What is a common nesting site for yellow jackets during warm months?

Yellow jackets commonly establish their nests in the ground during warm months. They prefer to dig into the soil, often utilizing abandoned burrows of other animals or creating their own underground colonies. This preference for ground nesting can be attributed to the protection that the soil provides from environmental conditions and potential predators.

In contrast, while yellow jackets could occasionally be found in wood or elevated areas like tree branches, these are not their primary nesting sites, especially when it comes to the more populous species that tend to build large colonies. Additionally, water bodies do not offer suitable nesting conditions for yellow jackets and are not a common choice for their colonies. Therefore, the ground is recognized as the most typical and optimal nesting site for these insects during warmer months.