Yellow Jackets on the Farm or Garden

Cathy Isom has some tips about how to keep the peace in the garden and on the farm with an important insect that often gets a bad wrap. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours.

Yellow jackets, or wasps, are not exactly the friendliest of critters and could sting if you’re not careful. Unfortunately, they like to set up their homes close to our living spaces.  But they’re not all bad.

Yellow jackets are predatory insects and help manage our garden pests. They set up their nests in the summer months but will be long gone by the winter.

Some ways to keep the peace with these guys:

1. Aim to avoid creating a space that encourages yellow jackets to move in. They tend to nest in the ground, in lawns, hollow logs, attics, or man-made walls.
2. They do enjoy our leftovers, particularly meat and sugary foods, so always keep the trash can covered.
3. Try creating or buying a false wasp nest. They’re territorial and will avoid spots where other colonies are already established.

Having to remove the nest is definitely the worst case scenario and should be avoided.  But, if possible, do it early in the season before the colony gets too large.  If it is late in the season near autumn, it is probably worth just waiting it out. The cold will naturally get rid of them.

I’m Cathy Isom…