[TamaraGT]

I have so many yellow jackets on my patio and the traps aren't working.
I've had problems the last two summers with yellow jackets getting in the house.
I'm thinking that they are getting in through the fireplace since it's a few feet from the patio sliding glass door, which is usually where I find them. They die after a while because it's so hot next to the glass, but the cats could get stung trying to catch them.

It usually happens late in the summer, but this year the cat brought my attention to one just last week. Last year I sealed two vents outside adjacent to the fireplace, but I can't seal them completely, since I don't know what they go to. I also put Bounce in there because someone said they don't like the smell. I don't think it works.

I sealed around the sliding glass door, but I also noticed that the siding doesn't but up against that frame and they may be entering into the walls. Is this possible from the outside?

Could they be flying down the flue in the fireplace, even though it's closed?
This year I sealed the fireplace with that window plastic wrap but I'm also looking at the fireplace as a means to vent an evaporative cooler or air conditioner due to lack of windows. See my posting under heating and cooling for that one.

[Kstar4u]

Tellow Jackets are pretty resourceful critters. They are mean too. Usually their nests are found underground but they are often found nesting inside spaces they can access through holes in walls or roof eaves. It's not very common to find them entering a home via the chimney (unless they take a wrong turn) but they may have a nest on or in the chimney at the roof level.

The standard philosophy for controlling all pests is: "deny them forage (food) and harborage (a place to live) and they'll go elsewhere".

If you can locate an area around your house during the day that seems to have more activity than others... that'll probably be their source of food. They are "meat -eaters". If you take a little time to stand outside near the area that you think they may be headed when they seem to enter the house... you may find their "secret" entrance. You can spray them 'till the cow's come home but if you don't address their two basic needs... it'll be a waste of time.

Please post some more details and we'll try to help you.

[TamaraGT]

Thank you, I'll try to give as much info as I can.

My patio and back of the house faces south so I am getting a lot of direct sun. I just put up a canopy to help curb the sun. I generally only see them in the middle of the day and I have watched them. A month ago I found 3 nests along the privacy fence, in the BBQ, and one that looked like it was down in some rocks on the ground. At night, I took the ones on the fence and BBQ down (plastic bag to freezer) and I've left the BBQ lid open. I sprayed down into the rocks where I think the ground one was and filled that area with large pebbles. I haven't see any returns.

I have three yellow jacket traps. I caught two really big yellow jackets, but that's it. I caught more last year. Now it seems they fly into my patio area and then fly away. I've got some weird black wasps with blue shiney bodies flying in, too.

There were two vents facing the patio that I sealed around, but like I said I can't seal the actual vent off not knowing what it does. I also sealed the fireplace inside the house with that window plastic. I had the fireplace checked. The chimney sweep didn't say anything about seeing any nests and he said it was very clean. He did leave the flue open, but I don't think it was open the past two summers because I would have noticed. So that might be how this rogue one got in last week, but I don't want to get any more later in the summer.

Last year, I came home one day and their were 9 yellow jackets flying around inside the sliding glass door. Most days it would be 2 or 3. So that was a dangerous situation, especially if my cats got stung several times and even once.

I appreciate your help very much!

Tellow Jackets are pretty resourceful critters. They are mean too. Usually their nests are found underground but they are often found nesting inside spaces they can access through holes in walls or roof eaves. It's not very common to find them entering a home via the chimney (unless they take a wrong turn) but they may have a nest on or in the chimney at the roof level.

The standard philosophy for controlling all pests is: "deny them forage (food) and harborage (a place to live) and they'll go elsewhere".

If you can locate an area around your house during the day that seems to have more activity than others... that'll probably be their source of food. They are "meat -eaters". If you take a little time to stand outside near the area that you think they may be headed when they seem to enter the house... you may find their "secret" entrance. You can spray them 'till the cow's come home but if you don't address their two basic needs.... it'll be a waste of time.

Please post some more details and we'll try to help you.

[Kstar4u]

I hope you don't have too much trouble this year with "your" Yellow-Jackets. If you can be careful about providing any standing water, cooking grease, or even dead rodents as a food source for them, they should go elsewhere. The "weird" blue shiny wasps could be Bottle Flies that are only found in an area where dead, decaying animals are present.

If all else fails... call a local Pest Control Expert.

Good Luck