AVOIDING SUMMER STINGERS

Franklin Pest Solutions Michigan City reminds people to take extra precautions to guard against stinging insects

The summer and early fall are popular times for people to flock outdoors to enjoy the summer sun. Unfortunately, it is also the most active and aggressive season for stinging insects including wasps and yellow jackets, warns Franklin Pest Solutions, a pest management company servicing northwest Indiana, Lafayette, New Albany and Louisville, KY.

The Threat

“Whether completing home maintenance projects or attending a holiday cookout, anyone spending time outside during the warmer months is likely to encounter stinging insects,” said David Sloop, branch manager for Franklin Pest Solutions Michigan City IN. “These pests are known to dole out painful stings, which can be life-threatening to people who have an allergic reaction.”

In fact, the National Pest Management Association, a nonprofit organization committed to the protection of public health, food and property from household pests, reports that stinging insects send more than half a million people to the emergency room every year.

How to Avoid Getting Stung This Summer

“It is important that people don’t provoke stinging insects by swatting at them. Instead, they can take a few extra precautions to prevent an unwanted encounter with these pests,” added Sloop.

Experts at the NPMA offer the following tips to avoid being stung:

• Ensure all doors and windows in your home have screens that are in good condition.
• When dining outside, keep food covered until ready to eat.
• Remove garbage frequently and keep trashcans covered.
• Wear shoes, especially in grassy areas.
• Overseed grassy areas to get better coverage, as this will deter ground-nesting insects.
• Paint/stain untreated wood.
• Avoid wearing sweet-smelling perfumes.
• Do not swat at a stinging insect as it increases the likelihood of an aggressive reaction.
• Seek immediate medical attention if stung, as reactions can be severe.
• Do not attempt to remove a hive or nest on your own.

Bee vs Wasp

The fuzzy ones are typically not as aggressive as the other kinds. 🙂 Here’s some info on the most common stingers you’ll see over the next couple of months:

Paper Wasp Control

Paper wasps have a browinsh/yellow striped patterned body. They hang their comb nests from twigs and branches of trees and shrubs, porch ceilings, the tops of window and door frames, soffits, eaves, attic rafters, deck floor joists and railings, etc. In the autumn, inseminated females will seek places to spend the winter, and may find their way indoors, especially if there is a cathedral ceiling present.

Yellow Jacket Control

Yellowjackets are black and yellow striped, and can be found anyplace humans can be found. Check near recycling bins or other areas where sugars are common but keep in mind these pests also feed on protein. Yellowjackets become more aggressive in autumn when the colony begins to die out except for the queen. They are able to sting repeatedly, so they are more dangerous than other stinging insects.

Bald Faced Hornet Control

Black and white in color, bald-faced hornets are aggressive and will attack anyone or anything that invades their space. They make basketball sized nests that look like gray paper mache. This makes bald-faced hornet removal somewhat difficult. They have smooth stingers, so they can sting over and over again. Their stings also carry venom that makes the stings hurt, itch, or swell for about 24 hours. Humans are at the same risk of allergic reactions from a Bald-faced hornet stings as with other insect stings.

Stinging Insect Control

Rather than risking stings this summer, contact your local pest professionals to ask them about what they can do to eliminate populations of bees and wasps. Franklin Pest Solutions offer a variety of treatments to remove nests as well as prevent stinging insects from building hives on the structure of your home. We offer one time treatments as well as an ongoing maintenance plans for stinging insect control Indiana. Feel free to get a free quote from us today!

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For more information on stinging insects, visit www.franklinpestsolutions.com.