The weather here in New England is really shaping up and summer is definitely on its way. We may have had our fair share of rain recently, but it’s time to start thinking about the fun things you’d like to do this summer. Picnics, barbeques and just running around the yard with the kids are all great summer activities, but all these things can be spoiled by pesky yellow jackets nesting along the side of your home or in your yard. A lot of people call our offices to get help identifying the buzzing insects on their property and to find out what they can do to prevent these bugs from finding them every year. Identifying different types of stinging insects is pretty easy, if you know what to look for. Here are a few ways to help you determine what kind of stinging insect you have on your property, as well what we can do to keep them from coming back next spring.
Eastern Yellow Jackets:
These are small stinging insects that are usually black, with yellow markings on their smooth bodies. They are between 3/8 of an inch long and 3/4 of an inch long and when you see them at rest, their wings are folded along their bodies. These nests are typically found in the ground but can sometimes be found in attics, wall voids and under the eaves of a home.
European Paper Wasps:
These insects are regularly mistaken for yellow jackets, but they are smaller. They also are black with yellow markings, but their waist is very thin. The nest is the characteristic upside down umbrella shape.
Baldfaced Hornet:
These are large black and white wasps that are about ¾ of an inch long. Their nests are often described as football shaped. They build nests in roof overhangs, along decks or porches as well as inside crawlspaces and wall voids.
Preventing these pests on your own is nearly impossible. You would need to remove all possible nesting places on your property and remove any plants or flowers that these insects may be attracted to. This could be incredibly time consuming and is not usually practical; plus it still won’t guarantee that stinging insects won’t find your property as an attractive nesting area.
If you have a stinging insect nest on your property, you will want to contact a professional pest control company to remove the nest for you. At Big Blue Bug Solutions, our stinging insect control is included in our home pest control service and offers superior protection all year long. Our services include an initial inspection and treatment for your immediate stinging insect problem and then three seasonal services to your home to inspect for further problems and help prevent these pests from nesting on your property again. This service also provides free emergency service should a pest problem arise between scheduled visits. If you’re worried about someone in your household being stung by wasps because of a severe allergy or you just don’t want to be chased indoors by a yard full of these buzzing insects, contact the New England pest control professionals at Big Blue Bug Solutions today. We can give you more information on our stinging insect control and our home protection plan for homeowners in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and parts of Eastern Connecticut.