Yellow jackets typically build their nests in the ground. The queen, who has survived the winter, will begin to build a nest from paper, or cellulose material that she has chewed up into a paste. The yellow jacket queen will then lay eggs in the cells that she has built.
The first yellow jacket eggs to hatch are those of the workers. As the workers mature, the queen continues to care for the remaining larvae, building onto the nest. Eventually, the workers take over all duties of the queen except for reproduction.
A standard yellow jacket nest will average 1,000 to 4,000 workers at its peak. The nests are often built in crevices, such as under porches or in nooks of trees. However, a yellow jacket nest can be built anywhere it chooses.
Nests have been found in barns and abandoned cars. Some yellow jacket nests are even built in active cars, after a yellow jacket flies into an open window and finds a nesting spot.
Wherever you find a yellow jacket nest, don't try to remove it. Call a pest control professional to assist you, as it can be very dangerous.