Yellowjackets, hornets, and wasps are considered ‘social insects’ because they all live in colonies and generally get along with each other. But that doesn’t mean they are friendly or social towards people! They can act downright unfriendly, and if they feel their colony is being threatened in any way, they present a real danger. Large numbers of them can quickly come boiling out of a nest and attack an intruder.

Even vibrations from a lawn mower, or walking near a ground nest, or a family pet poking around a nest, can disturb social wasps and cause them to attack. Some nests of social wasps can be quite large—one unusual nest in Florida had grown to contain a million adult wasps!

Wasps that don’t live in colonies are known as ‘solitary wasps’. Most can sting, but fortunately, they tend to be less aggressive, and they don’t mass attack. To help prevent wasp problems, screen and weather-strip doors and windows to keep these pests outside. Pick up and dispose of ripe fruit under trees that they can scavenge on.

If you or anyone in your family, or friends who visit you, are allergic to insect stings, all nests of these insects on your property need to be controlled. If there are no allergies or pets, some homeowners choose to have us control just those nests that are most likely to result in stings—all social wasps, and all wasp nests next to a window or door, near a patio, or near a walkway. If you discover nests of stinging insects, call us—we are experts in controlling these sometimes angry and dangerous pests.