All wasps, the Paper Wasps, the Yellow Jackets, etc. are beneficial and are known to help you keep your unwanted insects under control. They visit my hummingbird feeders and our outdoor meals looking over both the high proteins and the sugary liquids in every season.
A major problem with the Yellow Jackets is just that they are so aggressive and will attack someone for little or no reason and when they do they release a pheromone that says to others in the area "Help, I am under attack. Come and help me." However, I have worked around Yellow Jackets for many years without harm as did my next door neighbor who was Anaphlactic.

While I do not intentionally harm yellow jackets or any bee/wasp for that matter, I would not encourage yellow jackets via intentional feeding.

They tend to change personalities in the fall and become more aggressive. They are also more than willing to take up residence under the siding of your home or anywhere you would rather they not be. The more food they get, the larger their population.

So, I don't harm them, but I sure don't try to intentionally increase their numbers.

I would not encourage yellow jackets via intentional feeding.

Even after reading some random web page quoting an old book that says otherwise*?

Dan

*sans 'taming'.

My friend said that she believes via experience that putting out meat in her opinion seems to keep them happy and non-aggressively seeking out people. I have noticed the change in the fall and she told me it is the need for protein in their lifecycle. She hangs bits of meat around an organic garden just for that purpose. I am wondering if you put the meat "away" from people areas if that would keep them happy and serve the purpose of being a non-invasive way to deal with them. I put out traps that kill them near our vehicles and doorways. My neighbors will probably think I am practicing voo doo if I put out piece of meat in the yard!

Many wasp species that hunt caterpillars and other insects for their babies are nectar and pollen eaters as adults. They are usually the solitary "digger wasps". The way to attract these to your garden is to have a variety pollen and nectar sources for the adults and enough caterpillars to make the hunting worth-while.

The wasps in the linked article - paper wasps - are social and can be kept in what amounts to a "wasp farm" for a while.

I once spent a month filming a growing paper wasp nest outside my bedroom window... screen off, window open from about 3 feet away. As the nest got bigger the wasps became more aggressive (as I had read they would) to the point they would pop me in the hair as a warning. I had to lay very very still and not even turn to look as they flew in and out of the house.

Below are a couple short vids from the movie I never got to complete. A roadrunner ran off with the nest about the time the larvae were to hatch into more workers...

Paper wasps 1
Paper wasps 2

How do you kill a unique wasp?

(A. You 'neek up on him.)

How do you kill a tame wasp?

(A. Tame way.)

An anecdotal note on feeding wasps: we did it accidentally and it was fascinating. We were sitting on the deck eating grilled chicken and wasps landed on the plate. We then broke off very small pieces and placed them on the deck, and had the pleasure of watching them fly away with them. If memory serves, these were yellow jackets.

Rosie