When people think of wasps, they think of being stung and getting painful skin welts afterward. While that may be true, wasps are vital for our eco-system since they are responsible for pollinating a vast number of crops and flowers. Often mistaken for bees, yellowjackets are a form of wasp. They are more aggressive and smaller than bees. Yellowjackets have distinctive yellow and black markings, and you’ll usually seem them create nests on the ground. They are very engaged with one another and are comfortable living with thousands of other members as part of a colony.

Wasps have a recognizable head and a unique mouth used to chew. They also exhibit elbowed, short antennae and big compound eyes. The abdomen and thorax have a black body with red, yellow, or brown marks on it. Wasps have four smoky-brown or transparent wings and a lengthy stinger. Yellowjackets generally are approximately 3/8 to 5/8 inches long. Similar in appearance is the bald-faced hornet, although those are black and white and about 5/8 to 3/4-inches long.

Yellowjackets can be dangerous. They sting multiple times aggressively if they feel threatened. For those with allergic reactions, stings from a yellowjacket can cause severe reactions and perhaps even fatalities.

Yellowjackets are allured by dwellings with easy access to sources of water and food. They generally build nests on the ground but occasionally find their way inside a property and build nests behind walls or in attics. You may provoke a yellowjacket simply by disturbing its nest.

 After dealing with thousands of wasp nests, we strongly believe contacting a professional pest control technicians is the best approach when dealing with any wasp issues, especially when the nest can not be physically seen under ground, in the siding of your property, or under concrete steps. Contact Spartan Pest Control if you cant physically see the wasp nest as these next are typically harder to treat with domestic over the counter products

Should you choose to try and treat a wasp nest yourself, one should protect themselves from painful stings with layers of clothing and protective head gear. Chemicals purchased from local home hardware stores can “sometimes” work, but the nest must be hit directly with the spray saturating the entire hive, enough to penetrate to the middle destroying the queen and the majority of the workforce. The best time to treat a wasp nest is late evening when the wasps are less active.

If you have a yellow jacket problem, call Spartan Pest Control. We provide wasp control for residents in the Calgary area. Our technicians will remove yellow jackets from your household and stop them – and other stinging insects – from entering your home in the future. We provide Commercial Pest Control and Residential Pest Control.

1. Ensure all gaps and cracks around attic spaces, doors and windows are sealed up to prevent yellow jackets from accessing your property.
2. Have any holes in the ground filled up.
3. When you’re eating in the outdoors, keep your food sealed up and clean up right after you finish your meal.
4. Cover up sugary beverages.