The members of the Hymenoptera Order of insects (wasps, yellowjackets, and honeybees) can pose a threat to human health, especially to the many people that are severely allergic to their stings and venom. These insects exhibit high levels of social organization and can quickly establish themselves in large numbers in public and private property. Depending on the species, the nests can vary in size from rather small to housing thousands of workers and drones, in a variety of locations. Underground nests are often used by yellowjackets, wasps can construct large paper nests up in trees, and honeybees like wall voids that are similar to the hive boxes we build them.
Our department responds to and treats problematic yellowjacket and wasp nests in public areas like parks. Honeybee swarms are referred to the Santa Cruz Beekeepers Guild where an expert can inspect the swarm and relocate the queen and hive to an suitable site.
If you have a nest on your private property, our department can offer advice on how to safely control it yourself, if appropriate. If not, we can provide a list of professional and licensed Pest Control Operators and Businesses that can assist with the removal or control of a problematic nest.
Santa Cruz County Mosquito and Vector Control strive to protect our local honeybee populations as they are vital to our important agricultural businesses in our county. We make sure that we do not use any pesticides or larvicides around pollinators that could harm or negatively affect them.
For more information on yellowjackets and other social wasps, check out UC IPM here https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7450.html
Santa Cruz Beekeepers Guild - https://www.santacruzbees.com