The warmer weather brings insects to backyard BBQ, family dinner on your back deck, or an afternoon at the lake. Let’s talk about wasps, hornets, and paper wasps.
Wasps: Friend or Foe?
Wasps actually eat other bugs! They love insects such as caterpillars and flies. Because of this, they protect the beautiful gardens surrounding your home. But please be aware. Wasps do sting and can be aggressive.
What is a hornet?
In simplest terms, all hornets are wasps, but some wasps are hornets. Hornets are slightly fatter and are less aggressive. A hornet sting hurts a lot more than a wasp sting and hornets can sting multiple times.
Are paper wasps aggressive?
Also known as the umbrella wasp, these wasps love meadows, and fields, and prefer to nest under an overhang or eave of a roof. Paper wasps are aggressive and will attack or sting to defend their nest if provoked. Their sting is very painful.
Paper wasp guards nest with rust in background
Myth busting and fun facts.
We want to share some fun facts to dispel myths and misconceptions about wasps:
- Wasps do not usually attack people. If you are stung by a wasp, it may be because they felt challenged or attacked.
- Wasps can fly at a top speed of nearly 6 mph so do not run.
- Wasps can sting multiple times. Bees leave the stinger.
- They do not like certain smells like cinnamon, cucumber, and cloves.
- Wasps nests come in all shapes and sizes and are either open or enclosed. Often located under roof eaves, some are located in the ground.
Do wasps die after stinging?
Individual hornets can sting repeatedly; unlike honeybees, hornets and, wasps do not die after stinging because their stingers are very finely barbed (only visible under high magnification) and can easily be withdrawn and so are not pulled out of their bodies when disengaging.
Bee stings are no joke.
Please take a bee sting seriously. Many people are allergic to bees and carry EpiPen pens for such an emergency. If you are unsure of your reactions or feel ill in any way, please seek medical attention immediately. Always better to be safe than sorry.
How can we help protect you and your family from wasps?
As we mentioned, wasp stings are no joke therefore either is wasp removal. If the wasps inside the nest feel threatened, they will become aggressive and attack. While It is suggested that treatment be done at night as the insects are all in the nest and less aggressive, daytime treatment is also effective. The wasps return to the nest and are exposed to the treatment and die. The treated nest continues to destroy the wasps and is the main reason why we do not immediately remove the nest.
Preventative treatment is suggested, and our services include spraying common wasp locations such as eaves, soffits, decking and other areas where a nest can be safely built buy the wasps.
Contact us for information on wasps, hornets and paper wasp prevention and treatment. Planning an outdoor graduation party or celebration for the 4th of July? Our special services provide one-time treatment for the area around your party area for wasps. mosquitoes, ticks, and other pests. Contact us to learn more.
Be safe this summer and when in doubt, call a professional.
