Why Michigan Yellowjackets are so Freaking Annoying in The Fall

Every fall season we're always dealing with yellowjackets around my place, not only around my house but inside as well. I always wondered why they were so active in Michigan this time of year.

Earlier today, I stumbled upon an article put out by WDIV that talked about this very same topic.

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Apparently, yellow jackets enjoy eating other insects but they're not as easy to find this time of year so they have to search out other things to eat to avoid starving to death. So this explains why they're always flying around my recycle bin and garbage in the fall. I never see them in my garage in the summer but come fall, they're everywhere. I guess they're just trying to score a free meal.

All summer long the yellow jackets build up their nest and the colony grows and grows as the queen lays more and more eggs but come fall when those nests start shutting down and those worker bees are out of work, they start messing with humans.

Yellowjackets really get a sweet tooth in the fall and are attracted to anything sugary. That's why you see them a lot at apple orchard/cider farms and places like that.

What can you do?

Don't try and fight them off as I do, they'll only get more angry and will sting you. There are a couple of things you can do like placing a bowl of sugar water or fruit juice somewhere to draw the yellowjackets away or use dryer sheets. You can place dry sheets anywhere you don't want yellowjackets, they will stay away from that area, they hate dryer sheets.