Yellow jackets often nest underground. But it’s fairly common for them to nest in man-made structures – particularly in the cracks, holes, and voids of your home’s walls. So, how do you get rid of yellow jackets in walls?
Getting rid of yellow jackets in walls
Yellow jackets are dangerous creatures. They are aggressive pests that can sting you, causing pain, swelling, and in worst cases, deadly allergic reactions. But luckily, they are not invincible, no matter how hard they try to hide in your walls.
Here’s a step-by-step process on how to get rid of these stinging pests who are using your walls to shelter their nest.
1. Call a pest control professional
The safest and most effective way to get rid of yellow jackets is by calling a pest control professional. They will have the proper gear to handle the infestation safely and the proper knowledge and experience to solve your problem effectively.
The problem with trying to deal with yellow jackets yourself is that you are putting yourself at risk of yellow jacket stings, and your pest control methods may be ineffective because you have little to no experience in pest control.
2. Look for the nest
If you really want to get rid of the infestation yourself, start by locating the nest. Luckily, yellow jackets don’t have complicated flight patterns. They usually fly in a straight line to their nest, so you won’t have a hard time following them and discovering where they are nesting.
Follow them at dusk or night-time, where they are about to go back to their nest after a long day’s work. If you don’t see any yellow jackets to follow, you can lure some of them with a sweet trap made of jam.
3. Prepare the things you need
Once you have finally seen their nest in your walls, don’t engage them immediately. Remember that yellow jackets are aggressive. If they see you as a threat to their nest, they will not hesitate to attack.
You have to prepare your safety gear and your vacuum first. For your safety gear, prepare a bee veil, the white suit beekeepers and pest control professionals use to avoid stings. If you can’t find a bee veil, at least prepare some goggles, masks, long-sleeved shirts, and pants. You should be able to cover as much skin as possible. For your vacuum, it’s best to use one that has a large barrel to collect the yellow jackets.
4. Attack at night
Yellow jackets scavenge and work during the day, so there is no point attacking their nest when the sun is high. It won’t be an effective approach because most of the yellow jackets are not present. If you really want to get rid of a huge number of the pests, you should attack at night where most of them are already back to the nest.
5. Wear protective gear and get your vacuum ready
Before you actually attack at night, make sure you wear all the protective gear you have prepared. Cover as much skin as you can. If the part of your home where the yellow jacket nest is located is dark, bring a flashlight with you as well.
Get your vacuum ready by filling its barrel with soapy water. This way, the yellow jackets you will be able to suck will drown in the water, with the soap preventing them from escaping.
6. Get rid of the yellow jackets
Using your flashlight, find the opening in the wall where yellow jackets come and go to get to their nest. After you have located it, put the nozzle of your vacuum in the opening and turn it on. Let it do its job for a few minutes or hours, depending on the severity of the infestation.
7. Repeat the process
As you can imagine, this yellow jacket control method is simplistic. There is a big chance that you won’t be able to get rid of the infestation in one session. You may have to repeat the process every few days until there is little to no yellow jacket activity in your walls.
Make sure to empty your vacuum and replenish it with fresh soapy water after every use.
8. Get rid of the yellow jacket nest
You should not just get rid of the yellow jackets in your walls. You should also be mindful of the nest they have left behind. A new set of yellow jackets may be able to use them as a foundation for their new nest. Make sure to remove the empty yellow jacket nest to prevent reinfestations.
You can hire a pest control professional to do this for you. But at this point, you may also want to do this yourself. You can put the nest in a garbage bag and dispose of it. Cover the opening in your wall too to avoid future infestations.
Preventing yellow jackets from returning
Yes, you can get rid of the yellow jackets in your walls with a vacuum and some protective gear. But what’s stopping another batch of yellow jackets from starting another infestation? Here are some things you can do to prevent future infestations.
- Clear up the old yellow jacket nest. Make sure to extract the entire yellow jacket nest to prevent it from attracting new yellow jackets. Put it in a garbage bag and dispose of it.
- Seal all cracks, holes, and voids. These structural damages are passageways for yellow jackets, so they can easily access the insides of your walls. Cover them up as soon as you can.
- Make food and water inaccessible to pests. Yellow jackets are particularly attracted to sugar-rich foods, but make sure to put all kinds of food and water in containers and refrigerators to avoid attracting the pests.
- Set up yellow jacket traps. Prevent yellow jackets from thriving on your property by setting up a yellow jacket trap to capture and potentially kill lone yellow jackets. You can buy commercial traps or make one yourself with a sweet substance like a jam and a container like a soda bottle.
- Install a fake wasp nest. Yellow jackets are territorial. If they see that your property is already occupied by others, they won’t bother fighting for the territory. Buy a fake wasp nest and place it outside where it can be clearly visible to traveling yellow jackets.
Get rid of yellow jackets in walls now
The best way to get rid of yellow jackets in walls is by calling a pest control professional. But if you really want to do it yourself, you can do it with a vacuum and some protective gear. However, remember that this puts you at risk of yellow jacket stings, which are painful and life-threatening in some instances.