With their wings, antennae, and long legs, wasps are fearsome-looking pests. Known for constructing nests high in trees and even on the edge of roofs, wasps are also fairly dangerous with their venom, which is known for inducing painful swelling and other reactions. Thus the reason why many homeowners would like to have a better understanding on how to get rid of wasps, without using harmful poisons and staying protected.
Types of Wasps
Wasps come in two varieties: social and solitary. Some common types of social wasps include paper wasps and yellow jackets. Paper wasps are actually one of the most docile varieties of wasps; they build nests high up in trees and away from human contact. The nests are sometimes mistaken for those of bees, due to the similar honeycomb design. Yellow jackets, however, are extremely aggressive and territorial; they will continuously sting anything that poses a threat to their nest, often to the point where they end up getting killed in the process.
Solitary wasps are actually a beneficial grade of pests. They are identified by their mostly-solid black shade and penchant for feeding on other pests, like beetles and aphids. These wasps are relatively harmless and not as aggressive as social wasps.
How to do Wasp Control
Wasp control relies on proper identification of the wasp type. Although solitary and social wasps have similar feeding patterns, the number of wasps found in a nest can vary, which means the amount of pesticides or sprays used may need to be adjusted. In order to estimate how many wasps there are, wait for dusk or dawn, which is when the wasps return to their nest in high-traffic streams.
When doing a pest control operation against wasps, every inch of the body must be clothed and protected, particularly when going against social wasps. Tread slowly toward the nest and spray a pressurized pest control from a short distance. It should kill the wasps on contact.
Not all wasps build nests in trees; some social wasps tend to build them underground in abandoned areas. When the majority of pests have been killed, remove the nest by wrapping in a large plastic garbage bag and disposing it.