This is my third season growing figs and previous to this year, no problems whatsoever. However this year after learning more about figs I have been leaving the figs on the tree longer to ripen to a tastier state.

Apparently every yellow jacket within 100 miles of my yard agrees and thinks this is a wonderful idea !!!! And it turns out they really don't care too much about sharing fairly. 3 days ago zero yellow jackets...today when I get home from work I find at least 30 just buzzing around my one tree and at least that many having some kind of Roman orgy together on my ripe figs. I picked 30 figs... ALL damaged to some degree. 

I have spent the last little while looking up remedies and will try a few....but I'm thinking I am fighting a losing battle....because I'm guessing any form of control would be much more effective if put into play before the little buggers actually get a taste.

Any helpful hints/tips would be appreciated...but mostly I just wanted to vent.

Everyone go and give your healthy figs a little hug and tell them you love them....cause you never know when some evil hideous creature is going to take them from you.

I wonder if a bug zapper would work? If not a regular one then I've seen the ones that look like tennis rackets online somewhere. At least you could get a little satisfaction and revenge with it:)

You can buy yellow jacket traps.  I heard they work pretty good, but the smell of dead yellow jackets is bad. You have to empty it once in a while. Take a look on Amazon, no pesticides in the trap. It uses an attractant, you can buy 10 week refills of the attractant.

I have my figs behind birdnets. But birds and squirrels are not the only enemy. Yellowjackets are sooo evil. I have tried everything in the book. Onslaught is the only poison that will kill the nest, but the recommended bait (dead chicken or fish) does not work this time of year. The only other kill trap that will at least kill many bees (and flies) is the one with a dark sweet liquid l(like coca cola). All others are bull. I gave up because too many still devour my precious crop so I bought agfabric mosquito netting and I will completely block all possible critters. Probably wont be able to set it in place this seasom but we'll see about that.

diatomateous earth dusted on the figs as they are ripening seems to help somewhat. but if you miss a spot, the hornets will find it and dig in.

Try organza bags?

Steve I had the same problem a few years ago. I put up a couple of jar traps with a special lid that lets them in but they can't get out. The attractant was grape juice. They love the smell and taste. I also used a shop vac with soapy water in the bottom of the tank so as they got sucked up they would drown. Actually I think I got more yellow jackets with the shop vac than the traps.

Hi,
The problem is knowing if the supply of bugs is unlimited . Normally not.
if nearby the house, use your vacuum cleaner on any bug that bugs you. You should get rid of them quickly.
Honey bees are known to drown the jacket if it finds the nest of the bees. If they fail in killing the discoverer then it'll get back with his whole jacket band, and the nest of the bees is toast.
So I would apply the strategy of the bees and kill (with the vacuum cleaner - just be careful with the leaves of the trees) any jacket I see, so that they don't call their friends to the "free" banquet.

And you could build a trap with a clear plastic bottle. cut it a bit above the middle so that the top will fit ( inverted ) in the bottom, leaving a gap at the bottom of the bottle. Tape the top as to keep the vapor of vinegar inside the recipient ( cut bottle )
Put the bait (rot fig, vinegar, grape juice in the reservoir) . The theory is the jackets will be killed by the vapor of vine vinegar.

You can easily make your own with plastic bottles. Very simple to do with good results. 

Up here in BC  if you put a brown bag inflated looks like a wasp nest keeps them away. 
They are not to neighborly

make an imitation wasp nest. inflated brown bag hang in fig tree  should help they don.t get on with other tribes!

Thx all for the replies. Was going to make a few traps this weekend.

The brown bag/fake nest sounds like a good idea too. I will try to keep that in mind for next season and hang one in each tree before my figs ripen.