Scientific Name: Polistinae
When paper wasps are in their natural habitat, they are pretty beneficial insects. They consume a large number of harmful pests like cut-worms and caterpillars. Problems arise when they decide to build their nests around your home. When people and wasps clash, the stingers will fly.
General Information:
Wasps range in color from red to yellow with black coloring. Paper wasps create their nests from chewed up plant material mixed with their own saliva. This combination creates the papery thin material you associate with paper wasps. When paper wasps create a nest, it is all about the location. They need a place that is safe from rain. One of their favorite locations is under the eaves of your home. If you have dense vegetation, they will build their nests deep inside. They become more aggressive during the late summer and fall. Unlike the honey bee, a paper wasp can sting you multiple times.
Signs of an Infestation:
The best sign of an infestation is finding the nest. Often they are located in hard to reach places high up under the eaves of your home. Their nests can become pretty large and house a number of wasps. We have also found their nests in hollow trees and inside the metal pipes of playground equipment.
Treatment:
Homeowners have been hospitalized from treating paper wasp nests, but it isn’t in the way you think. While being stung might be painful, homeowners seek medical attention because of chemical exposure. Unfortunately, many homeowners make the mistake of standing under the wasp nest while spraying. The chemical falls back onto their head, face and neck and is absorbed by their skin. Care should always be taken when using pesticides. That is where we come in, when you need professional paper wasp control; Pointe Pest Control is your answer. Our experienced, licensed technicians will come to your home ready to work. We’ll find the nests and eliminate the threat. With Pointe Pest Control on your side, you, your family and your pets will be safe.
Learn More About Stinging Pests:
Yellow Jackets, Hornets, Mud Daubers, Cicada Killers, Carpenter Bees