Integrated Pest Management
in Schools
Stinging Insects: Yellowjackets and Friends
Ryan Davis, Utah State University
Stinging Insects
millipedes
Plants
Animals
molluscs
Arthropods
centipedes
Arachnids
Kingdom
Phylum
nematodes
Insects
Class
crabs/shrimp
Hymenoptera
(bees/wasps/ants)
ANTS
Order
Vespidae
Family
Ground nesting yellowjacket
Aerial nesting yellowjacket
European paper wasp
(Vespula pensylvanica)
(Dolichovespula maculata)
(Polistes dominulus)
Genus
species
Objectives
1. Introduce common CO stinging insect
pests
2. Understand stinging pest biology
3. Use pest biology to formulate an
IPM strategy for yellowjackets
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Solitary Wasps
Velvet Ants: Mutillidae
Spider Wasps: Pompillidae
Mud Daubers: Sphecidae
Solitary Wasps
Potter/Mason: Vespidae
Grub Hunters: Scoliidae
Digger/Cicada: Crabronidae
Solitary Bees
• Large Carpenter Bees
• Digger Bees
• Mining Bees
• Leafcutting and Mason Bees
• Sweat and Alkali Bees
• Plasterer Bees and Yellow-Faced Bees
Social Bees
• Honey Bees
• Africanized Honey Bees
• Bumble Bees
Social Wasps
Paper Wasps: Vespidae
Yellowjackets: Vespidae
Bald-Faced Hornets: Vespidae
The Reality
• Individuals suffering from an allergic reaction to wasp and bee stings could die
within 15-30 minutes. Children with serious allergies to stings should be known.
• Know what anaphylactic shock looks like:
• Dry hacking cough
• Constriction of the throat or chest
• Wheezing
• Rapid pulse
• Drop in blood pressure
• Paleness or bluish cast to skin
• Skin rash
• Panic
• Loss of bladder or bowel control
• Dizziness
• Confusion and loss of consciousness
Around Children: Threshold = 1
Around Dumpsters: 10/10 min
Yellowjacket and Paper Wasps:
Sociality and Reproduction
1. Separation of castes:
- worker (non-reproductive female)
- male (drone)
- queen (reproductive female)
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2. Multiple generations present in
same colony
3. Adult wasps provision larvae with insect flesh
Yellowjackets and Paper Wasps
Life History….
-
Fall: new queens and males
are produced: mate
-
Old queens, workers, and
“exploited” males all die in fall.
- Fertilized females overwinter
- In spring females emerge and
locate new nesting sites
- Emerge spring: make new nest;
raise 1st generation**
-
Females are highly attracted to
sugary foods fall and protein in
spring/summer
Yellowjackets
- Western yellowjacket: ground nesting, etc.
- Very aggressive if disturbed!
- Feeds primarily on sugar in
fall and on protein in the summer
- Predators/scavengers: dumpsters, garbage,
ripe fruit, sweets, carrion,
Homopterans, etc.
- Can have 500-5,000 workers!**
- Prefers to use abandon rodent dens
to start new colonies. Can nest in
structures.
- Will not reuse nest or nest sight
from previous year.
- Trophallaxis
- Travel ~ 3,000 ft. from nest!
Bald-faced Hornets
- Baldface “Hornets”: aerial nesting YJ
- Can have 100-700 workers!
- Very aggressive if disturbed!
- Prefers to nest on tree limbs, shrubs,
and eaves; will not reuse nest.
- Predators: Feed primarily on sugar in
fall and on protein in the summer
European Paper Wasps
- European paper wasp: aerial nesting
- Feeds primarily on sugar in fall and on
protein in the summer
- Prefers to nest around/on structures.
- Can have 15 - 200 workers!
- Can reuse/expand upon old nests…
Wasps: Creating an IPM plan for control
Step 1: Identify the Organism
…..ground-nesting yellowjackets
Wasps: Creating an IPM plan for control
Step 2: Education & Action
Research the biology of your wasp…use knowledge of their biology against them!
-
New queens and males produced in fall. Mated females overwinter. Seek
sugary substances in fall prior to hibernation.
1. Clean up leaf debris to reduce potential overwintering sites.
2. Seal cracks and crevices on outside of structures to prevent queens from
overwintering in voids inside the school, etc.
3. Utilize sugar and pheromone traps to capture inseminated queens in late
fall.** Won’t necessarily reduce numbers.
4. Control homopterans (soft scales and aphids) in ornamentals.
Wasps: Creating an IPM plan for control
Step 2: Education & Action
-
In early spring females emerge and look for new nesting sites. They feed on
sugar for energy and begin construction of nests on their own. It takes about
30-40 days for them to construct a nest, lay eggs, and have the eggs develop
into worker bees. At this time, nests are small, and usually not apparent.
1. Inspect/detect/monitor. Start in May. Walk school perimeter, play equip.,
athletic fields, etc. and inspect. Keep records of nests, actions, etc.
2. Try to locate and eliminate nests early; this will reduce the potential danger
to children and those attempting to remove a nest.
3. Fill in rodent holes, or other known holes in the soil to reduce potential
nesting sites.
4. Utilize sugar and pheromone traps to capture yellowjackets in early
spring.**
5. Exclude from play equipment and play areas!
Wasps: Creating an IPM plan for control
Step 2: Education & Action
-
Yellowjackets scavenge for protein and sweet foods in summer. Yellowjackets
also have a pheromone available as an attractant in commercial traps. Can be
attracted to water in drought situations.
1. Clean garbage receptacles; move away
from buildings/play equip, etc. Lids
2. Use yellowjacket traps with
heptyl butyrate*
3. Minimize standing water
4. Policy: NO food and drink outside during
YJ season
5. Clean spills
6. Close doors/windows or screen them
Examples of yellowjacket traps
Contain heptyl butyrate, a
yellowjacket attractant (not the
right trap for paper wasps or
bald-faced hornets).
*Start trapping a few weeks prior to school start. Trapping may kill thousands of
yellowjackets but not eliminate the problem.
Examples of wasp traps
3 holes
For yellowjackets:
For paper wasps:
Hang meat (or juice*) below
opening. Put 1 cup of water and
1tbsp. of soap detergent.
Mix 1 part fruit juice with 10 parts
water + 1 tbsp. of liquid detergent.
Using Traps
-
Use near nests or trouble areas
-
Baits: dog food, ham, fish, meat scraps,
canned chicken (summer); sugar syrups,
fermenting fruit, apple juice conc.,
jelly (fall), beer!
-
Eliminate alternate food sources
-
Trap primarily in late summer/fall
start 1-2 weeks prior to school (event) start
-
Place traps along perimeter, min 10 ft from
food service areas, 6 ft. high
-
Service traps 1 or 2x per week
-
Freeze wasps or submerge in soapy water
-
Make sure children cannot access traps
-
Educate children
-
Clean traps before storing
Wasps: Creating an IPM plan for control
Step 3: Last Resort
1. Yellowjackets are dangerous!
2. Set up quarantine area.
3. Remove nest (aerial/paper)
4. Vacuum nest (aerial/ground
/paper/void)
Active Ingredients
Formulation
Pyrethrin
aerosol
Silica aerogel + Pyrethrin
dust
Pyrethrin/Pyrethroids +
Piperonyl Butoxide
aerosol
Other pyrethroids…
5. Use pesticides if threat is imminent.
6. Hire a licensed professional with the proper equipment and protection.
7. Do not treat when school is in session (treat night or early morning*).
8. Never plug holes of active nests! When sealing holes use a mix of steel
wool or copper (or Excluder) mesh with expandable foam or caulking.
Yellowjacket Control: Take-Home Messages
1. Yellowjackets are very dangerous.
2. *Avoid attracting yellowjackets.*
3. Traps/baiting may or may not help.
4. If trapping, start a few weeks prior
to school start and stay with it.
5. Treat high risk yellowjacket nests with
insecticides (PCO).
6. Hire a professional to apply pesticides.
Bee suit… Don’t treat during school.
7. YJs are worst in the fall.
Thank you!
Ryan Davis
Arthropod Diagnostician
Utah State University
ryan.davis@usu.edu
utahpests.usu.edu/schoolIPM/
Wasps: Creating an IPM plan for control
Step 2: Education & Action
-
Yellowjackets scavenge for protein and sweet foods in summer. Yellowjackets
also have a pheromone available as an attractant in commercial traps. Can be
attracted to water in drought situations.
1. Clean garbage receptacles; move away
from buildings/play equip, etc.
2. Use yellowjacket traps with
heptyl butyrate*
3. Minimize standing water.