Don’t Mess With A Yellow Jacket
Your deck is one of the most peaceful places known to man.
Your hammock gently swinging in the breeze, the warm lighting strung across the railing, and that incessant buzz of yellow jackets dive bombing your face…
Wait—what?
Let’s just say, if you can clearly picture this scenario, you’re not alone. Yellow jackets can be vicious pests, going great lengths to protect their hives. This means your end-of-summer relaxation can be hindered if their nests are not destroyed.
This is where AAA Exterminating, a pest control company in Indianapolis, IN, is here to help! Learn all about yellow jackets and how you can protect your home.
What Does A Yellow Jacket Look Like?
Yellow jackets are a type of small wasp that can be difficult to distinguish from other flying pests, but they do have some distinguishing characteristics.
Careful!
They
can be
aggressive…
Here are common identifiers:
- Elongated wings
- Hairless body
- Thin waist
- 2 large antennae
- 6 legs
- Their body is a combination of black and yellow striping
- Their heads have both black and yellow coloration
If you see a winged pest similar to the description above, stay away, because they can be aggressive…
…Just How Aggressive You Ask?
Yellow jackets are extremely territorial when it comes to protecting their nests. This means that if you come within a close distance of their nest, they are likely to sting and alert other yellow jackets to the intruder…uh-oh.
How Many Times Can They Sting?
Unlike honey bees, yellow jackets have the ability to sting multiple times since their stinger is smooth and does not get wedged within skin.
Normally after being stung, large red welts will form on the skin around the wounds. Yellow jacket stings can be extremely dangerous, especially if someone is allergic to the venom. They can experience severe allergic reactions which can be life threatening.
What Do Yellow Jacket Nests Look Like?
Yellow Jackets typically create their nests in the ground out of a material called cellulose which is a plant substance that they mix with their saliva to create paper nests. This gives the nest a honeycomb appearance.
Though they tend to live within the ground, other popular spots for yellow jackets include:
- Attics
- Decks
- Porches
- Bushes
- Low hanging branches
- Inside interior walls
- At the exterior corners of houses
What Do Yellow Jackets Eat?
If you’ve ever been to a crowded ballpark on a hot, sunny day, you’ve probably seen yellow jackets fluttering around the trash cans.
Yellow jackets are attracted to sugary substances, making flower nectar, fruits…and those tossed out soda cans… especially delectable.
These wasps also consume protein in their larval phase. This means worker wasps bring insects and other forms of protein back to the nest for larvae to consume.
How to Get Rid of Wasps
Now that we’ve given you all of the disgusting details, we’re going to answer your burning question—”How do I get rid of these things?”
Here’s our simple answer—call a pest control company in Indianapolis, Indiana!
Wasps can be dangerous pests, especially if someone is stung multiple times. This is why an expert exterminator should be called to wasp nests safely and efficiently.
For more information on removing wasp nests, or other pest-related help with your home, call (317) 773-3797 to speak with AAA’s expert Indianapolis exterminating crew.