The Problem With Wasps
Wasps might look similar to bees, but the two insects are incredibly different. While bees are often happy to go about their business, wasps can view humans and animals as threats and bite or sting them. Wasps release a defense pheromone that attracts other nearby wasps, making a situation go from bad to worse in seconds. For this reason, it is important to use professional wasp control services when dealing with wasps. If you find a wasps’ nest on your property, call Earthwise Pest Management to take care of it. We proudly offer wasp control services in Stockton, CA, and all nearby areas.
How To Recognize Wasps
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Wasps are often bright yellow and black
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Wasps have a segmented body with a small waist
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Unlike bees, most wasps are smooth-bodied and hairless
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Wasps often live in paper nests near homes and buildings
All About Wasps & Wasp Removal Services
With over 30,000 species identified, wasps are a large group of insects. Many are familiar with them, yet they remain misunderstood. To most people, wasps are simply bees' less endearing counterparts, recognized by their yellow and black-striped abdomens that appear to spell danger. Despite their reputation for being aggressive, wasps pose less danger than we think. Nonetheless, if you're having a wasp problem or the surrounding areas, we've got you covered. Our wasp control services in Stockton, CA, and the nearby areas, are just a call away!
A Bit About Wasps
As we mentioned before, there are so many different species of wasps, but we base our knowledge of wasps around the few experiences we may have had with them: stinging black and yellow insects that swarm. The reality is, however, that most wasps are actually solitary non-stinging species. Regardless, they aren’t exactly the houseguests that you want. If you have a wasp nest near your house and think you might need wasp control services, it’s good to learn a little about the insect so that you know how to better approach them.
They’re Different From Bees
Bees and wasps, though often mistaken for one another, are extremely different insects. One of the first ways to differentiate between the two is their body types. Bees are known for being rounder and fuzzy, while wasps have distinguishable pointed abdomens and a tight “waist” separating the upper part of their body. Color variation is another notable difference between the two creatures. Bees typically display an alternating pattern of black and yellow, while wasps come in various hues.
The last big difference we will discuss is a major difference between the two. Wasps build nests, but they do not make honey. The hives in which bees live are designed to help them create the honey they’re well-known for. Wasps, on the other hand, build nests. Their nests are made from wood fibers and have a similar texture to paper. Their nests are made when wasps scrape wood fibers with their hard mandibles and chew them to a pulp. So if you spot a wasp’s nest, give us a call!
Avoid Swatting
Wasps carry venom that contains a pheromone that can incite aggression in nearby wasps. If one wasp is provoked or stings, surrounding wasps will pick up on this pheromone and may become more aggressive too. Therefore, it is best to let a wasp fly away when nearby, as confronting one could provoke a hostile reaction and attract more wasps, creating a potentially dangerous situation.
Wasps Can Sting Multiple Times
While some insects lose their stingers after a single sting, wasps are capable of stinging multiple times. If they feel threatened, they may return to strike again if you swat at them. Therefore, if you notice a group of these insects, it's better to call us for our specialized wasp control services rather than try to swat them away.
Cold Weather Kills Them Off
The good news about this insect is that cool weather is one of the things that kills them off. Around fall every year, wasps begin to die off. Almost all wasps are killed off by cooler temperatures, except for a few queens. The queen wasps will hibernate during the winter season, and when spring comes, they will start an entirely new colony, meaning plenty of people call us for Sacramento wasp removal come spring and summer!
Social & Solitary Wasps
Given that there are so many different species of wasps, you can anticipate that there are some big differences that make it clear which species is which. From color to size, there are so many ways to differentiate the species, but one of the major things that separate types of wasps is whether or not they are social or solitary.
Social Wasps
Social wasps account for roughly 1,000 of the different wasp species. This includes any colony-builder wasps, such as yellow jackets or hornets. When you imagine what we believe to be a “swarm” of wasps, the chances of them being social wasps are extremely high. These specific species of wasps will start a colony from scratch each spring with the help of a queen that has survived the winter. This queen wasp will build a nest and brood female workers. After this, the female wasps will continue to lay eggs in the cells of the nest and build up the colony. If you find wasps swarming near your home or commercial property, it could be a sign you’ll need our wasp control services in Sacramento, CA.
It's impressive to think that a wasp colony, started by a single queen, can grow to house up to 5,000 wasps by the end of summer. But at the end of the summer, the entire colony — including the initial queen — dies, and a newly fertilized queen will hibernate until the following spring.
Solitary Wasps
A majority of the wasp species are solitary wasps. These wasps do not form colonies. Though they make up a majority of the wasp species, very few people recognize them as wasps when they see them. Aside from solitary wasps not being a part of colonies, the other major difference you’ll see here is how they use their venom. Social wasps are known for using their stinger and venom as a defense method, but solitary wasps use them for hunting.
Since solitary wasps are not flying in colonies and are less likely to sting you, they are rarely seen as pests or even recognized as wasps. Some more commonly known solitary wasps are the cicada killers and the blue and orange tarantula hawks. These wasps can grow to be nearly 1 ½ inches long, which is extremely large compared to the average ½ inch length of the social wasps.
Recognizing a Queen Wasp
We’ve talked a lot about the queen wasp and the part they play in forming a colony, but would you be able to separate a queen wasp from the rest of a colony? Our wasp control experts in Sacramento certainly can! You will have to look at a few different things to determine if the wasp you’re looking at is a queen wasp or just another member of the colony.
- Time of Year — Depending on the time of year you’re seeing this wasp in Sacramento, you may be able to answer your own question immediately. All wasps but the queen wasp will die off at the end of fall, so if it’s early winter or late spring, chances are that you’re looking at the queen wasp.
- Size — If you notice this wasp in summer, the next thing you’ll want to consider to determine if it’s the queen wasp is the size. Queen wasps will look similar in color and nature but will be much larger than other wasps in the colony. If there are wasps nearby or immediately next to it, it should be clear whether or not this is the queen.
- Check for Company — Depending on the time of the year, you may see this wasp on its own or with a group of other wasps. Queen wasps are known for being more solitary than the rest of the colony, especially when fall is near. If you see a solitary wasp that still looks like a social wasp that would be in a colony, then there’s a good chance that it is the queen. Most queens will depart their nest at the end of the summer to find a place to hibernate (possibly in your home!), leaving the rest of their colony to die. This is why it is such a distinguishing feature to consider when determining whether this is the queen wasp or not. If a queen wasp does make it into your home, you will certainly want to give our Sacramento wasp exterminators a call!
Professional Wasp Treatment Services in Sacramento, CA
A telling sign that you have a wasp infestation and need professional wasp removal services is that you have found a nest near or on your home. As we’ve mentioned, these insects sting when upset, and though many are solitary insects, there are often other wasps nearby. If you notice a wasp nest near your home and want to eliminate the problem, then removing the nest is a great way to do so, but how?
There are a few different ways to go about removing a wasp nest. Some of the suggested methods included:
- Using a broom to knock it down.
- Using water to dampen the nest.
- Destroying it with a baseball bat.
- Burning it once it’s been knocked down.
If any of these methods sound like the last thing you’d like to do, then you understand why we don’t suggest doing them.
All of the methods that people have mentioned in blog posts and forums are far from a safe way to remove a wasp nest in Sacramento, and we strongly suggest avoiding them all. If you do have a wasp nest by your house, it’s time to call in the professionals for wasp control services. Our team believes in removing these pests in a responsible way that prioritizes the safety and well-being of all parties. Don’t try and do this on your own, contact our team of wasp exterminators in Sacramento for professional wasp treatment services, and we’ll get it taken care of for you.
Removing wasps on your own can be dangerous and is not suggested. If you have a wasp nest that you need to remove or a wasp infestation that needs to be taken care of, trust the Earthwise Pest Management team to provide you with wasp extermination services. We have years of experience working with all types of pests. We do our best to provide our customers with long-term solutions to their pest problems.
Want to see what some of our previous clients have said about their experience with our professional wasp treatment services? Check out our reviews and see for yourself just how important customer satisfaction is to our team.
About Our Company
Our owner, Joe Hawkins, has grown up around the industry and has had a vast knowledge of pest control from an early age. After years of working for other pest control companies, Joe finally decided that it was time to start his own business that focused solely on integrated pest control management. This specific type of pest control solution provides long-term solutions and in-depth inspections to ensure that pests don’t return to your home.
Integrated Pest Management – Our Method of Choice
There are so many ways to remove pests from the house, but integrated pest management (IPM) looks at pest removal in a responsible and long-term way. Sure, you could go ahead and remove the pests and leave them be, but when you do this, you are leaving the factors that made this an ideal space for pests in the first place. When pests find a site suitable for their living conditions that makes it easy for an infestation to occur, the chances of dealing with this pest down the road are high.
With integrated pest management in Sacramento, we complete a detailed inspection of the area so that we can understand what types of factors are making this an ideal space in the first place. We will look at all the breeding sites and harborage areas to really get an idea of how we can further approach the long-term removal of the pests.
That being said, the next step will require us to acknowledge the appealing parts of this area and determine how we will treat and prevent these pests from returning. With the wide variety of options for removing pests, we will work diligently to ensure that the pests are moved responsibly and that you are not left with pests to deal with, now or in the future.
Contact Our Team Today For Wasp Removal Services In Sacramento And Beyond!
Whether you’re ready to schedule wasp removal services today or need a consultation about wasp control services in Sacramento, CA, our team is happy to help. Browse the list of pest control services we offer and find the services that suit your needs. We are dedicated to providing exceptional customer service and a wide range of pest control options, including ants, moths, bed bugs, mosquito control, and more. We offer free consultations and a quick response, ensuring your mosquito problems are addressed promptly and efficiently. Then, contact our team and let us know how we can be of assistance!
Areas We Serve
Earthwise Pest Management proudly offers wasp extermination services to countless individuals in California. Browse the list below for areas we serve, and contact us today to book your services.
- Auburn
- Carmichael
- Citrus Heights
- Davis
- El Dorado
- Elk Grove
- Folsom
- Granite Bay
- Mather
- Natomas
- Orangevale
- Rancho Cordova
- Rocklin
- Roseville
- Sacramento
- West Sacramento
- Woodland