The onset of spring’s warmer temperatures can bring an unwelcome invader: the queen yellowjacket, searching for a spot to settle and start her colony for the summer.
Yellowjacket queens spend the winter in sheltered locations. During the first warm days of spring,the queen emerges to look for a new site for her nest. The most frequent nest sites are underground, but some yellowjackets will nest in wall voids of a house.
Yellowjacket colonies started by just one queen can grow to include anywhere from 400 to 5,000 workers later in the season, depending upon the species.
Yellowjackets are not just annoying; they're also dangerous. Yellowjackets will bite and sting unprovoked. Since they don’t lose their stinger, they can sting numerous times.To someone who is allergic, asingleyellowjacketsting can be deadly.
