When temperatures start to warm up in South Portland, it is time to put winter behind us and start looking at all of the summer fun that can be had in our backyards.
Today, we're going to focus on how stinging insects can be managed to prevent them from ruining summer fun. Here are a few facts every South Portland resident should know.
The Types Of Stinging Insects You Can Encounter In South Portland
We only have two types of stinging insects in Maine. They are bees and wasps. "What about hornets" you may ask. You can put hornets into the wasp category, as all hornets are wasps.
In South Portland, the worst stinging insects are wasps and, in the wasp category, yellow jackets stand out as the worst of the worst. The reason for this distinction is that yellow jackets nest in voids. When they create a nest in a ground void on your property, the vibration from a lawnmower can create an angry swarm.
Yellow jackets also have the potential to surprise you when you're working on your landscaping. Paper wasps create aerial nests that can be seen if you know where to look, which makes them less likely to sneak up on you.
In the bee category, you're most likely to run into honey bees or carpenter bees in South Portland. Honey bees cause few problems and are considered highly beneficial insects. Carpenter bees can damage property but, when properly managed, they are also beneficial insects.
Helpful Wasp Prevention Tips
Early detection of wasp nests and wasp nest removal are the best ways to prevent trouble with wasps throughout the year.
- Paper wasps create their nests in the spring. If you catch these nests early enough, you can sweep them away with a broom during the day while the wasps are out gathering materials.
- Yellow jacket prevention is best done in spring as well. Fill in ground holes on your property to avoid ground nest creation and seal entry points that can allow yellow jackets to get into structural voids on your property.
You can do routine inspections and general pest maintenance to prevent wasp problems or have a licensed professional handle these tasks as part of a year-round pest control plan. One benefit of professional service is that your technician is geared and trained to remove fully-established nests.
Ways To Deter Hornets & Yellow Jackets
Along with filling in ground holes and sealing entry points that can allow yellow jackets and hornets to create nests on your property, there are a few other ways you can deter these pests.
- Keep trash sealed. Wasps are attracted to sources of protein.
- Clean receptacles. The scent of organic matter can attract wasps from a distance.
- Pick up after backyard cookouts. Wasps are attracted to food remnants.
- Address weed problems. The tiny flowers on certain weeds provide all the nectar a wasp or hornet could want.
These simple prevention tips go hand in hand with early nest removal. When you combine the two, you're not likely to have any trouble with wasps on your property this summer. Once again, you can handle these tasks yourself or you can contact Big Blue Bug Solutions for pest control in South Portland.
Professional Stinging Insect Control & Removal
When you need assistance with bee or wasp removal, or you'd like to have ongoing management of harmful pests, we're here to help. Reach out to Big Blue Bug Solutions to establish a pest control service plan for your South Portland home. We'll guide you toward the right solution for your specific needs and budget. You don't have to put up with unwanted encounters with wasps or bees.