During which season are yellow jackets most commonly seen?

Yellow jackets are most commonly seen during the summer months. This is primarily when their populations are at their peak and they are actively foraging for food. In late spring and early summer, the queen begins to establish her colony, and as the warmer months progress, the colony grows larger, leading to an increase in activity and sightings of yellow jackets. By the time summer arrives, these wasps are out in large numbers, looking for food sources, which often leads them to human activities, such as picnics or barbecues.

In contrast, during the fall, yellow jackets may still be active, but their behavior tends to change as the temperatures drop and their food sources become scarce; they become more aggressive in their foraging. In winter, yellow jackets typically die off, with only the fertilized queens surviving by hibernating. In spring, while they may start to emerge, their numbers and visibility are not as high as in summer, making summer the prime season for spotting yellow jackets.