Outdoor Pest Control - yellow jackets on my playhouse

I have a cedar playhouse for my kids and now we can't even use it. Yellow jackets are flocking to it and are eating something in the wood. I have tried a yellow jacket trap and that isn't working . I need something else, any suggestions

Hi Kingfamily,

Sounds like you have carpenter bees. You are probably seeing holes in the wood where they are boring to make a nest. Males don't have stingers and the females rarely ever sting unless disturbed. They tend to get right in your face to find out who you are, but don't attack. They look large bees. Here's some helpful info.
Carpenter bee - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carpenter_bee)
Carpenter Bees Management Guidelines--UC IPM (http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7417.html)

Is that what you are seeing?

Newt

Thanks but that isn't what they look like. They are small and are bright yellow and black. There are a bunch of them and they are around the playhouse and no where else really. There is no nest on the playhouse. My husband and I have looked all over for it.

I'm a bit confused here. You said they were eating something in the wood. Are they boring into the wood? Do you have a photo? Are they aggressive and fly to you when you approach? Are they nesting in the ground around the playhouse or even in the walls of the playhouse? If you used a trap and it was properly baited, then maybe they are a different type of wasp and not a yellowjacket. Take a look here.
Yellowjacket, HYG-2075-97 (http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2075.html)

Newt

yellowjackets are ground nesting wasps, bait the trap with fresh bloody meat, they are meat eaters. fresh fruit sometimes works but not as well as fresh meat.

murphy was an optimist.

Carpenter bees tend to look like bumble bees because of black and yellow markings. They tend to prefer unfinished wood. You will see finger sized drillings into wood. Yellow jackets, as stated, are usually ground dwellers. They tend to be attracted to sweet drinks. If kids are drinking sweet drinks, yellow jackets can be a problem.

You state, however, that these bee pests are attracted to wood. Make an inspection to see if there are holes in wood to indicate carpenter bees or if your assessment is inaccurate re: attraction to wood without evidence of holes in wood.

It's rather late in the season for either carpenter bees or yellow jackets. Where do you live?

Yeah, they probably are yellow jackets, like the OP says.
They usually do it when the cedar is wet! They are scratching up wood pulp to help construct their paper nest underground.

fred
(spray with wasp killer?)

I've read everyones reply & anyone of them could be right. Social bees & yellow jackets will sometimes 'bud' the colony. That's where a bunch take off with a new queen to start a new colony. If so they are gone in a few days (unless that's where they are know building) but it doesn't sound like that. Perhaps the wood is exuding sap and they are feeding. If so then you should rinse the sap away ( do this at night) and try and seal the crack or hole it's coming from with caulk. If that's not it then look in the yellow pages under bee keepers.They'll know what is normal for your area and usually look at it for free. They keep the bees if any for their use. It's a win win.
Good Luck.