Yellow Jacket Traps
Yellow jacket traps are nontoxic and pesticide-free. These traps lure yellow jackets through the use of odor attractant and then trap them in jars, sticky surfaces or drown them. Some traps are available with a commercial attractant of heptyl butyrate, but it only attracts the western yellow jacket. Other lures may be used, such as a piece of meat, like fish, or sugary substance, like soda or juice. Some of these traps feature entrances that do not allow yellow jackets to exit.
Yellow jacket traps should be placed as far from human-occupied areas as possible, along areas where yellow jackets typically nest, such as forested areas or overgrown hedges. After captured wasps die, they can be removed from the trap. The trap may be placed in the freezer for a few hours prior to cleaning in order to kill surviving yellow jackets. Lures will need to be refreshed to keep the trap working.
Yellow jacket traps will prevent wasps from gathering in certain areas, but are not effective in treating entire colonies. Contact your local pest control professional to discuss extermination methods.
