OSU Extension Service experts answer your Oregon gardening questions, this time about an unwelcome nest.
Q: Railroad ties have been incorporated into one of my garden beds, and it appears that yellowjackets have made a nest inside the wood. I’ve seen them flying in and out of a hole that seems to be getting larger every few days. How can I get rid of the nest without harming my tomatoes?
A: Yellowjackets commonly build nests in the ground or other protected cavities. The hole you’re seeing is consistent with normal yellowjacket nesting behavior, and the colony may have more than one entrance.
If the nest is near areas where people or pets spend time, the safest approach is to hire a licensed pest management professional.
Yellowjackets become increasingly aggressive as the colony grows through the summer, reaching peak size in late summer and early fall. Unlike honey bees, yellowjackets can sting multiple times when defending their nest.
If you accidentally disturb a nest of yellowjackets, leave the area immediately.The Oregonian filesAvoid disturbing the nest
Do not:
Approach or disturb the nest.Swat at yellowjackets.Attempt to treat the nest yourself if it is in a difficult-to-reach or high-traffic area.
If you accidentally disturb a nest, leave the area immediately.
Reduce yellowjacket activity
To make your yard less attractive to yellowjackets:
Keep garbage containers tightly covered.Clean up spilled food and drinks.Remove fallen fruit from the ground.Avoid wearing sweet-smelling perfumes or brightly colored clothing when working near active nests.If treatment is needed
Professional control is generally safest because technicians have the equipment and products needed to treat nests while minimizing the risk of stings. Treatments are often most effective at night, when most of the colony is inside the nest.
In many parts of Oregon, the colony naturally dies after the first hard freeze, although newly mated queens survive elsewhere through the winter to start new nests the following spring.
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