When the weather gets warm and the flowers start to bloom, stinging insects take to the skies. While the spring and summer open us up to more outdoor activities, the last thing we want to be worrying about is bugs stinging us and ruining our fun in the sun. Here’s all you need to know about keeping stinging wasps off your property.
What Wasps Are Around?
The category of wasp includes all kinds of flying, stinging insects. Knowing which ones are most common to the area will help you know what actions you can take, specifically, to prevent them from coming near you and your pets:
- Bees: A lot of people don’t count bees in the category of “wasp” but they absolutely are, and the lethal allergies that some people have to their stings make them a serious problem.
- Yellow Jackets: The common and feared stinging insect, these guys don’t die after one sting as many bees do. Just like bees, however, the chemical in their venom can cause dangerous allergic reactions.
- Paper Wasps: So-called for their papery, umbrella-shaped nests, paper wasps typically only sting if provoked. However, they proliferate quickly, and invading their territory becomes easy to do when a property gets overrun.
Wasps: The Good And The Bad
Despite their dangerous reputation, wasps are actually an important part of the environment. Many of them are pollinators, helping to populate the land with decorative flowers and key crops. Yellow jackets and paper wasps even hunt many of the insects that are responsible for drought and crop failure, like weevils, cicadas, and locusts. Without wasps, the world would be a far uglier place.
However, while they have their place in nature, wasps certainly don’t mix well with people and everybody wins when their populations are kept separate from the places where we gather. If provoked, wasps will sting to protect their territory, and some varieties of wasp can be downright aggressive. No one likes getting stung, but those with allergies to wasp stings can have costly and fatal reactions. It’s better to be on top of prevention than have to deal with the consequences of a wasp infestation.
Yard Protection 101
So, what can you do to keep them away from your yard? The following are some helpful tips:
- Landscaping: Insects of all kinds rest their wings by landing on tall grasses or overhanging limbs and leaves. Keeping a well-trimmed yard will not only prevent landing pads for wasps themselves but also the bugs they hunt.
- Moisture control: Insects need moisture for survival and procreation, so standing pools and puddles in your yard act as gathering grounds for pests. Proper drainage is important.
- Professional treatment: Why put it all on yourself to stay on top of the things that might keep wasps away when you can turn to professional resources that will keep all kinds of insects off your property.
Partnering with your local pest professional for seasonal or year-round lawn treatment can let you rest assured that all kinds of pests are being held at bay.
Professional Wasp Protection
The dangers of a wasp infestation on your property are too great to try and go it alone. That’s why the responsible thing to do is to turn to the experts for complete pest prevention. At M.A.D. Exterminators, we can keep all kinds of pests from infesting your yard and make sure that the outdoors is your domain, not the bugs’. It’s better to spend money on effective treatments than on ongoing prevention that may only cover up the problem rather than solve it.
For more helpful prevention tips, or to get started on our complete lawn care solutions, call M.A.D. Exterminators today.
