Facts about Yellowjacket Queen
Queens are the ones that lay eggs and increase population in any stinging insect colonies. The yellowjackets are the stinging insects that can be found more during fall. Their colonies will be more active in search of food, and all the workers will die in the winter season except the queen. So, the queen yellow jacket will get into the ground and will try to survive till spring to create a new colony. A Queen yellowjacket can lay 20 to 40 eggs during April and May which are the first group of female workers. In this article, we will discuss some of the interesting facts about yellowjacket queen.
Nesting of Yellowjacket Queen
Queen is the one who is responsible to build a colony, so she will build a nest in-ground or above the ground to stay safe. The nest will be built using the fine plant fibre with her saliva to stick in. After completing the nest, the queen will start laying eggs and prevent them for 30 days for hatching. The combination of fibre and saliva looks like paper material.
Appearance and Size of Yellowjacket Queens
The queen will look like the workers, but it can be differentiated easily by her size. The workers can grow from 1.5 to 1.7 cm long and a queen will be 2 to 2.5 cm long.
Are Yellowjacket Queens Dangerous?
The queen is not so aggressive like workers during the normal time, but they are harmful to humans as well. A queen becomes more aggressive if she is threatened or if their colony is disturbed. A queen sting is more painful than workers because of her size. Like bees, the yellowjacket queen will not die after stinging, so it can attack you and sting a number of times.
What happens if you kill a Yellowjacket Queen?
The effect of queen yellowjacket death is dependent on the time when she dies. If you kill the queen during winter, then a new colony will not be created, and the place will be free from wasps. If it is killed during spring, the worker wasps will not be matured to come out of the nests, so there will be no effect.
If you kill a queen after the emergence of workers, then a single yellowjacket worker will be hyper-aggressive, and it will sting you multiple times.
How to get rid of Yellowjacket Queen and its colonies?
The yellowjackets are more aggressive than any other stinging insects. They can sting multiple times if they are threatened, it is important to avoid their presence to prevent your family members and children from danger.
Their sting causes severe pain, and it should be treated with proper medical care. If not, the sting will cause swelling, itchiness, and more allergic issues. There are a number of DIY methods to get rid of wasps and yellowjackets, but it is important to hire professionals for the best and most effective pest control treatment.