Yellow jackets (Vespula sp.) are yet another stinging member of the social wasp family (see hornets and paper wasps on our site) that causes headaches for homeowners. New England is home to many species, all of which are about 3 to 5/8 inch long, black and yellow in color. They’re quite different from their very distant relatives, the honey bees. Both build combs for raising their brood, but yellow jackets make them out of paper instead of wax. Yellow jackets do not make honey like bees, preferring instead to hunt or scavenge for their food. Yellow jackets will nest mostly in old rodent burrows and are usually discovered the hard way by children playing too close or by accidentally mowing over their nest. Here they’ll build layers of comb, completely enveloping them with paper and expanding the size as needed throughout the summer. Sometimes, yellow jackets will invade wall voids or nest between attic rafters in your home. We at Colonial Pest Control have the expertise in the removal of yellow jackets from these difficult sites within your home. Yellow jacket extermination is important because they can be extremely dangerous to your family’s health. Contact us at 1-800-525-8084.