A&A to the Rescue!
Wasps, Yellow Jackets & Hornets are a Common Problem in the Northwest. Don’t panic, we know just what to do if you have wasps and yellow jackets in your home or business.
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Yellow Jackets
What is a Yellow Jacket?
There are several species of yellow jackets wasps. These flying insects typically have a yellow and black head/face and patterned abdomen. Many say the pattern resembles stripes. The abdomen pattern can help an entomologist or pest professional identify specific types of Yellow Jackets.
Yellow Jackets nest in the ground or in cavernous areas such as eaves, attics, etc. They feed on sweets and proteins and commonly invade outdoor activities.
Yellow Jackets can be found anyplace humans can be found. Check near recycling bins or other areas where sugars are common but keep in mind these pests also feed on protein. Yellow Jackets become more aggressive in the fall when the colony begins to die out except for the queen.
Why Should I Care?
Yellow Jackets pose significant health threats to humans as they may sting repeatedly and can cause allergic reactions. Stinging insects send over 500,000 people to the emergency room each year.
Wasps
With their smooth long bodies and cinched-in waist, the legs of the wasp are much longer than the average bee. Even though wasps are not high-volume pollinators, they are useful as natural pest control. Wasps typically will make a meal of other insects for their larvae, thus controlling the populations of such insects as caterpillars and grubs. By paralyzing its prey, wasps will bring the stunned insect into the nest itself. Certain wasps will paralyze the host to lay eggs inside it. Some social wasps, such as yellow jackets, will scavenge for dead insects to feed their young.
Although the role of a wasp is beneficial to our society, the nuisance of their nests and dangerous sting from the Vespid family of wasp, make them undesirable to live amongst. Vespid wasps include yellow jackets, hornets and paper wasps-all of which hold their wings lengthwise to their bodies. Mostly active in warmer weather, the wasp dwells in a papery nest or sometimes in ground nests which are more difficult to detect.
What is a Paper Wasp?
Paper wasps get their common name from the paper-like material out of which they make their nests. Paper wasps are sometimes called umbrella wasps, after the shape of their distinctive nests. Various species are found throughout the United States.
Paper wasps are semi-social and live in small colonies. They eat nectar and other insects including caterpillars and flies.
Paper wasps hang their comb nests from twigs and branches of trees and shrubs, porch ceilings, the tops of window and doorframes, soffits, eaves, attic rafters, deck floor joists and railings, etc. In the fall, inseminated females will seek places to spend the winter, and may find their way indoors, especially if there is a cathedral ceiling present.
Unlike yellow jackets and hornets, which can be very aggressive, paper wasps will generally only attack if they themselves or their nest are threatened. Since their territoriality can lead to attacks on people, and because their stings are quite painful and can produce a potentially fatal anaphylactic reaction in some individuals, nests in human-inhabited areas may present an unacceptable hazard.
Why Should I Care?
Paper wasps are not an aggressive species by nature, but will sting if they are disturbed or their nest is threatened. Their sting is painful and has the same risk of allergic reaction as with other stinging insects.
What Should You Do?
If you suspect you have a paper wasp infestation or find a nest on your home or property, contact A&A Pest Control right away. Do not attempt to remove a nest on your own, as there is a high probability you will get stung.
Bold-Faced Hornets
The Bald-Faced Hornet gets it’s name from their black and white coloring, as well as their large size. The bald-faced hornet is not a true hornet. It is actually part of the yellow jacket & wasp family. They are found throughout North America and known to be extremely aggressive, stinging repeatedly if disturbed. Adult workers range from 5/8 – 3/4″ long and queens measure 3/4″ or longer. They’re known for they’re large oval, paper nests, reaching sizes of up to 14″ in diameter and over 24″ in length. Nests are usually found in vegetation, varying from shrubs and ground level vines to tree branches up to 66ft high. Like the yellow jacket, the bald-faced hornet queen will not reuse an old nest. Every year the queens start a new colony and raise their young, growing they’re nest through spring, summer and into fall.
Bold-Faced Hornets, as well as most hornet species deliver a painful sting. They build their nests under eaves, underground, in attics, wall voids, and trees, and may swarm and attack if the nest is threatened. Some people are highly allergic but don’t know it until they are stung. Just recently there have been reports of abnormally strong allergic reactions to yellow jacket stings on the west coast.
Place yellow jacket traps out in early spring (end of March through April). Many wasps captured during this time will be queens, preventing nests from becoming established. Later in the year traps can be placed along fences to capture foraging workers. Tightly close garbage cans and pick up downed fruit-both are strong attractants.
Locating and treating wasp nests can be a delicate operation. There is a variety of equipment to safely eliminate the nest, and your specialist will work with you to formulate the best approach for your situation. Specialized training enables A&A to treat nests any time of day.