Red mud wasps are a common pest for homeowners throughout the Pacific Northwest. They can invade your yard, creating nests in trees and gardens around your property. While they are not as aggressive as some other types of wasps, they will attack if they think their hive is threatened. They are capable of swarming and stinging you repeatedly, causing a potentially dangerous allergic reaction in some people. Rather than risk your safety by attempting to eradicate them on your own, call in the experts at Pointe Pest Control instead.
What is a Red Mud Wasp?
Red mud wasps are a common type of stinging insect. They are a form of paper wasp, named for their red color and with a body shape that measures roughly one to 1.5 inches long. They are commonly found in wooded areas and in yards where there are plenty of flowers, gardens, and trees. They make their homes in these locations, building nests with a papery substance they create with wood and plant fibers, which they chew and then regurgitate. These nests often resemble an umbrella shape and can typically be seen hanging from tree or plant branches by a single strand of material.
Red mud wasps are commonly busy throughout the spring and summer months, breeding and gathering food for the colony. Unfortunately, while they typically die off over the winter, the queen can survive the cold weather months and will wait in the nest to begin rebuilding the colony in the spring. This means that a single nest can be reused over and over through the years. This is just one of the many reasons why removing a red mud wasp nest should be your top priority.
Red Mud Wasp Elimination
Locating the nest is the first step in pest elimination. It is best done early in the season before it has a chance to grow in size and becomes populated with worker wasps who are likely to swarm and sting anyone who approaches. However, our pest control experts can help you deal with an infestation at any time of the year, including over the busy summer months when an infestation is likely to be at its worst. During these times, a single nest may contain thousands of red mud wasps.
At Pointe Pest Control, our professionally trained technicians wear special protective gear while they locate and remove red mud wasp nests from your property. The methods we use to eradicate these pests permanently from your yard include:
- Spraying aerosols and liquids in and around the nest, killing red mud wasps on contact;
- Applying powders to areas surrounding the nest, which coats the red mud wasp and gets transported inside the hive;
- Once the colony has been treated, our pest control experts can then remove the nest completely, keeping a new round of red mud wasps from breeding there in the future.
Depending on the size of a red mud wasp infestation, it may take several visits before we can safely remove the nest. However, you can count on us to complete this process in the quickest amount of time possible, so that you and other members of your home do not get stung.
The Dangers of Attempting to Eliminate Red Mud Wasps on Your Own
There are some products on the market that offer a ‘do-it-yourself’ way to remove red mud wasps from your property. Unfortunately, in addition to proving ineffective in eliminating red mud wasps, they also contain dangerous chemicals that can harm you and others when applied improperly. There are also purportedly ‘natural’ remedies for killing wasps as well, such as using peppermint oil, vinegar, or pouring boiling water over the nest. As all these remedies require you to get close to the colony, they carry a high potential for danger.
Red mud wasps give off a pheromone when attacked, which acts as an alarm and can cause other wasps in the colony to swarm. As each one is capable of stinging you multiple times, it can pose a serious risk to your health. The Washington Department of Health (DOH) warns that red mud wasp stings can cause severe allergic reactions, with symptoms that include:
- Swelling on the face and mouth;
- Tightening of the throat, which causes problems swallowing;
- Feelings of being lightheaded or fainting;
- Difficulty breathing and shortness of breath.
Schedule a Free Consultation With Pointe Pest Control Today
Rather than risking your health by attempting to deal with a red mud wasp problem on your own, bring in our pest control professionals. To schedule a free consultation, call one of our local offices or contact Pointe Pest Control online today.
