While the hot and dry weather conditions in many parts of Canada have been good for curbing the surge of mosquito populations, the menacing wasps and yellow jackets are on the move across the country.

Wasps love the long, scorching days and muggy evenings of summer just as much as humans do. They thrive in this weather because it ensures better breeding conditions and higher survival rates for the insects they feed on. We’ve already seen a significant rise in wasp inquiries over the past few weeks, and as temperatures continue to rise, causing an increase in the number and size of wasps’ nests, we expect the number of wasp-related problems to rise substantially.

Should You Be Concerned?

What most people get anxious about when it comes to stinging insects is the painful sting and bite they can inflict when feeling threatened, which is especially dangerous for those who have strong allergic reactions to their venom. Wasps are particularly feared because they can deliver multiple stings at once (unlike bees, who die after delivering a single dose of venom), and they can do so even if unprovoked.

While most wasps have a diet comprised mostly of insects and arthropods such as caterpillars, flies, crickets, and grubs, some species of wasps – particularly the common yellowjacket wasp (Vespula vulgaris) and the German yellowjacket wasp (Vespula germanica) – have adopted scavenger habits. That means they will seek to supplement their usual diet of live prey with scavenged (non-living) food, which will cause them to:

• Build larger nests. Scavenger species of wasps tend to build larger nests that house many more workers and can survive longer into the fall compared to non-scavenger species. Some researchers believe that their scavenger habit has allowed them to have an ecological advantage over strictly predatory species and also to spread more rapidly into new regions.
• Come into contact with people more often. Scavenger yellowjacket species are also more likely to come into contact with people as they are constantly foraging for food in compost piles, garbage receptacles, and other potential food sources. Their activity is most intense in the vicinity of patios, parks, and picnic areas where plenty of sugary and high-protein food is available. When scavenging at picnic or outdoor meals, wasps can crawl inside soda cans and ripe fruit and sting the inside of the mouth and throat.

Although wasp nests don’t usually leave any damage behind, the presence of a colony on your property means damage is already there. Wasps will take advantage of cracking or rotting wood to slip inside your house, facilitating the entry of other pests, as well. Many yellowjackets prefer building their papery, ball-shaped nests under the eaves of the roof or to the underside of the overhangs of roofs. However, if there is extensive roof damage that allows moisture to infiltrate and warp the boards, wasps can easily find their way inside the house, where they may establish nests in attics and wall voids.

Greenleaf’s Wasp Nest Treatment: Safe, Effective, and Eco-Friendly

It’s impossible to guess how many thousands of wasps might be in a nest, and trying to tackle it yourself can prove painful and sometimes fatal. A mature wasp nest discovered in late summer almost always presents a health hazard, requiring professional treatment as wasps can be extremely aggressive and will sting en masse to protect their colony. Besides, any pesticides or other control methods commercially available cannot be successfully used without first determining the location of the nest in relation to people, pets, and property.

At Greenleaf Pest Control, we offer complete and environmentally-friendly wasp nest removal solutions.

• Our licensed technicians are well-versed in identifying the specific species of stinging insects on your property.
• All technicians use special protective gear that allows them to perform the treatment and removal of the nest in safe conditions.
• We provide customized control methods –traps, mechanical and insecticidal control, physical removal – based on the location of the nest and its proximity to human activity.
• We offer exclusion, sanitation, and repair services to reduce the number of entry points for wasps and other insect pests.
• We provide expert advice and preventative treatments in potential nesting sites to ensure that nests will not be rebuilt in treated areas.
• We currently offer 10% off on all wasp treatments.

We take all wasp problems very seriously and are committed to ridding your property of stinging insects and their nests as soon as possible. Call 416.­998.9473 or send us a message by filling out this form and we will make sure your home and property will be wasp-free and your family safe from the threat of stings.

 

About the Author

Daniel Mackie, co-owner of Greenleaf Pest Control, is a Toronto pest control expert well-known as an industry go-to guy, an innovator of safe, effective pest control solutions, and is a regular guest on HGTV. Mackie, along with business partner Sandy Costa, were the first pest control professionals in Canada to use detection dogs and thermal remediation for the successful eradication of bed bugs. In his free time, he is an avid gardener.