The majority of bees and wasps in our world pose little to no threat to people. However social wasps belonging to the family Vespidae can be very aggressive. These wasps include paper wasps, hornets, and yellow jackets. Vespids have a tendency to nest in places humans inhabit.

Yellow Jackets

Yellow jacket nests are typically found below ground and can sting more than once. A mature yellow jacket colony can have as many as 4000 yellow jackets.

Hornets

Hornets are well known for building huge enclosed nests hanging from trees and other sturdy perches. Hornet stings are more painful than the average wasp sting and they are capable of stinging more than once. A mature hornet nest can contain as many as 700 adult hornets.

Paper Wasps

Paper wasps build open umbrella shaped nests these nests are often found hanging from eaves or other protected places on a home or structure. Paper wasps nests will contain fewer than 100 wasps.

Treatment/Control

Never seal nesting areas in a structure until all wasps or bees are destroyed or removed this can force them to enter your living space. We use dust formulations to treat nests inside of a home or structure or in many cases in the ground. For nests found hanging and visible we use aerosols or fast acting liquid insecticides. Home owners attempting treatments themselves should always do so at night and or wear protective clothing such as a bee suit.

Prevention

Seal openings in the home’s exterior using caulking or sealant. Keep dumpster areas clean and lids sealed tightly. Keep your yard clean by removing spilled food and drinks, drink containers, and fallen fruits. Traps are capable of decreasing currents infestations but will not eliminate the problem. When trapping wasp’s or hornets in spring use protein baits and late summer fall switch to sweet baits.