Sometimes what we don’t know can hurt us, and in the subject of wasps and yellow jackets, we find a case where this is too true. Let’s start with the punch line: In North America, the common “paper wasp” – so named because they build their nests from a paper-like salivary secretion – is not very aggressive unless surprised. On the other hand, the yellow jacket is arguably the most dangerous stinging insect in the United States.
Most of us don’t need any further encouragement to be wary of these insect pests, and yet it makes sense to discuss the hazards before we detail their differences.
A Serious Threat
It is estimate that a quarter-million emergency room visits each year, and as many as 100 deaths, are because of an allergic reaction to stings from wasps, hornets, and yellow jackets. The experience is so painful, and often so surprising, that these death statistics may be under-reported, because heart attacks and other reactions can result. They are not to be confused with honeybees.
When stinging insects are searching for food or homebuilding materials, they are rarely aggressive – it is easy for them to avoid you in the open. Yet when their nests are threatened, they attack instantly and instinctively, releasing an alarm pheromone to attract other defenders to the fight. A coordinated attack on whoever surprised or threatened their home turf is a swarm, and the results can be a nightmare.
Neither One Friendly
While neither a wasp nor a yellow jacket is what you’d call friendly, the difference in their aggressiveness makes it a good idea to know the difference. As the term we adopted for fashion, “wasp-waisted” might imply, the wasp in North America is distinguished by a waist that appears to connect its head and thorax with just a narrow thread. And the kind we find in the U.S. is fairly monochromatic, mostly dark brown or black. (The varieties in Britain and Europe sport yellow and black stripes, making it harder there to tell the difference between wasps and yellow jackets.)
A key difference, too, is that wasp nests are often more visible than those of yellow jackets, which tend to make their nests near or below ground, beneath rocks, or landscape timbers, or splash blocks. So, the bad news is that the worst-tempered stinging insects are also the easiest to encounter accidentally.
Why They Call for Professional Treatment
Eliminating a wasp or yellow jacket nest calls for the exact behavior that gets people attacked. We could advise you to try it at night when they are less active, or to use a long extension pole for dusting the treatment, or wearing top-to-toe protection. But the best advice is to call in somebody who takes on this job professionally.
We offer a couple of guarantees to make this decision even easier. We guarantee your satisfaction 100% and we match any reasonable estimate of price. So, if these stinging things are on your mind, take it easy. Just call us at any of the numbers below.
- Greater Richmond area: 757-520-5381
- Greater Newport News area: 757-418-6035
- Greater Williamsburg area: 757-280-2997
