Bees and wasps play vital roles in ecosystems, but their presence can also be a nuisance and health hazard for people with allergies. Stings from these insects can be painful and even life-threatening for individuals with severe reactions.
While lone wasps foraging in your yard isn’t a problem, those building nests near your home can be dangerous. Learn more about stinging insect removal and how to protect yourself from these pests this summer with the help of wasp exterminators.
Yellowjackets
Yellowjackets are any of 35 to 40 species of social wasps. Despite their name, these insects are not bees. Unlike bees, which produce honey, yellowjackets are carnivorous and feed on other insects, meat, fruits, picnic fare, flowers, and the nectar of plants. They are territorial and aggressive attackers if their nest is disturbed. They can inflict multiple stings.
Generally, they are more active in the summer. Depending on the species, they may build nests underground or in aerial spaces. They are often found in wall eaves, siding, fascia boards, soffits, attics, basements, and window sills. They also nest in trees, shrubs, lawn furniture, trash cans, flowerpots, birdhouses, and other outdoor structures.
Homeowners can control yellowjackets by eliminating their food sources, sealing crevices and cracks, and mowing and trimming foliage regularly to reduce the number of available hiding places. If the problem persists, homeowners can use a pesticide that is labeled for use on yellowjackets or wasps. A good choice is a liquid insecticide containing carbaryl, acephate, or tetramethrin. Aerosol products that spray a targeted area also work well. When treating a yellowjacket or wasps’ nest, working after the sun has set and they are less active is important.
If you think you have a yellowjacket’s nest in or near your house, contact your local pest control company for assistance. They will be familiar with the types of pests common to your region and will know the best treatment methods. In addition, many county vector control services will destroy a homeowner’s wasps and their nest at no cost. Check online to see if such services are available in your area. If you decide to handle the job on your own, be sure to wear long sleeves and pants, face and eye protection, and be aware of their location at all times. Also, make sure to clear away any discarded items that could attract them, like outdoor toys and lawn equipment. You’ll also want to remove any woodpiles, stacks of logs, leaf litter, and rock piles that could harbor a wasp or bee nest.
Paper Wasps
Paper wasps (Polissinae subfamily) are semi-social insects that construct open gray or brown “paper” nests from chewed wood fiber and saliva. They are also known as umbrella wasps due to their distinctive shaped nests. Like other vespid wasps, they have the ability to deliver painful and potentially dangerous stings. Paper wasps typically become a nuisance when their nests are built in close proximity to human activity.
While these wasps are considered beneficial as they prey on other pest insects, they can cause a number of problems for homeowners when their colonies grow too large or they are accidentally disturbed. The first and foremost issue is their potential to sting. The stings of the paper wasp are very painful for humans and can cause swelling, redness, and itching. They can also cause a systemic allergic reaction in some individuals.
The risk of a sting increases significantly as the size of the nest grows. The best way to minimize the risk is to have a routine inspection of your property and promptly remove any paper wasp nests that you find.
It is recommended to always perform treatments for these insects at night when they are less active. This helps to minimize the potential for stings and ensures that the insecticides are absorbed directly into the colony. Thick gloves and safety glasses are a good idea to help protect yourself from exposure to the chemical sprays used to treat the nest. It is also important to carefully locate the nest opening during the day and mark it so that you can easily pinpoint its location after dark. It is a good idea to avoid shining a light directly into the nest entrance as this can startle the wasps and cause them to fly toward the source of the light.
Other measures that can be taken to prevent paper wasps from accessing your home or business include repairing any holes in walls, cracks in eaves, and screens over vents. It is also helpful to clean up any food scraps or trash that may attract pests. Finally, tree removal services in Melbourne, shrubs, and hedges can also serve to deter pests from finding shelter there.
Mud Daubers
Many people are squeamish around buzzing, stinging insects. Fortunately, mud daubers are not aggressive wasps, and their nests pose no threat when left alone. In fact, they’re a beneficial insect that helps control spider populations. These solitary wasps build distinctive mud nests for their offspring. Each cell is provisioned with a live, paralyzed spider for the baby wasps to feed on. The mud dauber’s venom serves as a preservative, keeping the spider in good condition until its offspring can eat it.
Mud daubers are solitary wasps of the order Sphecidae, with several species inhabiting Iowa. Their bodies look similar to a wasp’s, and their wings can appear metallic blue or black. But it’s their narrow mid-section that gives them their unique look. The slender waist connects the abdomen and thorax like a tube and can vary in color from yellow and black to solid steel blue.
As the name suggests, mud daubers live in areas that are heavy with human activity. They are solitary wasps, and they’re often found building mud nests in the eaves of houses and barns, under bridges, and in car engines. Some consider them aesthetic pests due to the unsightly appearance of their mud nests.
In the wild, mud daubers hunt for spiders in sandy or gravelly areas to stock their mud nests. They also use a variety of other prey, including caterpillars, beetles, and cockroaches, to provide for their offspring.
It’s important to note that even though mud daubers are not aggressive wasps, they can still sting if handled roughly. Their stings are not considered dangerous to humans, but the stings are painful and may cause swelling.
Mud daubers can be a nuisance because of their mud nests, but they don’t form colonies and don’t defend their nests. Therefore, they’re not considered a significant pest unless they’re located in an area where it’s a visual nuisance or when their nest is overtaken by other more dangerous wasp species or other pests that are feeding on their leftover meals. For this reason, mud dauber nest removal should only be done by experienced professionals.
Cicada Killers
Cicada killer wasps (Sphecius convallis, Pacific cicada killer wasp; Sphecius grandis, western cicada killer wasp) prey on the larvae of cicadas in the landscape. As their name suggests, they overwinter as solitary wasps within cocoons in the soil. They begin emerging in June and hunt cicadas until mid-August. Adult females excavate vertical or slightly angled burrows 6 to 10 inches long and ½ inch in diameter with broad oval cells perpendicular to the main tunnel. The entrance to the burrow is usually surrounded by a mound of dirt thrown out by the wasps. These wasps are remarkable for their ability to locate a cicada in a tree or bush by sight and, once located, to inflict a precise, paralyzing sting while the cicada continues its incessant buzzing.
Like most solitary wasps, cicada killer females do not build colonies but hunt and nest individually. They may be found in large numbers feeding together on cicadas, especially in landscapes with open grassy areas or unmortared retaining walls, but nesting aggregations rarely exceed several dozen wasps. Female cicada killer wasps can inflict a painful sting to people working on lawns or using weed-eaters and riding tractors.
Cicada killers are solitary wasps, unlike yellowjackets, hornets, and paper wasps, which form social colonies and have many stinging cells. They are very aggressive and can sting repeatedly. The sting is accompanied by strong pain, swelling, and redness at the site. If a person is stung multiple times, the symptoms can be more serious and, in some cases, fatal.
Males do not have stingers but are territorial. They make brief, hovering flights in response to any newcomers, including humans, pets, and other solitary wasps. Their colors and wing patterns intimidate trespassers and are considered warnings. They will attack if threatened but are unlikely to sting unless provoked.
Because of their aggression and potential for fatal stings, a pest control professional should only remove a cicada killer wasp nest. Structural nests, such as those in wall voids or attics, should be inspected and treated for wasp activity on a routine basis. For these situations, a pest control professional will use an aerosol generator with rapid knockdown insecticide and a freeze component to kill wasps immediately, then plug the nest and dust the hole with 5% carbaryl to prevent further colony growth.
