Hornet and Wasp Problems

Hornets, wasps and yellow jackets can cause a number of problems around your greater Atlanta home. These stinging insects are known for making annual nests around property, and, when provoked, they can all sting you multiple times without losing their stingers!

Hornets, Wasps, Yellowjackets and your Home

One of the first ways that you may discover that you have a colony of these insects is if you see a nest. Wasp nests tend to be smaller and the cells appear more open. Look for them under eaves, soffits, gables and vents of the roof or in corners. Hornets and yellow jackets can both create large, self-contained nests with thousands of stinging insects in them. They can hang off of a gutter, window frame or other outstretched item similar to a branch.

Hornets, wasps and yellow jackets can all build cavity nests as well. They can form colonies inside your walls, cavities in unused outbuildings, chimneys or attics. In this case, you will only see them flying in and out of the entrance hole. If you see this, don’t plug the hole. This will encourage them to find another exit, which could lead into your home instead.

Stinging Insects and Your Health

Life-threatening allergies are one major reason to remove all nests from your home and yard. People with insect allergies can suffer from symptoms from swelling to closing airways. If you are not allergic, you will still find stings to be painful and to often cause swelling to the immediate area. This can be treated orally with Benadryl and topically with a poultice of baking soda and water.

Where do Stinging Insects Go in the Winter?

Unlike honeybees, which will colonize the same area year after year, wasps and hornets make a new nest each year. Only the queen survives, and as the weather turns she will head somewhere to provide shelter throughout the cold months. When the spring returns, she will find a new location for a nest, and begin to lay eggs in the initially formed cells. This means that if you find an old, abandoned wasp’s nest, there is no risk of it being recolonized. However, these areas are good places to watch in the future for new nests.

Urban Wildlife Control has the necessary protective gear and equipment to treat any be problem in Atlanta, Alpharetta, Roswell, Marietta, Duluth, Milton, Sandy Springs and other surrounding suburbs. Give us a call today, don’t risk your personal safety attempting this dangerous work on your own.