It’s no fun getting stung. The average wasp doesn’t pose much of a threat to a healthy adult, but the pain of a wasp sting can cause even the toughest of us to fear these stinging insects. The problem is that wasps often attack in swarms, inflicting dozens of stings at once and posing serious harm to pets, children, and others. But how dangerous are the wasps in Northwest Arkansas?
About Wasps
Wasps aren’t all bad, but they certainly aren’t cute and cuddly, either. These predatory insects can range from 1/4 of an inch to over 1 inch in length and come in a variety of colors and shapes. Wasps are formidable foes for the pests in your garden and can take down spiders, crickets, ants, or virtually any other bug worth eating. While they are a helpful source of free pest control, they can make life difficult for property owners.
Wasps are outfitted with a venomous stinger which they can use multiple times. Although most wasps are solitary predators, some, like yellowjackets and paper wasps, tend to live in colonies with many members. There are a few important differences between wasps and their stinging insect cousins worth knowing.
Hornets are generally larger than wasps and usually live in nests with multiple members. While wasps sometimes construct underground nests, hornets prefer to build their homes in aerial locations like tree branches and the ceilings of porches.
Bees are usually smaller than wasps and noticeably rounder and hairier. Unlike wasps, bees can only use their venomous stinger once, which causes them to die. Wasps can pollinate flowers like bees, but the bees are unmistakably the more talented pollinators.
Are Wasps Dangerous?
As helpful as wasps can be in maintaining the balance in your local ecosystem, they can also pose a real danger. When you’ve got wasps on your property, caution is always the best option.
Wasps can be highly territorial and aggressive. When you trespass on their turf, you may find yourself surrounded by a squad of irritated insects ready to sting you into oblivion. Wasps aren’t known to transmit disease or parasites, but they do have a formidable weapon in the form of their stinger. One sting might not be dangerous, but many stings at once from a swarm of wasps can land you in the emergency room.
Individuals with wasp allergies are in serious danger if an active wasp nest is nearby. Pets, children, the elderly, and people living with chronic conditions are especially vulnerable to wasp attacks and may require medical attention if stung.
How To Prevent Wasps
As bad as wasps can be, preventing them from establishing a nest on your property is easy. With the right approach, you can drastically reduce the presence of stinging insects in your yard. Easy wasp prevention tips include:
Use natural wasp repellent. Herbs like thyme and lemongrass and flowers like geraniums and marigolds are a great addition to your garden if you want to repel wasps.
Keep trash covered. Be sure to keep a lid on your trash cans to prevent wasps from raiding food.
Don’t overplant. Wasps love sweet-smelling flowers and fruit trees. Be sure to limit the number of these plants on your property.
Do some landscaping. Keep hedges and bushes trimmed to reduce the presence of bugs that wasps prey on. Be sure not to overwater your lawn, as this can attract wasps.
If you spot an active wasp nest on your Northwest Arkansas property, don’t try and remove it yourself. Play it smart and call the wasp control experts at Rumble Pest Solutions for assistance. Get in touch with us today to learn more about how we can help you.