Yellow Jackets in the house!

codybrown · Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2008 12:24 pm Post subject: Re: Yellow Jackets in the house!

Hey Bushy, is that a Colt Python in the background?

Bushmaster · Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2008 1:41 pm Post subject: Re: Yellow Jackets in the house!

Aah...No...S&W Mod 19 .357 Combat Magnum with 2 1/2" barrel. My winter carry gun...

hunterjoe21 · Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2008 6:56 pm Post subject: Re: Yellow Jackets in the house!

If they're yellow jackets they should die off in the winter, especially in a Michigan winter. Normally a batch of "new" queens will disperse in the fall, find a new likely nest site, and spend the winter there. The dead ones you are finding inside the house are the last living members of the 2007 hive. They likely made their way in looking to stay warm in order to survive.

If you still have an "active" hive in the wall (you will hear a low humm coming from the wall in the vicinity of the hive) it isn't a yellow jacket infestation, but some other member of the wasp family. Some of them can be difficult to exterminate, even requiring opening walls (with proper protective clothing) to locate and destroy the queen.

See if you can return to the house and take a few specimens with you. A quick Google search should help to identify which critter you're dealing with. Or consult with a local "bug" guy.

Hope this helps!

glockman55 · Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2008 8:13 pm Post subject: Re: Yellow Jackets in the house!

Thanks Joe, I'm pretty sure they are Yellow Jackets, I've dealt with them at my house every year in one way or another, but I will get some of the dead ones out to be sure. So your saying that yellow jackets wouldn't survive in that house through the winter? The heat and power is off. How do they survive in this cold climate? Thanks for the info,

hunterjoe21 · Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2008 8:53 pm Post subject: Re: Yellow Jackets in the house!

There are some subtle differences in appearance between members of the wasp family. Let me back up slightly, and explain that I am not an exterminator, nor am I a "bug" guy. I am a Multi-Site Property Manager, and as such, I was forced to research "yellow jackets' when a lawsuit was filed against my employer (believe it or not, someone tried to sue us because they found a DEAD bug and didn't feel as though they could perform their job safely)

But to answer your question to the best of my knowledge...

IF they are yellow jackets, they should NOT survive your winter (unless it's a juvenile queen).

My old computer has long since been replaced, but I have sent an e-mail request for info to the legal folks I dealt with in 2002 to see if they can forward any of my old data. I'll forward anything they still have.