Pest Index

Yellow Jackets (Wasp)

• July 14, 2014
• Beacon Pest
• Pest Index

Binomial Name:  Vespula spp.

Identification:

• Overall Length:  Adult worker is 12-18mm
• Colour:  Adult worker is black and yellow

Life Cycle:  The fertilized queen can usually be found over-wintering inside buildings or wood piles.  Males, un-mated females and the old queens will die by late fall.

Behaviour:  Yellow jackets prey on other insects but can also scavenge.  Since they forage over long distances it is often difficult to locate their nests which may be home to more than 3000 wasps.

Signs of Infestation:  A colony is established by the queen in a hollow stump, below ground in a cavity, in a wood pile, a hollow tree or other protected voids such as an attic.