The Nitty Gritty on Wasps and Yellow Jackets

Spring and Summer bring all sorts of happy and lovely things like flowers, sunshine, and warm days spent outside. With all the nice weather brings something not so pleasant…an abundance of insects out to bother you. One particular insect that is towards the top of the “Most Loathed Insects” list is the wasp or the yellow jacket. To best understand them, here are a few of the most common questions about these insects.

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Are yellow jackets bees or wasps?

Yellow jackets are commonly mistaken for bees because they are yellow and similar in size but they are wasps. Compared to bees, they appear hairless, almost shiny while a honeybee is rather fuzzy. Yellow jackets also have a distinctive black and yellow pattern in comparison with the telltale stripes of a bee. A honeybee has a peaceful, easy way of flying while a yellow jacket’s flight is erratic and rapid with side to side motions.

What do yellow jackets eat?

These wasps feed on human food, mostly meat and sweet things. If you have exposed trash, yellow jackets love this and will have a buffet in your garbage can. Also, if you have fruit trees in your yard with fallen fruit on the ground, wasps will gobble this up. Keeping the ground and trash cans maintained eliminates a huge food source for them.

What are yellow jacket nests made of?

Unlike bees who produce a waxy substance that they make their hive from, wasps and yellow jackets chew wood and plant substance into a papery pulp that they make their hives with. You’ll recognize their hives by the gray color and paper-like texture.

Do yellow jackets sting or bite?

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If a yellow jacket feels threatened, it will sting and bite you. Unlike a honeybee, it can sting and bite over and over again. Bees will only sting if they know serious harm is upon them and their sting is a last ditch effort to protect their hive, because once they sting you, they’re dead. A yellow jacket is not like this. It can sting over and over and it will do so out of mere annoyance that you are simply too close to their hive or just bothering them.

Got yellow jackets? Time for serious wasp control!

Pointe Pest Control are your experienced and trusted wasp control experts. Keeping your yard free of yellow jackets this summer will keep your backyard summer picnics and carefree gardening days free of aggravating, pain inflicting frustration. Pointe Pest Control is the solution to this problem. Don’t risk your health and safety by trying to get rid of them yourself. We have the tools necessary to do this safely. Call us today to keep your family protected this summer.

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