What To Do About Yellow Jackets Around Your McAllen Property

Aggressive and territorial, yellow jackets are some of the worst stinging insects you can have around your home and property. Here's what McAllen homeowners should know about identifying a yellow jacket wasp, how to get rid of yellow jackets, what attracts yellow jackets, and how to keep them away from your home for good with pest control in McAllen.

Is This A Yellow Jacket?

Many types of wasps and bees can look similar at first glance, so how do you know if you've got yellow jackets or some other type of stinging insect? Some of the most distinctive traits of yellow jackets are their thin waists, hairless and patterned bodies with black and yellow coloring. 

When it comes to spotting a yellow jacket nest, their nests don't look any different from any other wasp, but the location may differ. Rather than build their nests high into their air, yellow jackets prefer to build their nests in open cavities in the ground, inside trees, or sometimes under structures. 

Do yellow jackets bite? No, yellow jackets do not bite, but they can sting like any other wasp. 

Are yellow jackets aggressive? Unfortunately, yellow jackets can be quite aggressive, which is another con to having them on your McAllen property. If you accidentally stumble upon a yellow jacket nest, these wasps may not take too kindly to your intrusion, and they often attack in swarms. 

Not only do yellow jackets like to sting in swarms, but they can also sting you as many times as they want. Unlike some bees, a yellow jacket's stinger doesn't detach after they sting you for the first time. 

Because they can swarm you with repeated stings, encountering yellow jackets or having them on your property can be extremely dangerous for anyone. Whether you have a wasp allergy or not, getting attacked by yellow jackets could warrant medical attention. 

The Best Way To Get Rid Of Yellow Jackets

The best way to get rid of yellow jackets is by working with a professional pest control company like BUGWORKS Termite & Pest Control. Given how dangerous yellow jackets can be to encounter on your own, you should never try to deal with or get rid of a yellow jacket nest by yourself. 

If you suspect you may have yellow jackets or a yellow jacket nest on your McAllen property, the best and safest way to deal with these pests is by calling a professional. Contact us today at BUGWORKS Termite & Pest Control to schedule an appointment or request a quote. 

What Kind Of Things Attract Yellow Jackets?

While you may see the occasional yellow jacket fly onto your property, some things can attract them to stick around or even build a nest near your McAllen home, such as: 

• Any food source, including sweets and protein-rich foods 
• An abundance of other insects like caterpillars, flies, or spiders, which yellow jackets hunt
• Overflowing trash and garbage cans with rotting food 
• Bright, flowering plants in your garden 
• Sweet foods as well as sweet scents, like flowering plants or sweet perfumes and colognes

Ultimately, yellow jackets may try to build a nest on any property that has two things: an abundant food source and a good location for their nest. 

How To Keep Yellow Jackets Away From Your Home For Good

What keeps yellow jackets away? We've already covered what attracts yellow jackets close to your home, but what keeps them away? If you're asking how can I get rid of yellow jackets in my house? Here's the most effective preventative steps you can take:

• If you have outdoor garbage cans or compost piles, keep a tight lid on them to prevent insects and yellow jackets from hovering around. 
• Be careful about planting too many flowering plants, especially those with sweet scents, too close to your home.
• Try planting plants that repel yellow jackets, like cloves, geraniums, lemongrass, and rosemary.
• Avoid using an abundance of sweet-smelling perfumes and colognes, which may lure in yellow jackets.
• If you have a picnic or cookout, make sure you clean up any food scraps that may be left behind.
• Fill in any open cavities in the ground that yellow jackets may build a nest in.
• Try using decoy wasp nests around your property, which may deter yellow jackets from building their own nests nearby. 

If you do notice a yellow jacket nest near your home, you should always reach out to a pest control service like BUGWORKS Termite & Pest Control for help.