Yellowjackets are the most aggressive stinging insect most homeowners will deal with. Unlike a docile paper wasp, a yellowjacket colony will boil out and sting in numbers if you disturb the nest, and a single yellowjacket can sting again and again. That is why getting rid of them is as much about doing it safely as doing it at all.
The short answer: find the nest, treat it after dark when the colony is inside and calm, and match the method to the nest. For a hidden ground or wall-void nest, puff insecticidal dust into the entrance and do not seal the hole. For an exposed aerial nest, hit it with a wasp jet spray from a distance. If the nest is large, inside a wall, or anyone nearby is allergic, call a professional. For the wider stinging-insect picture, see our guide to how to get rid of wasps.
Know What You Are Dealing With
Yellowjackets are small, stocky black-and-yellow wasps that tuck their legs in when they fly, unlike the long dangling legs of a paper wasp. The nest is a gray paper envelope you usually cannot see, hidden underground in old rodent burrows, inside wall voids, or under decks and sheds. They are scavengers, which is why they swarm trash cans and picnics, and that drive for human food peaks in late summer and early fall as their natural food runs short. If you are unsure whether you have yellowjackets or hornets, our guide on telling a hornet nest from a wasp nest helps.
How to Get Rid of Yellowjackets, Step by Step
1. Find the nest
Watch where the yellowjackets come and go, especially in the morning and at dusk. A steady stream in and out of a hole in the ground, a gap in the siding, or a wall void leads you to the nest. You have to find it to treat it.
2. Treat at dusk or after dark
This is the safety rule that matters most. The whole colony is home at night, the wasps are sluggish in the cool air, and they see poorly in low light, so you are far less likely to be stung than during the active day. Wear long sleeves, pants, and closed shoes, and plan a clear path to back away.
3. For a ground or wall-void nest, dust the entrance
Insecticidal dust is the right tool for a hidden nest, because a liquid jet spray cannot reach deep inside. After dark, puff the dust directly into the entrance hole. Yellowjackets walking in and out carry it back and spread it through the colony. Crucially, do not plug the hole. If you seal a wall void with the colony still alive, trapped yellowjackets often chew a new opening straight into your living space. Leave the entrance open until all activity stops, usually a couple of days, then seal it.
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4. For an exposed aerial nest, spray from a distance
If the nest hangs in the open, use an aerosol wasp and hornet spray that shoots a jet fifteen to twenty feet, aim for the opening, soak it, and leave. Check the next evening and re-treat if there is still activity before removing the nest.
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5. Confirm the colony is dead, then close up
Give it a day or two and watch from a safe distance. Once there is no traffic, you can fill a ground hole or seal the void. Yellowjackets do not reuse last year’s nest, though they may favor the same spot, so sealing the location helps prevent a repeat.
Yellowjacket Stings and When It Is an Emergency
Yellowjackets can sting repeatedly and usually leave no stinger behind, so there is nothing to scrape out. For a normal sting, wash with soap and water, apply a cold compress, and take an antihistamine or pain reliever as needed.
Call 911 right away if a sting brings on signs of a severe allergic reaction: hives or swelling spreading beyond the sting, swelling of the lips, tongue, or throat, trouble breathing, a fast or weak pulse, dizziness, or fainting. Use an epinephrine auto-injector immediately if one is available. Being stung many times at once can also be dangerous even without an allergy, so seek care after a multiple-sting attack. Our guide on what to do with a wasp sting covers aftercare in detail.
Keeping Yellowjackets Away
Because yellowjackets scavenge, prevention is mostly about denying them food. Keep trash cans tightly lidded and clean, cover sweet drinks and food at outdoor meals, rinse recycling, and pick up fallen fruit. In spring, seal gaps in siding, soffits, and around utility lines before queens start nests. Baited traps can help reduce foragers, but place them well away from patios and doors so you are not drawing wasps toward where people gather.
When to Call a Professional
Yellowjackets are the nest most worth handing to a pro. Call one if the nest is large, if it is inside a wall or structure where you cannot reach it safely, if it is high or hard to access, or if anyone in the home has a sting allergy. The cost of professional removal is small next to a swarm of stings.
Related Wasp and Hornet Guides
- How to get rid of wasps (the full guide)
- How to get rid of a hornet nest
- Hornet nest vs. wasp nest
- Bald-faced hornets
- What to do with a wasp sting
Frequently Asked Questions
What kills yellowjackets fast?
For a hidden ground or wall nest, insecticidal dust puffed into the entrance after dark is fastest and most effective. For an exposed nest, a jet wasp and hornet spray knocks it down. Treat at night for safety, never in the active daytime.
What time of day should you treat a yellowjacket nest?
After dusk or at night. The colony is home, the wasps are sluggish in the cool air, and they cannot see well, so the risk of being stung is far lower than during the day.
Why should you never seal a yellowjacket nest in a wall?
Because if the colony is still alive, trapped yellowjackets will often chew a new exit inward, into your living space. Treat the entrance with dust first, wait until all activity stops, and only then seal the hole.
Why are yellowjackets so aggressive in late summer?
By late summer and fall their natural food runs short and the colony is at its largest, so they aggressively scavenge human food and sugary drinks. That is when picnics and trash cans get swarmed.
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