How to Protect Yourself From Bees and Yellow Jackets Ouch! A sting from a bee or a yellow jacket can be incredibly painful, and for thousands of people, stings can even be deadly. Your risk of suffering a bee or yellow jacket sting is much greater if you end up with these insects in your home. All it takes is one landing on you while you sleep or when you're busy around the house for you to end up stung. Bees and yellow jackets can both take up residence in the walls of your home. Here's what to do about this common problem: Do You Have Stinging Insects in the Walls? Of course, you first need to know you have a bee or yellow jacket infestation in your walls before you can take action. Finding the insects in your house or seeing many of them in a specific area outdoors is the most common sign. Perfectly round holes in wood that are less than an inch in size are also signs of bee and yellow jacket infestations. If a colony is large enough, you may even be able to hear the bees or yellow jackets buzzing. Identifying Bees and Yellow Jackets If you suspect that you have a bee or yellow jacket colony living in your walls, you need to determine what type of insect you're dealing with. There are a few different types that might choose to call your walls home: - Bumble bees are large and have round abdomens that are covered with stripes of yellow and black fuzz. - Honeybees are small and are usually golden brown or black in color with thin stripes of fur on their abdomens. - Yellow jackets are not furry at all. They feature bands of black and yellow stripes on their body, and their abdomens are more pointed than a bee's. Options for Removing Bees There are three ways that you can deal with bees and yellow jackets in your walls: - Ignoring them. If you have honey bees or bumble bees, you can simply wait out the colony. These bees are not likely to be aggressive and will usually vacate the walls by the end of the summer season. Bees don't return to the same nesting spot year after year, so if you fill in any holes, you can avoid re-infestations. Yellow jackets are more dangerous and should be dealt with. - Relocating them. If you have honeybees, a beekeeper or bee relocation service may be able to move the colony for you.
- Killing them. Many homeowners choose to eradicate bees and yellow jackets due to concerns about stings. Due to the risks involved, it is best to leave this to a professional. A pest control professional can inspect your property to locate the colony and then choose the right chemicals to fully eliminate the colony. He or she can also provide you with advice as to how to prevent re-infestation in the future. Typically, the cost of this service will be between $100 and $700, depending on the type of insect, the size of the colony and how easy it is to access. COMPANY NAME offers competitive rates on bee and yellow jacket removal services. Give us a call to learn more.