Did you know that stinging insects can continue to be a problem through the fall? Many people don’t know this fact, unless they’ve been witness to these buzzing insects flying around their fall picnics and BBQs. But lately we’ve gotten a few phone calls from concerned homeowners who have gotten a little too close and personal with these insects that are nesting inside their homes. As the weather cools, it’s possible for stinging insects like yellow jackets and paper wasps to begin looking for a safe place to overwinter, so they may create a nest inside your home. They look for protected areas and may even find their way into wall voids or attic spaces. Think you may have stinging insects inside your home? Here are some identification tips from the Madison pest control pros at Wil-Kil to help you recognize the stinging insects you’re playing host to, as well as a few prevention tips to keep them from wanting to spend the winter inside your Wisconsin home!
Paper Wasps– These stinging insects are perhaps the most common wasps around structures. They are black and yellow and resemble the yellow jacket. They are approximately ¾ of an inch long and they build open nests that look like umbrellas hanging upside down from overhangs and eaves. Their nests have up to 75 paper wasps inside, including the larvae and pupae that are developing inside the cells of the nest. In the fall, the queens will abandon the nest and search for protective shelter, which will often be inside your home.
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Yellow Jackets – These stinging insects are notoriously aggressive, often stinging repeatedly if they are disturbed or feel as though their nest is threatened. Similarly to paper wasps, they are black and yellow striped; they build their paper nests to house up to 3,000 members, so sometimes their nests can be several feet across. They nest in the ground, in trees and sometimes inside attics and other protected structures on your property. The major difference between paper wasps and yellow jackets is that yellow jackets build an enclosed paper comb nest, which a paper wasps’ nest is open and umbrella shaped.
When it comes to the paper wasp vs yellow jacket, it doesn’t really matter which stinging insect you’ve got inside your home; you simply want to get them out! That’s where we come in! Our trained professionals have the tools and the expertise to remove a stinging insect nest safely, without anyone getting stung! We can also offer a few stinging insect prevention treatments to reduce the possibility of this type of infestation occurring in the future. Other prevention tips we can offer allow you to attempt stinging insect exclusion on your own; our suggestions include:
- Check areas around the exterior of your property and close or caulk up any entry points; if insects like yellow jackets can’t get inside, they won’t be able to build their nest inside.
- Don’t leave sugary foods outside; this can attract hungry yellow jackets, wasps and bees that are looking to feed their large colonies.
- Remove old trees from your property that may be a good future nesting place for yellow jackets; trees with holes, hollow tree stumps as well as ground hollows can all be a future stinging insect nesting area.
Often the pest control prevention measures we take are unsuccessful; pests are clever and can find ways to work around our exclusion tactics. When this happens and you end up with a stinging insect nest inside your home or other pests making your home their own, you need to call in the professionals at Wil-Kil pest control; Milwaukee natives know our services and our name and have been trusting us with their pest problems since 1924. Give us a call today to learn more about our stinging insect control services or to learn about bee control and bee removal for your home or business.
You shouldn’t have to worry about stinging insects on your property or inside your home; contact us today for more information on our Wisconsin pest control services.