Yellow jackets should not be messed with. They are often associated with honey bees, but are much more aggressive, their bodies are different, and where you find one, you can easily find thousands more. The more you know about them, the easier it will be for you to prevent them.
What Does a Yellow Jacket Look Like?
They look similar to bumble bees, but their wings rest off to the sides of their bodies, and their bodies are much slimmer than the bumble bee’s. Yellow jackets do not have much hair on their bodies as bees do. Yellow jackets are about 9 mm to 16 mm long when fully grown. The most common color scheme for these stinging insects is black and yellow though some species may be white and black.
What Do Their Nests Look Like?
These crafty insects spin large nests out of paper and saliva. Yellow jackets are social insects, which means they live among hundreds or thousands of other yellow jacket wasps. Their nests can have between 500 and 1,500 compartments in their nests, which offer shelter all throughout the year. They won’t die off during the mild winters in Texas.
Where Do Yellow Jackets Nest?
It is common to find these sneaky creatures nesting on the ground as they are ground-dwellers. Cracks in sidewalks, under sheds, under porch steps, under decks, and within woodpiles are all ideal places for these stinging insects to establish their nests.
However, you may also find their nests up off the ground. Some awnings, low branches, playground sets, and yard decorations can attract nesting yellow jackets. It is not uncommon to see nests in and around vents, exhaust areas, and building cavities either.
What Do They Eat?
These daring insects have a sweet tooth. The wasps have a broad diet and are opportunistic feeders, meaning they will often eat whatever is available at the time. They will feast on flies, bugs, grubs, and other gardening menaces. Their diet isn’t limited to creepy crawlies though. These scavengers are also attracted to garbage, leftover food, opened sugary drinks, meat, and fish. No food outside is safe when yellow jackets are hanging around!
Are Yellow Jackets Aggressive?
Yes, they are dangerous. They aggressively defend their nests, and they congregate in colonies of a thousand or more insects. Yellow jackets do not normally sting if they are unprovoked, but any aggravation or perceived threat can get them stinging. Wasp stings are painful, and they can cause an allergic reaction or death in individuals who are allergic to the venom. And unlike bees, they can sting more than once.
Does Innovative Pest Control Help With Yellow Jackets?
Innovative Pest Control offers extensive pest management services to control and get rid of a wide range of stinging insects, including yellow jackets. To get started, give our pest control experts a call or contact us online about scheduling a visit from a yellow jacket control expert to help keep you and your family safe.
How to Prevent Yellow Jackets
To prevent invasions and to protect your family, here are a few tips for dealing with these aggressive wasps:
- Cover food and drinks when spending time outside.
- Keep garbage bin lids closed and move them a distance away from your home.
- Use an aerosol insecticide to kill wasps looking to nest.
- Cover any cracks, crevices, holes, and voids in the exterior of your home.
- Clear up any yard debris from around your property.
The best way to prevent and eliminate yellow jackets in East Texas is to call the professionals at Innovative Pest Control and invest in a thorough stinging insect control plan to exterminate wasps and their nests. Partner with IPC today, serving Tyler, Flint, Lindale, Jacksonville, Mineola, and East Texas.