UMass Extension Landscape Message September 20, 2013

"Yellowjackets and other wasps remain active and will remain so until a killing frost destroys this year's population. They over-winter in a dormant state as fertilized female wasps (next year's queens) that seek shelter in protected places. The vast majority of the wasps in the hive now are sterile females and will die once the first freeze occurs this autumn. However, while they remain active, they seek a food source, which is often sugars, carbohydrates, or proteins. Given that very few flowers are available right now to provide sugars and carbohydrates, these stinging pests are commonly found at sites where humans have discarded food or where food is being consumed outdoors, such as: outdoor trash cans, dumpsters, picnics, tailgating parties, etc. Be aware of these situations and manage outdoor trash and food carefully in order to reduce the incidence of interaction with these frequently aggressive insects".

Report by Robert Childs, Extension Entomologist, Stockbridge School of Agriculture, UMass, Amherst"

Claire