Published online by Cambridge University Press: 31 May 2012
Yellowjackets (Vespidae: Vespula and Dolichovespula spp.) are painfully familar to most people. Many of these wasps are scavengers and are readily attracted to foodstuffs or food wastes. They also frequently nest in and around human habitations. These insects are generally considered of significant medical importance because of the allergic reaction in some people following a sting. Yellowjacket abatement programs have been conducted in many parts of the United States, usually associated with high wasp densities in orchards or recreation areas (McDonald et al. 1976).