Wasps don’t pollinate plants, as bees do and as many people know, they can be extremely aggressive. A lot of people are allergic to wasp stings, which can cause allergic reactions such as swelling. The wasp family of flying, stinging insects, include hornets and yellow jackets. However, try not to kill wasps unless you have to, as they play an important role as predators of other insects.
Bees and wasps often look alike, although whereas the body of a bee is the same thickness throughout, a wasp’s body has a thinner waist. Some hornets are black and white, and the distinctive black and yellow stripes can also tell you it’s a wasp although the color isn’t always an entirely accurate way to tell if it’s a wasp or bee.
Natural Ways of Wasp Extermination
The honeycomb nests of paper wasps are often found under tree limbs, beams, and building overhangs. The papery nests of yellow jackets are typically found in cavities such as hollowed out logs. Although wasps sometimes return to a good nesting site, they usually only use a nest for a year, meaning if you can avoid the area, do so.
Sealing the openings to a nest is a recommended method to get rid of wasps if it’s early spring, and the wasp numbers are still small. However, don’t seal the hole of a nest inside your home, as the wasp’s sill find another way to get inside.
If it’s summer or early spring, stand a safe distance away from the nest – about 20 feet – and spray pressurized water on the nest. As this may agitate the nest, you should be ready to sprint somewhere safe.
Pet food, recycling, garbage cans, and decaying food can attract wasps, so make a point of removing these temptations. Make sure wasps aren’t coming in your home by sealing and caulking exterior cracks and holes.
You can buy bait and traps, although they won’t be effective for all species of wasp. To prevent a wasp colony from being formed, remove any wasp traps before the height of the summer.
Killing Wasps With Chemicals
If you are allergic to wasps, you may have to hire a professional wasp exterminator to tackle the problem. And if it’s early summer when wasp colonies have a large number of the creatures, professional wasp extermination may be a good idea anyway, especially if the nest is close to people.
Insecticidal dust can be used to kill a wasps’ nest at ground level; the stuff attaches itself to the wasps as they leave or enter the nest.
A jet aerosol spray with a range of up to 20 feet can be used on nests that are above the ground. Don’t use a ladder to tackle a nest that’s above ground; before you can climb down safely, you will be attacked. Make sure you know which way to run to safety after spraying.
Wasps tend to be inside the nest and not active during the early morning or at night, so don’t spray at those times. Once you have sprayed, don’t go near that nest for the next 24 hours; you can repeat the spraying process if you still see wasps around.
Taking precautions against being stung is a must, regardless of how you carry out your wasp extermination project. As well as gloves and boots, you should wear a long sleeved shirt and long pants or overalls. Use a rubber band or tape to seal off the gap at the end of your sleeves or pants.
Always use chemicals and sprays safely. You may need a professional wasp extermination company if the problem is just too big to handle yourself.
Absolute Pest Control Inc
135 Cedardale Pl SW Calgary, AB T2W 5G1
(403) 238-7400
apcpestfree.com
