They ve likely formed a nest somewhere inside or outside your chimney stack and will rear new queens if mating is successful.
Yellow jackets nest in chimney.
The queens leave the nest and hibernate inside the soil for the winter and emerge the following spring.
Spraying a yellow jackets nest with over the counter insecticide can be very dangerous.
Their nests are similar to other nest you may have seen but they prefer to build them in walls or the ground.
You may also be able to hear the yellow jackets moving inside the walls.
If you have wasps in your chimney the first thing you need to do is work out where the nest is.
Stinging insects like yellow jackets often live in tight quarters.
Yellow jacket nest removal dolichovespula arenaria nest removal.
Look for yellow jackets flying in a straight line because they usually fly directly from their nests to a food source and back again.
Get a chimney balloon for that fireplace.
You need a good tight.
Nests are often located in woodpiles or old animal burrows so check those areas in particular.
The yellow jackets can actually use the drywall for nest material leaving only a layer of paint between their nest and your living space.
My first removal of the season.
My cat pulled a live yellow jacket out of our chimney this week.
To find a yellow jacket nest search between 10 am and 4 pm because that is when they are most active and easiest to spot.
Not only can it anger the nest and provoke an attack but nearly all of these sprays are contact insecticides meaning the insect must come into direct contact with the product in order for it to be effective.
Update 4 1 i had thought a fire would cause the yellow jackets to become more active and possibly get into the house before the smoke could kill or stun them.
Grab a flashlight and take a look up the chimney if the nest is low down and within reach you can try to remove it yourself.
How to remove a wasp nest at home.
Find the area where the noise is the loudest either by placing your ear against the wall or using a listening device.
They bump up against one another and travel throughout their nest spreading the dust to other workers larvae and the queen.