Yellow jacket nests are made of cellulose or paper that is chewed up by the insects themselves and then formed into cells. These cells house the yellow jacket larvae. As the larvae hatch and grow, they build on to the nest. Eventually, the nest will house thousands of cells covered by many layers of paper.
Yellow jacket nests can be found in the ground or in building crevices. They typically contain 300 to 120,000 cells with an average between 2,000 and 6,000. Workers in these nests number around 1,000 to 4,000.
Massive yellow jacket nests have also been found. In fact, one nest was the size of a Volkswagen Beetle. These nests can house over 100,000 workers. Yellow jacket nests of this size have been found in abandoned barns, cars and fields.
If you encounter a yellow jacket nest of any size, do not attempt to remove it yourself. Seek the help of a pest control professional.