Dealing with Wasps and Yellow Jackets
Wasps and yellow jackets are generally looked down on by everyone, and I will admit that I include myself in that category. I don’t like them, they swarm and they sting, and not always when they are provoked. Still as a conscientious person I do feel the need to point out that these insects have a more detrimental effect on other pest insects than they do on people in general; they often swarm and kill the bugs we don’t want around in our gardens and on our trees.
Still, there is little use for wasps in urban areas, and they can be a real risk to those who are allergic to their stings or their bites. Dealing with wasps and yellow jackets is a risky and difficult business for several reasons:
* The most obvious reason is that they sting. Quite naturally, they don’t appreciate something trying to kill them or their queen, and can be very aggressive.
* They are far ranging insects. Unlike ants or termites, wasps may be found miles from their home nest. This means that although you eliminate one or all of the nests near to your home, you might still not see a significant reduction in the nearby wasp population. They are coming from nests nowhere near to where you live!
* There are several different species of wasp, not all of them aggressive. Not only will you have to differentiate between them on this trait, but also according to where they make their nests, which can be very difficult to locate.
One thing that never ever works
Every summer, you’ll see pop bottles that have been cut in half with the top half inverted to entice wasps to their death in the substance contained in the bottom. This trick is really only successful in that it kills many, many wasps, probably resulting in a feeling of satisfaction for the trapper. It also tends to attract a lot more wasps to the area than would otherwise arrive there; it’s better not to put out anything that looks or smells like food.
Dealing with wasps
The only even remotely successful way of dealing with wasps is by removing the nest, and as mentioned above this might not result in a decrease in the immediate vicinity, and you also have to locate the nest first. Good luck tracking a flying wasp through the air, most nests are located through sheer luck.
If you do locate a wasp nest, you will want to have a product that freezes the wasps on hand. Once you spray that and it takes effect, spray a killing agent into a hole (these are usually from an aerosol based can and are not good for the environment). Then run like crazy.
Of course, not all of us have the guts or the materials to remove wasp nests, even at night, and if you are a member of this large group a professional pest control company might be in order. It’s better if someone else takes the sting, and usually the companies also have more effective and less damaging means at their disposal.