Sometimes mistaken for hornets or bees, yellow jackets are a distinct species of wasp. Known for their aggression and painful stings, these pests can be found anywhere Bucks County area residents are enjoying meals in the outdoors. Likewise, these flying insects may congregate around water leaks or dirty garbage cans.
Most people do not realize that yellow jacket wasps eat other pests. This means that during the spring, yellow jackets are welcome in many gardens where they perform natural pest control. As spring turns to summer, the yellow jacket wasp population can become overwhelming. Exacerbating the problem is the insect's switch from a protein-based diet to a sugar-based diet. This means that they are no longer a means of natural pest control.
Seeing an occasional yellow jacket wasp outdoors probably does not warrant a call to an exterminator, but any time that a nest is found on the property, the situation changes. Yellow jackets are notoriously aggressive around their nests, and this means that stinging attacks are likely.
Control presents numerous risks that can be successfully managed by an exterminator. Removal or destruction of the nest ensures that the problem is at an end.
WHAT DO YELLOW JACKET WASPS LOOK LIKE?
Around the yellow jacket wasp's abdomen are yellow and black stripes. This characteristic explains the confusion between yellow jackets and other species, like honey bees. Nonetheless, it is possible to distinguish the species by the yellow jacket's relative lack of hair and narrower waist. The most frequently seen members of the colony are the workers, and most of them measure approximately one-half of an inch. However, the queen may be three-quarters of an inch long.
WHERE DO YELLOW JACKET WASPS LIVE?
With dozens of yellow jacket wasp subspecies, there is almost nowhere on earth that these pests cannot be found. However, their presence is especially heavy in the eastern U.S.
Thousands of individuals may live in a single yellow jacket nest, making these a social insect. The colony largely will die back as the weather cools in the fall and winter, with only the queen able to overwinter so that she can establish a new colony the following spring.
Some yellow jacket species build and occupy aerial nests while others use abandoned animal burrows. Aerial nests may be suspended from trees, shrubs, utility poles, eaves and overhangs. Hollow logs and wall voids also provide desirable nesting habitat.
WHAT DO YELLOW JACKET WASPS EAT?
In the spring, newly emerged yellow jacket wasps require a diet of protein. Accordingly, they eat a wide variety of insects, including flies, mosquitoes and bees. Yellow jackets frequently feed on carrion as well. The pests get the rest of their dietary needs from eating fruits and flower nectar.
With protein and sugar forming the main building blocks of the yellow jackets' diet, these pests are notorious for gathering around picnics, barbecues and dirty trash cans. The protein in meat and pet food and the sugar in items like sodas, juice, condiments and sauces are irresistible to these scavenging pests.
DAMAGE CAUSED BY YELLOW JACKET WASPS
Other pests tend to be more destructive to property than yellow jacket wasps are. Nonetheless, this species is known to gnaw through things like drywall and siding when they are establishing a nest or seeking easier access to a food source. Moreover, having a nest placed on, in or close to a house may put the property's occupants at continued risk for stinging attacks.
Particularly large colonies that are nesting in wall voids or attics can cause extensive damage. Stains may appear on walls or ceilings, and this damage should be avoided, as touching it can cause the wall or ceiling to burst.
ARE YELLOW JACKET WASPS AGGRESSIVE?
These species are notoriously aggressive. Females are equipped with a smooth stinger that they retain even after an attack. This means that they can sting multiple times. Additionally, yellow jackets that are on the attack release a pheromone that incites their colony mates to join them. The result may be that the victim suffers hundreds or even thousands of stings.
This aggressive behavior is most obviously displayed near the yellow jacket wasps' nest. However, similar behavior may be seen when people swat at yellow jackets at a picnic.
DO YELLOW JACKET WASPS CARRY DISEASE?
Although these pests are capable of biting and stinging, no diseases are transmitted during these attacks. Being stung once by a yellow jacket can be extremely painful, but it is not necessarily serious. A person who is stung a single time may have to deal with some swelling or tenderness in the area of the sting, but these symptoms subside within a couple of days.
The reaction can be much more severe in people who are allergic to stings or those who are stung multiple times. Individuals who experience symptoms like difficulty swallowing, hives, diarrhea, breathing problems, dizziness and vomiting after being stung are encouraged to seek emergency medical attention.
HOW TO DETECT YELLOW JACKET WASPS
Signs of a yellow jacket problem include:
• Sounds of buzzing and rustling coming from behind walls • Stains seen on walls or ceilings • Black and yellow insects flying around a crack in the home's exterior • Buzzing, flying insects congregating around a hole in the ground • A nest hanging from the eaves or a tree • Reports of many stinging incidents
HOW TO PREVENT YELLOW JACKET WASPS
To help protect against yellow jacket issues the following steps should be taken:
• Keep outdoor garbage cans well away from structures • Regularly clean garbage cans • Use only garbage cans with tight lids • When eating outdoors, keep most of the food indoors or cover it • Look for access points in the home's exterior and eliminate them • Keep pet food indoors and stored between mealtimes • Routinely check around the property for construction of new nests • Try not to swat at insects that fly around during picnics and barbecues • Take steps to keep people away from yellow jacket wasp nests
HOW WE TREAT FOR YELLOW JACKET WASPS
At Newtown Termite & Pest Control, we use a multi-faceted approach for treating hornets and wasps that have become problematic for area homes and businesses. Our methodology involves making use of the most appropriate detection, prevention, and treatments methods available. By combining these measures, we ensure that your home or business remains free of wasps and hornets.
