Fortunately, nothing needs to be done if you and others are able to avoid getting too close to the nest over the next few weeks (or less). Yellowjackets, like our other local social wasps, do not re-use nests from one year to the nest. This time of year, recently-matured queens will leave the nest, mate, and find a sheltered, secluded spot to overwinter in by herself. The old nest queen and all of the workers will die by late autumn or early winter. They do not carry over the way honey bee colonies do; instead, each lone female establishes a new nest from scratch next year, and her daughter workers help build it from that point on, until the same dispersal and decline process happens that autumn, when she dies.

If the Yellowjackets are too defensive of the nest in the meantime and are stinging people, and you can't rope-off the area or avoid getting close to the nest entrance, the colony can be killed with the application of wasp spray. Such sprays are meant to be used from a safer distance and the residues will gradually kill colony members as they come and go from the nest and contact the insecticide. No other removal method is effective or recommended. If used, follow all product label directions for the wasp spray.

There is no need to get rid of the nest once it's dead/abandoned, but if you wanted to, yes, that can be done during winter or any time next year by digging it out; no special equipment is needed. If left alone, it will disintegrate on its own, and/or wild animals (perhaps a raccoon or skunk) will dig it up and eat any dead wasps left behind.

Miri

Okay, great. Thank you so much for the information!

You're welcome!