as well as soda cans, garbage bins, and other places where people are. That's when yellow jackets become pests. By October, all of the wasps die, except for the queen. She overwinters but does not return to the old nest in spring.
What to do now: Unless someone in the home is allergic to insect stings, leave wasp nests alone in late summer. (If it must go, get a professional pest manager to remove the nest.) Here are a few precautions to take to help you avoid trouble now:
Pick fruit early in the morning while it is cool and wasps are less active.
Keep picnic food indoors or covered until ready to eat.
Drink through straws and use covered cups for drinks.
Set out wasp traps around picnic areas, baited with sweet or fermenting liquids to attract and drown the yellow jackets.
