In article ,
Albee Kuminova wrote:

What to do? It appears we have a hive under the house and we THINK it's
yellow jackets. One place gave an est. of $149 and another was $225.
BOTH said if we wait they may die off over winter. Is waiting a good
idea? Both places say bids are ballpark figures depending on what they
have to do. House is single story with forced air heating and AC.

Winters are usually mild but last winter we had a week of ice snow and
cold temps and many trees were lost. We had no snow during previous few
years. How cold for how long would it have to get? Plus duct work under
house will keep the hive area warm to a point.

According to North Carolina State's website, wasps, hornets and yellow
jackets abandon their nests by mid-autumn. The current year's nests are
not reused the following spring. So simply waiting for them to leave
might be your best solution. They are predators who kill and eat quite a
lot of insect pests (including houseflies)--a significant benefit to
gardeners and farmers.

Caveat: late summer and early autumn are when these insects are busiest
and most numerous. If you or anyone in your family are allergic, you
might want to hire a competent exterminator.

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/ent/notes/Urban/horn-yj.htm