MOSQUITO BYTES NEWSLETTER
WHAT TO DO ABOUT UNDERGROUND YELLOWJACKETS, NOW
And Seeing Skunks During the Day Doesn't Always Mean They Are Rabid
Yellowjacket
Yellowjacket stings can be painful and life-threatening for those who are hypersensitive to their venom.
Yellowjackets are beneficial insects that eat garden pests and pollinate certain plants through daily foraging. If left undisturbed, yellowjackets are typically not a problem; however, these wasps will defend their nest if they sense a threat to the colony.

Yellowjackets can sting and bite multiple times. and their stings can be painful and may be life-threatening for individuals hypersensitive to wasp venom.

The Contra Costa Mosquito & Vector Control District (District) provides inspection and treatment of ground-nesting yellowjacket nests specifically because of the risk they pose to public health.
The District's yellowjacket service is specifically for ground-nesting yellowjackets because:

  • They establish colonies in abandoned rodent holes, in voids at the base of plant root systems, among railroad ties, and other assorted holes or openings in the ground.
  • Ground-nesting locations put yellowjackets in close proximity to people.
  • When a person is working in the yard, unknowingly near a ground-nesting yellowjacket nest, the colony can be disturbed causing the yellowjackets to defend their nest.
  • Yellowjackets can bite and sting repeatedly.
Early each year, there is an opportunity to trap yellowjacket queens to reduce the number of yellowjacket colonies, but right now, the best thing to do to reduce the risk of ground-nesting yellowjackets is to follow these tips:
  1. Keep garbage cans covered with tight-fighting lids to prohibit yellowjackets access to the garbage.
  2. Pick up fallen fruit that will attract yellowjackets, particularly late in the summer.
  3. Avoid swatting at or killing an annoying yellowjacket. When threatened, yellowjackets release a chemical (pheromone) that attracts other yellowjackets to come to their aid. That is why more arrive on the scene once you swat at one.

And if you encounter a ground-nesting yellowjacket nest on your property, contact the District to request ground-nesting yellowjacket service.

To make sure the District employee has the ability to find the nest for inspection and treatment, we need you to:


By following these tips and requesting the District's ground-nesting yellowjacket service, you can reduce the risk of ground-nesting yellowjackets on your property for yourself and your family.
When young skunks are 2-3 months old, they start learning to hunt for food.
I Saw A Skunk During the Day, Yesterday. Does That Mean It's Rabid?
Seeing a skunk during the day is not always a sign that the skunk has rabies because, during the summer months, young skunks can be seen venturing out in daylight until they become more proficient at hunting between dusk and dawn.

So, if you see skunks out during the day, now that it is summer, they may be young skunks.
However, skunks do pose a risk of rabies, which is why the District provides inspection and assistance for skunks as part of the District's Rabies Risk Reduction Program. Contra Costa County residents who find a skunk living on their property can contact the District to request skunk service.
Contra Costa Mosquito & Vector Control District, an independent special district and public health agency, is located at 155 Mason Circle in Concord. Contact the District to report mosquito and vector problems online or at (925) 685-9301.
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