Wasp and yellowjacket nest removal for Long Beach eaves, walls and ground burrows

A yellowjacket colony starts each spring with a single queen building a nest the size of a golf ball. Through the summer the workers expand it, and by August and September a ground or wall nest can hold thousands of wasps. That is when people step on hidden nests while mowing, gardening or walking along a slope, and get stung many times.

Late in the season the colony also changes its diet. Workers that spent summer hunting insects begin scavenging sugars and meat, which is why they swarm picnics, fruit and trash. The colony dies off in late fall or early winter in most of California, but mild Long Beach winters can let some nests last longer. Treating a nest in early summer, when it is smaller, is easier and safer than waiting for it to reach peak size.

Store-bought wasp sprays work on small paper wasp nests within reach, but they are risky against yellowjackets. A ground nest may have more than one entrance, and much of the colony stays underground out of reach of a spray. Wasps that survive come out angry. Pouring gasoline or boiling water into the hole is dangerous and rarely kills the whole nest.

Sealing a wall entrance with caulk is another common mistake. The yellowjackets inside look for another exit and often chew through soft drywall into a bedroom or closet.

• Do not plug a wall or ground nest entrance before the colony is dead
• Do not swing at wasps or crush them near the nest, since alarm scents draw others
• Keep away from ground nests with mowers, trimmers and leaf blowers
• Do not shine a flashlight directly into a nest at night, since wasps fly toward the light
• Anyone allergic to stings should stay indoors during any nest work

Paper wasp queens choose protected overhangs in early spring. Checking eaves, porch ceilings, patio covers, play structures and the underside of deck railings every couple of weeks from March through May lets you knock down a starter nest when it has only a few cells and a single queen. Fill gaps in stucco and siding where yellowjackets could reach a wall void, and fill old rodent burrows in the lawn.

Reducing food sources helps in late summer. Keep trash and recycling bins closed and rinsed, pick up fallen fruit, cover food and drinks outdoors, and feed pets indoors. Commercial yellowjacket traps can reduce foragers around a patio but will not remove a nearby nest.

Paper wasps are common under the wide eaves of the ranch homes in Los Altos, Park Estates and the Plaza, where long overhangs and exposed beams give queens shelter. Patio covers, pergolas and play structures in El Dorado Park Estates and Lakewood Village yards are favorite spots too. In older neighborhoods such as Bixby Knolls, California Heights and Wrigley, stucco cracks, weep screed gaps and old attic vents let yellowjackets nest inside walls.

Ground nests show up in lawns and slopes near parks and open space, including the edges of El Dorado Park, Recreation Park and Heartwell Park, as well as in landscaped slopes along Signal Hill. Late summer in Long Beach, from August through October, is when yellowjacket colonies peak, and the warm dry weather that drives drywood termite swarms is also when we get the most wasp calls. Outdoor dining along Second Street and Pine Avenue sees heavy yellowjacket pressure at the same time.