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Are yellowjackets a problem in your backyard?
Yellowjackets, sometimes called wasps or "meat bees",
are scavengers that like to feed on protein rich foods
such as meats, sugary drinks, ripe or rotten fruit
or garbage.
Reduce yellowjacket activity by eliminating attractive food sources.
when eating outdoors keep food covered, sealed,
or in the house until you are ready to eat it
and bring it back indoors as soon as the meal is finished.
Cover soda cans and other sweet drinks.
Wasps may crawl inside and can sting you when you take a drink.
Be sure to keep lids on nearby garbage cans.
Clean up rotting fruit
and remove any other attractive food sources.
Once wasps discover food
they will continue to hunt around that location
long after the source has been removed.
You can also reduce yellowjackets around your yard
by using lure traps.
These traps are baited with a chemical
that is attractive to the common western yellowjacket species.
Place several were traps around the perimeter of your property.
These straps will intercept foraging yellowjackets
before they can get to your eating areas.
They will attract yellowjackets so be sure to place them
as far away as possible from patios
or other areas where people congregate.
The chemical lures are effective only for the
western yellowjacket species.
Addition of canned chicken meat may attract other species.
It is essential that you remove other food attractants
so you don't lure Yellow Jackets beyond the traps
and further into your yard.
For more information about controlling yellowjackets
visit the UC IPM website.