Have You Been Stung by a Yellow Jacket This Year? 

Ouch, I feel for you!

We had a very early start this year with wasps and yellow jackets. Our early warm spring that continues into a sweltering, consistently hot summer, led to population EXPLOSIONS of these nasty pests. While yellow jacket stings can really pack a wallop, they can also lead to other serious problems. There can be varying degrees of allergic reactions to their sting and in some cases can become fatal.  It is important to see a doctor if you begin to have a reaction after you have been stung.

Hidden dangers.

This time of year, they have formed pretty good size nests and are very aggressive while seeking nourishment for their colony. The most dangerous nests are the ones we don’t see. These can be in siding and ceiling cavities, within our homes, or underground. Treating these types of nests can be very tricky and dangerous. Having the correct tools, products, knowledge, and safety equipment are the most important aspects of exterminating these dangerous nests where we live, and our children and pets play.

We recently treated a ground nest where a couple’s son and his friends play basketball.  It was hidden in the ivy, on the hillside in range of an errant jump shot. We saw the nest while performing an ant treatment at the property, and informed the homeowner. They thanked us profusely for finding and treating the nest, as it was unbeknownst to them….and their son’s friend is highly allergic!

Another dangerous ground nest we found last week was in the backyard of a house where a couple’s young daughter had a small swimming pool. The nest couldn’t have been more than 5 feet from where the pool was! We were already at this house to treat a yellow jacket nest in a siding cavity at the front of the house. The homeowner requested we take a look around for other nests. We were able to spot and extinguish the nest before anyone was harmed.

Keep your eyes open.

LIND PEST CONTROL INC. performs treatments of this type several times each day.  There is a story behind each one and most have happy outcomes. A few have learned the hard way that they have a nest by being stung. Fortunately, this year, we have not run into a situation where an unsuspecting person or pet has been seriously injured by multiple stings. We still have a couple of months to go for our wasp season.

Each day their nests grow tenfold and they become more aggressive. Please keep a constant eye out for areas of concentrated yellow jacket activity in and around your home. Consider having a professional out to your house to give it the “once over”. We offer one-time perimeter sprays and or preventive maintenance sprays for spiders, ants, and other ground crawling insects.  We are glad to inspect the area during this service and make sure your family and pets are safe from these harmful pests.