Aggressive yellowjackets alarm Middletown, NJ homeowners
I went to a home in Middletown, NJ where the homeowner noticed a constant flow of wasps entering under the siding on the exterior of their house. Yellowjackets are a social wasp. They are by far the most troublesome, especially ground and cavity-nesting ones. Yellowjackets are aggressive and will vigorously defend their nests if disturbed. Defensive behavior increases as the season progresses and colony populations become larger while food becomes scarcer.
Now, in fall, the foraging yellowjackets are primarily scavengers, and they start to show up at picnics and barbecues around garbage cans. At certain times and places, the number of scavenger wasps can be quite large. I take no chances when dealing with a sizable nest, like the one I encountered today, I took extra precautions and put on my bee suit.
The most effective way to get rid of this nest is to apply insecticide dust into the cavity and rely on the wasps social activity. The returning nest building workers will return to the nest and come in contact with the dust and die soon after. The homeowners were happy this dangerous situation was handled quickly and properly and no one got hurt.