Yellow jacket nest in the house siding can be quite a troublesome issue. These bees can spread infestation in your residential area very soon, creating a rather unhealthy environment.
So if you put up with a bad case of yellow jacket nest in house siding and want to figure out how you can get rid of it, then you have landed on the perfect article. Today, we are going to look into just that.
Read ahead to rid all about removing a yellow jacket nest from your house siding.
Do yellow jackets nest in house siding?
Yes, yellow jackets nest in the house siding. They are most likely to nest in the fall as they spend most of their time outdoors during that season. These nests are not easy to control and they spread their territory very fast. So you will need to treat the nests as soon as you see one.
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Yellow jackets enjoy spending time outdoors during the fall. They hunt for sweet food and drinking sources during that time. This leads them to form nests around house siding during that season.
The nests of yellow jackets cannot be controlled easily. You will need to take drastic actions as soon as you spot a yellow jacket nest. They can establish large groups of nests quite fast around the side of your housing. And before you know it, the situation will be out of control.
The nesting of yellow jackets involves about a hundred worker bees. And each of those bees bears the ability to sting humans multiple times. The worker bees are very protective of their nests and they do not usually hesitate to sting if they can sense a threat.
So if you do not have any prior experience in this job, it would be best if you can take professional help with the removal of yellow jackets.
Where do yellow jackets nest?
Yellow jackets usually nest along the side of your house. The intensity of their nesting would largely depend on the type of siding that your house has. They like to nest along with the siding of a house because it keeps them protected.
The siding of your house will offer the yellow jackets warm protection to live under during the colder seasons. This helps them survive.
But the nests can be very problematic if you do not take care of them during the early stages. Here’s where yellow jackets typically nest.
Aluminum siding:
Aluminum siding is among yellow jackets’ favorite nesting spots. They can nest along the side of your house as it gives them enough space to hide behind. And the possibility is much higher if you have aluminum siding.
Wood siding:
Wood siding also provides an ideal environment for yellow jacket nests. They are quite prompt in building a nest if your house has wooden siding as it will give them a great place to hide under.
Vinyl siding:
Vinyl siding is another likely location for yellow jackets to build their nests. It attracts the worker bees really fast and they find vinyl sidings to be quite appropriate for their nesting.
What does a yellow jacket nest in the siding look like?
A yellow jacket, despite its cool name, can be a very problematic kind of bee. You will need to treat their nest as soon as you can spot one. Otherwise, they will spread the infestation very fast. And before you know it, you will find several nests around your house.
Since these bees nest along the side of the housing, they are not easy to spot. So you cannot see these nests normally unless you can spot bees swarming around your house.
Yellow jackets are yellow bees with black spots. A yellow jacket nest is likely to have a shallow space in its middle, designed to accommodate hundreds of bees. The nest should be about the size of a basketball.
They usually build nests besides pipes or utility lines along with the house siding.
How to find a yellow jacket nest in the house siding?
It can be very tricky to find yellow jacket nests. These bees build their nests in very hidden spots. You will typically find their nests away from human reach, along the side of your house, underground, or inside the bark of a tree.
So you might have a difficult time finding a yellow jacket nest in the house siding. But do not worry, we have listed below a few ways following which you can find a yellow jacket nest in the house siding.
Observe yellow jackets’ movement:
You will find that many bees are moving around your house. As soon as you notice that yellow bees with black spots are swarming around your house, you will have to become very alert. Observe their movement and see where they are coming from and going to.
Look behind the siding of your house:
Yellow jackets find house sidings to be very comfortable spots to build their nests. These sidings offer them a great hiding spot, away from any disturbance as well as keep them warm at night.
So you should look behind the siding of your house, whether it is made of wood, vinyl, or aluminum.
Look for a nest about the size of a basketball:
The nests of yellow jackets are almost as big as a basketball. These nests can accommodate about a hundred bees of a colony. So look for a nest that is about the size of a basketball with a shallow interior.
How to get rid of a yellow jacket nest in house siding?
Getting rid of yellow jacket nests as quickly as possible should be your priority as soon as you spot a nest in your house siding. Because these bees can get out of control very quickly, soon proving to be harmful to you.
Be careful, because the worker bees working in the nests are very protective. And they can sting you multiple times, making sure that you stay out of their way. Following are some simple steps that you can follow to get rid of yellow jacket nests in house siding.
Locate the entrance:
The first step to getting rid of the yellow jacket nest from your house siding requires you to locate the entrance of the nest. You will notice that bees are swarming around your house. You will have to observe their movement and locate the entrance.
Use insect dust:
You can use insect dust to get rid of yellow jacket nests in house siding. If you can locate the entrance of the nest, the process will be much easier. So try to observe the movement of yellow jacket nests and identify their entrance.
Once you have located their entrance, you should apply commercial-grade insect dust on the nests. You should spread the dust along the entrance of the yellow jacket nest. You can use a duster or an applicant for this step.
Use bee repeller:
In this step, you can use a bee repeller to further hinder the infestation. Spray bee repellers on the entrance of the nest.
Not only that, but you should also coat the sides of the yellow jacket nest’s entrance, to keep the bees away from the nest. Then you can plug the nest with some old piece of cloth to make sure that the bee repeller is not being washed away.
Do yellow jackets come back to the same nest every year?
Yellow jackets, like most other bees and wasps, do not use the same nest for consecutive years. But they will definitely come back to the same spot to build a new nest next year.
That is, if they find a suitable location where they can live without any disturbance, then they are sure to return every year.
However, rest assured that they will not use the same nest every year. The worker bees are very proactive and they build a new nest every season to accommodate the entire colony of bees.
In addition, note that the new queens in a yellow jacket colony will not overwinter in the nest. So while they reside on the nests during fall and search for food sources, they will abandon the nest as winter arrives. Bees usually overwinter underground or inside the bark of a tree.
Final Thoughts
Yellow jacket nests are found along the house sidings. They choose such spots cause it provides them with a sense of security and warmth. You’ll need to eliminate the nest as soon as possible, otherwise, they may get out of control. You can use commercial insect dust or bee repellers to repel them.