A very benign, green, environmentally friendly and frugal way to get rid
of yellow jackets is to use a canister style vacuum cleaner (like a shop
vax or electrolux).  Simply place the hose next to the nest entrance on
a nice afternoon and leave it turned on for a couple of hours.  As the
yellow jackets come and go they get sucked into the vacuum.  No mess, no
pesticides, and it works!  I learned this trick from a neighbor who paid
an exterminator $50 to remove a nest of yellow jackets from their
exterior walls.  Of course you don't want to open the vacuum for a day
or two.  I assume the wasps die rather quickly with the dust and dirt in
the vacuum, but I've never opened the vacuum to find out.  I have used
this method four times without a single problem and much to the
amusement of passers by!  I prefer to avoid pesticides whenever
possible.
 
Aaron Morris - I think yellow jackets suck!