Wasps have been around since the Jurassic period and can quickly ruin your summer fun. Wasps might just be a nuisance to you, but there are some interesting facts that you should know about wasps to help you understand them better and deal with them in a more productive way when they start to take over your yard.
Social Wasp Nests Can Contain Up to 15,000 Wasps
Wasps are either social or solitary. Types of social wasps include yellow jackets, hornets and paper wasps. Solitary wasps include wasps such as mud daubers and potter wasps. Solitary wasps have small nest sizes, but social wasp nests can grow to incredible sizes. This can spell a disaster for you. By late summer after the wasps have been breeding, their nests can contain huge numbers of wasps. This is why is is particularly necessary that you get rid of a wasp's nest if you spot one in early spring or summer. By destroying the nest before the wasps have time to breed, you can prevent a wasp infestation in your yard.
Wasps Die During Winter
During the winter time, all wasps die except for the queens. When spring arrives the queens emerge and lay eggs to start up a new colony. If you notice a wasp queen, kill it immediately. This will prevent a new colony from starting. If you spot a wasp nest in the fall, you can wait until winter when all the other wasps are dead, destroy the nest and thereby destroy any queens that may be waiting in the nest for winter to pass.
Wasps Stings Can Trigger An Attack
One of the most problematic things about having a wasp nest in your yard is the fact that if you are stung by one, it can trigger a larger attack. When you are stung by a wasp, a certain pheromone is released. This pheromone signals to the other wasps to attack, as it signals an attack on the nest. If you are stung by a wasp, leave the area immediately in order to prevent further stings. After you are stung by a wasp, be sure to locate the wasp nest and destroy it in order to prevent more stings and aggressive attacks.
As interesting as wasps are, they can wreak havoc in your yard by terrorizing you while you are trying to spend time outside. If you notice an abundance of wasps or a wasps nest in your yard, instead of trying to deal with them yourself, contact a local pest control company to have them removed for you.
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