Spring is here! It’s so much fun to get outside and enjoy the wonderful spring season. Whether you enjoy throwing the football around with your family, sharing backyard BBQs with friends, or reading a novel on the porch, we can all agree that spending time outside in spring is fun! But what could ruin all of these activities? A stinging insect. All it takes is one little sting to ruin the fun.
The most common stinging insects in the South Carolina area are paper wasps and yellow jackets. Though their stings may feel pretty much the same, there are a few distinctions between the two that are important for homeowners to know. Paper wasps are brownish and have either yellow or red markings/stripes. They are about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch long. Their nests are made out of gray/brown paper-like material and have open honeycombs. Yellow jacket bodies are segmented and they have very long wings and a hairless body. They are usually 3/8 to 5/8 of an inch long and they are yellow and black colored.
These insects show up on your property in the spring for two primary reasons: to pollinate and to create nests. Each spring, they emerge to create new nests and lay eggs. What draws them to your property in the first place? For starters, they may be attracted to homes where food is left out frequently, particularly sweets and proteins (meat). They may also be attracted to homes with a lot of places to pollinate…so any homes with a lot of flowers and gardens may see more wasps and yellow jackets than properties that don’t.
Another way in which these two insects differ from each other is the level of danger that they pose to homeowners and their families. Paper wasps have smaller colonies than yellow jackets and are usually not aggressive—they only sting if they feel that their nest is being threatened. Yellow jacket stingers don’t detach after one sting, meaning they can sting multiple times in one incident. In addition to this, when one is killed or attacked, they release pheromones to alert other yellow jackets to come help. You can get in a real predicament with these guys. Both of their stings can be very painful and can cause serious allergic reactions.
Spring is supposed to be about enjoying time outside…not about being afraid of getting stung in your backyard. When it comes to protecting your home and family against stinging insects, Aiken Pest Control has got you covered. These pests can be extremely dangerous to deal with and should only be handled by a professional. Our trained technicians have the experience needed to properly, and safely, eliminate any problems you may be having. If you live in Aiken, Central Savannah River, and other select parts of South Carolina, we can offer home pest control solutions that are quarterly, customized, comprehensive, and satisfaction guaranteed.
Don’t let these pests ruin your springtime fun, contact Aiken Pest Control today!