Wasp Control
Guidelines for Wasp Control
Wasp control may be necessary for someone who is worried about wasps stinging children or others that may be allergic to a wasp sting. If wasps do not pose a serious danger to anyone, however, leaving them alone may be a good option. Wasps are beneficial insects since they prey on other insects. In general, wasps do not bother people unless they are threatened or disturbed.
The best route to successful wasp control is to just leave them alone. Avoiding the places where they nest will almost always protect a person from being stung. Try these tips for keeping wasps out of the home:
> Keep doors and windows closed and always keep screens on windows.
> Seal any openings where wasps and other pests may be getting into the home.
> Keep garbage cans closed tightly.
> Clean up any food or drink spills, especially outside
> Never leave food out.
For anyone who spends time outside, there are also steps that can be taken to avoid wasp contact when visiting their natural habitat:
> Wasps are particularly attracted to the colors white and yellow, so refrain from wearing these two shades on a picnic or when spending time outside.
> Other bright colors or big flower prints have been known to attract wasps.
> Wasps love flowers, and if you are wearing flowery perfume they will love you too.
> Never swat at a wasp. This only irritates them and will cause them to attack. Wasps are not aggressive unless their home is being threatened. If a wasp is flying around you, just be still. It will fly away when it realizes you are not a food source.
If a wasp nest is located in a high-traffic area near the house or somewhere inside the home, removing the nest may be the most viable option for both. Chemical wasp sprays are usually pretty effective at killing wasps; in fact most of them will instantly kill a wasp on contact. Caution is advised, however, when attempting to use sprays or chemicals for wasp control.
Certain wasps, like hornets and yellow jackets, live and build their nests in colonies. If their nests are threatened, these wasps will become very aggressive with stingers at the ready. Large wasp nests can house thousands of wasps at any given time, so if the nest is destroyed in any way while the wasps are living, they will swarm en masse and attack whatever has destroyed their habitat.
Wasp stings in general are not dangerous unless a person has an allergic reaction, but even a non-allergic person can be serious injured when subject to multiple wasp stings. And that is exactly what would likely happen if you are the one who destroys the nest. So never knock down a wasp nest that has live wasps inside. For large wasp problems, it is a good idea to get professional help to avoid unnecessary wasp wars.