Some stuff I just learned from NPR Science News

[garote]

Yellowjackets can be bothersome, but they're also beneficial insects that prey on many other pests. In fact they're a protected species in Germany, where killing one of their nests can result in up to the equivalent of a $65,000 fine.
When a yellowjacket stings you, it also sprays the wound with a scented chemical that tells other yellowjackets to land on you and sting the same spot. The smell is detectable by other yellowjackets up to 30 yards away.
If you want to take out a whole nest of yellowjackets quickly, go down to the liquor store and buy a big bottle of everclear (the 95% alcohol that you spike punch with). Take that bottle out behind your house where the nest is, pour it down into the nest, and then stomp on the hole or put a stick in it. You'll kill every one of them.
(Note, however, that you'll probably see a resurgence of other annoying bugs in the area after they're gone.)

Comments

[shinkagakusha.livejournal.com]

Typically yellowjackets nested in the ground where I lived: old gopher holes, railroad ties, etc. This often meant that you didn't know where the nest was until it was too late. We used to clear them out by waiting until dusk when they were relatively inactive and pouring a fuel/oil mixture down and around the hole. The mix was slow burning and the smoke was a bit heavier than air, so the yellowjackets would be asphyxiated. Which is, in my opinion, better than they deserved, since they're responsible for my abiding fear of bees in general. Getting stung a whole lot in the head will do that to you...

[breakpoint.livejournal.com]

For what it's worth, avoid killing bumblebees. It turns out most of them are endangered, there are generally less than twenty to a hive, and only the queen survives during hibernation. On top of that, they're really, really picky about what they will build a nest in; what they're really looking for is an abandoned mouse nest. So, basically, they're underdogs, and we should apparrently cut them some slack.

No wonder it seems like they go out of their way NOT to sting, compared to other bees.