Question: We are buying a house in Edmonds, WA.  During the inspection they found a dormant wasp/hornet nest.  It was very large 2-3 feet in diameter. They sellers had it removed, is there anything I should do to insure the wasp/hornets don”t come back?  Or do they only nest for a year?

ANSWER  The nests are used only once. You can remove the old nest and dispose of it.

The best control for wasps that are in the yard and around the house this time of year is to use a few of the plastic wasp traps that can be purchased at large home or hardware stores or garden centers. Tthey have an attractant in them and the wasps become trapped inside the plastic container.

There are several different types of yellowjacket traps.  Some are prebaited, usually with a sweet liquid bait.  Some traps drown the yellowjackets; others hold them until they die or you dispose of them.  Some traps are disposable, yellowjackets and all.  Others are reusable.

You can”t eliminate yellowjackets by trapping but you can manipulate them to be elsewhere.  Place traps to draw yellowjackets away from the sites you want to “protect”.  Traps placed around the perimeter of picnic areas will draw yellowjackets away from the food and way from children.  In general, traps hung low in trees or bushes will be more attractive to yellowjackets than traps in the open.  Children should be supervised so they avoid the traps.

In the fall bait the traps with a sweet liquid.  Empty traps and change baits frequently, according to your catch and manufacturer directions.