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There are a lot of “home remedies” for stinging pests, but many of them aren’t especially effective. Others are incredibly dangerous, and the consequences of trying to handle a nest yourself could even be deadly.
Some people (not stinging pest experts) recommend waiting until dark and spraying a nest with a garden hose, but this is incredibly dangerous. While the force of the water may tear the nest apart, all it does to the stinging pests is make them angry. When bees, wasps, or hornets believe their home is under attack, that puts them in attack mode too. And, if they find you, they will sting. Professional pest control providers understand the risks of handling stinging pests. Plus, they have the right gear (those bee suits are more than just a fashion statement!) and the proper treatments to get rid of bees, hornets, and wasps for good. The Risks of Handling Stinging Pests Yourself To put it simply, stinging pests are dangerous. If you are allergic, a single sting can be deadly. And, if you’ve never been stung before, you might be allergic and not know it. Even if you aren’t allergic, you can still suffer serious health consequences. In fact, multiple stings can be deadly for anyone. The accumulation of the venom leads to a toxic reaction in healthy individuals who don’t have an allergy, creating a medical emergency. One woman who sent a message to us online discovered the dangers of stinging pests the hard way. She reached out about a yellow jacket nest, and we offered to come out and treat the problem. But, someone online convinced her that waiting until nightfall and spraying the nest with a garden hose would be a smarter choice than hiring a professional for a treatment. She went out to spray the nest and was stung 17 times. She had never been stung before, and it turns out that she is allergic. She rushed to the ER, and the cost of her medical treatment was around $20,000. After getting out of the hospital, she called and told us she wished she had listened to a professional. Other Dangers of Stinging Pests A single, softball-sized nest has the potential to be deadly. While many people worry about their own safety, there’s more to it than that. If you have an untreated nest and a neighbor gets stung, you could be liable for not handling the situation properly. This means you could be responsible for paying medical bills and other forms of compensation if someone else gets hurt. At Ed’s Dead Bug, we always do same day or next day appointments for stinging pests. If you have our $33-a-month warranty plan, there’s no additional charge. If you just need a single service, we’ll address the problem for only $99. In either case, you can rest assured knowing that the stinging pests are removed the right way. Not only does this keep you and your family safe, but it keeps everyone else in your neighborhood safe too.
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When people hear the word “wasp,” their skin may crawl. Plus, European paper wasps look pretty scary. These black and bright yellow, slender-bodied insects resemble yellow jackets, and most people would assume that they need to be afraid of potential stings.
But European paper wasps are actually yellow jacket imposters. While they look like their much-feared counterparts, they are actually pretty different. Here’s what you need to know about the European paper wasp. Understanding the European Paper Wasp As the name may suggest, the European paper wasp is native to Europe. They are actually an invasive species in North America, being introduced to the continent in the 1970s. However, they have since managed to make much of it home, including the west coast, upper Midwest, Northeast, and even Hawaii and Florida. These black and yellow flyers survive on insects, hunting live ones for food. They travel through shrubs, trees, and gardens during the day looking for other bugs that would make a great meal. If they come across sugary treats or a picnic, they really don’t care. That’s not what they eat so, unless other insects that tend to make a meal of are nearby, they’ll keep on going. Then, they head to the nest at night to rest. When they’re looking for a place to nest, they usually settle on a structure. Under the eaves of houses and buildings are common favorites. However, they will also seek out hollow areas in manmade structures, including voids in playground equipment, walls, roofs, and vent systems. You might even see them nesting on items left outside, like the edges of a trashcan, under a patio chair, or in a crack of a picnic table. With a European paper wasp nest, the comb of cells is usually visible. This is different from yellow jackets, which typically enclose the cells in a paper covering. As a result, you can generally tell by looking at the nest whether you are dealing with paper wasps or yellow jackets, even if you can’t get a good look at the insect itself. When European Paper Wasps Are Dangerous (or Possibly Deadly) By and large, European paper wasps are more of a nuisance than a threat. In most cases, they are pretty docile. When they are foraging, they usually aren’t aggressive. Even at the nest, they are only mildly aggressive and don’t tend to swarm. On most days, they’ll just go about their business. However, there is an exception. If a European paper wasp is thirsty, you are dealing with a grumpy critter. There’s an increased likelihood that you’ll get stung. It’s as if they aren’t in the mood to deal with your presence, so they’d rather sting you so you’ll buzz off. But, it’s also important to note that people can be allergic to paper wasp stings. In those cases, a single sting could be deadly. Getting Rid of European Paper Wasps Since European paper wasps are pretty mellow, you can sometimes just knock the nest down with a broom. Just make sure you wear a heavy jacket and eye protection, protecting yourself from possible stings and shielding your eyes from spraying venom. But, if you’re allergic, then hiring a professional is the best way to go. As far as keeping European paper wasps away, there isn’t a lot you can do. There isn’t anything on the market that will prevent them from nesting. But that doesn’t mean you don’t have options. At Ed’s Dead Bug, we will handle European paper wasp nests. Plus, we guarantee our results and offer wasp treatment under our warranty. We’ll do what it takes to ensure paper wasps aren’t a problem for you and that the situation is addressed to your satisfaction. Bald-faced hornets are a zebra-colored relative of the yellow jacket. These black-and-white insects are feared by many, mainly due to their powerful and incredibly painful sting. Plus, they are found all across the United States, so there’s a decent shot nearly everyone has heard of or encountered them during their lifetime.
Understanding the Bald-Faced Hornet The bald-faced hornet gets its name from its unique color pattern. While the body is mainly black, the face what white markings, reminiscent of bald spots. Though they are related to yellow jackets, these flying critters are significantly larger than most of their brethren. When it comes to their lifecycle, the tale of the bald-faced hornet is actually a little sad. During the winter, only the newly-hatched queen survives. Every other member of the colony dies. But that doesn’t stop this stinging species from being a potentially bothersome pest. Every spring, the queen crafts a new nest, which is made of chewed wood. She rebuilds the whole colony from scratch, laying an egg in every compartment and raising the first batch of offspring on her own. The first workers don’t emerge for about a month, then they take over feeding and expanding the nest. This gives the queen a chance to focus on egg-laying, and she does that in spades. At its peak, a single nest can have 100 to 400 workers or more. Once the colony starts to decline, larger compartments are created, making it easier to raise new queens and the males who will head out to mate. Some consider the bald-faced hornet to be beneficial to the environment. They may kill smaller insects, including flies. However, they don’t have anything to do with plant or flower pollination and only occasionally scavenge for sources of sugar. As a result, some believe that these critters aren’t great additions to most communities. The Bald-Faced Hornet Nest Bald-faced hornets may build nests in a few places. Dense trees or shrubs are certainly favorites. However, tree hollows also look quite welcoming to these stinging insects. Usually, they try to pick a location that’s 10 to 12 feet in the air. However, they might select a different location if it is fairly sheltered and unlikely to be disturbed. This includes the sides of structures and under house eaves. A nest tends to be gray in color, looking a bit like sheets of newspaper wrapped around each other to form a ball. There’s a single opening that serves as an entrance and exit, usually near the bottom of the ball. At peak colony size, the nest can reach the size of a basketball or bigger. When the queen is looking for a place to hole up during the winter, she may head indoors. A gap in a roof or near an eave might look mighty fine when the weather turns cold. When Bald-Faced Hornets Are Dangerous (and Even Deadly) Bald-faced hornets are incredibly social and pretty aggressive. They will sting if they think the nest is under attack or in danger, and that can lead to some trouble. A bald-faced hornet can deliver multiple stings, and those stings can be fatal. Plus, since a whole group may attack, you are potentially exposing yourself to a lot of venom. This increases the likelihood of death from a potentially serious allergic reaction. Getting Rid of Bald-Faced Hornets If you decide to remove a bald-faced hornet nest yourself, wearing a bee suit is a must. It will reduce your chance of being stung. However, you also need to have additional protection. A bald-faced hornet can spray venom, so wear goggles that fully seal around your eyes for safety. Then, you can spray the nest in the evening and, suggesting you don’t see any additional activity the next day, remove the nest once the hornets are dead. But, since disturbing a nest can trigger an attack and a bee suit isn’t completely impenetrable, it’s best to call in pest control professionals. They will have the right equipment and the know-how to deal with the bald-faced hornets and their nest safely. At Ed’s Dead Bug, we have treatment options that will handle bald-faced hornet nests in trees, shrubs, and on structures. Plus, we guarantee our results. We’ll do what it takes to ensure your bald-faced hornet problem is solved to your satisfaction. When you think of pest control professionals, you probably see them as a solution to a problem. Technically, that’s true. When rodents or insects are an issue, the services they offer can be the answer.
But that isn’t all a pest control professional is. In many ways, these specialists are more like home doctors. Their goal isn’t just to rid your property of a pest, but to make your house healthy. If you’d like to learn more about how pest control professionals are more like home doctors, here’s what you need to know. It All Starts with a Patient History When a pest control professional arrives at your home, the first step they take is to learn more about the problem. They talk with the homeowner to learn more about the insects or rodents that are creating the illness. Additionally, they get details about the symptoms, which can be incredibly important if the homeowner isn’t sure what kind of pest is present. Completing a Pest Control Diagnostic With the initial information in hand, it’s time to find out the cause of the issue. A pest control specialist will perform a thorough exam, assessing the evidence and the symptoms. Their goal during this phase is to determine the nature of the home’s illness, not unlike a doctor figuring out what’s going wrong when a person isn’t well. Pest Control Professional Prescribed Treatment After a diagnosis is made, it’s time for treatment. Since the pest control professional now understands the nature of the illness, they can choose a course of action. This may include medications in the form of pesticide or rodenticide. Additionally, it could involve excising the problem by removing harborage, just as a doctor would cut out a tumor, or performing house surgery by doing necessary repairs. Physicals, Checkups, and Maintenance Meds Once the acute illness is handled, that doesn’t mean the house doctor’s work is done. Instead, pest control professionals can do more to ensure your home’s long-term health. For example, regular maintenance and checkups can be used to keep a problem from recurring. This can include maintenance medicines in the form of pest prevention products that are designed to stop insects or rodents from making a house ill again. As you can see, a pest control professional isn’t just a problem-solver. They are also a home doctor who strives to do everything they can to keep your house healthy and free of illnesses. That way, both you and your home can remain in the best shape possible. Who to Call When You Need a Home Doctor At Ed’s Dead Bug, pride ourselves in our ability to treat ill homes. We have a variety of treatment options to handle a wide array of pests, including insects and rodents. Along with handling emergencies, we can apply preventative treatments on a regular schedule. Plus, we guarantee our results. We’ll do what it takes to ensure your home is healthy and remains so for the long-term. |
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