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. Extermination Options for Removing Bees There are three ways that you can deal with bees and yellow jackets in your walls: - Ignoring them. Yellow jackets are no doubt one of the more aggressive wasp species around. If threatened, they will sting. In fact, yellow jackets will sting more readily then most any other wasp. And since they can sting so over and over without loosing their stinger, it’s best not to irritate them. Unfortunately a simple reaction to one buzzing around your head, arm or leg can be enough to irritate it so be careful if you have any that seem attracted to you.Since yellow jackets use both vision and odor to find food, people will many times become the target of their focus. This is due to many reasons. People regularly sweat which yellow jackets love. They will readily seek the
salty moisture where they can find it and during warm hot dry spells, people become a prime target. - Inspect,Identify & Treat. Many people try to get rid of wasps, hornets, and yellow jackets to no avail. It can be tricky to prevent them from nesting in your yard or around your home. The best approach is to treat the nest as soon as it appears, so a small wasp problem does not turn into a bigger one. Inspecting your home and yard regularly for active nests is key to keeping large numbers of wasps from bothering you later in the summer. - 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. Ampm exterminators offers competitive rates on bee and yellow jacket removal services. Give us a call to learn more.