Wasps can be a real problem. Now is the time of year that you will start seeing them more often. They love the warmer weather just like us. Please find below some facts and interesting information about wasps:
- In the UK, there are over 20,000 different species of wasps. The German wasp and Common wasp are the species you are most likely to come into contact with
- They have bright yellow and black stripes on their tail ends, black thorax and yellow legs
- They are social insects-they live in a colony and all members have a specific job role
- The queen wasp will tend to choose to nest in trees, lofts, sheds and have been known to nest in the ground in abandoned rodent nests
- The nest is constructed by the queen initially with chewed up wood pulp and saliva. Once the queen begins to lay eggs, the colony take over the building and maintenance of the nest as well as looking after the young that the queen continues to produce
- Wasps can fly much faster than you can run!
- They are able to sting multiple times. This is because they do not lose their stinger like bees
- Wasps, like our beloved bees are very important to our ecosystem. They are great pollinators
- They eat flies, caterpillars and aphids. At the end of the summer, they are more drawn to sugary food sources. This will see them through the winter
- If a wasp feels threatened, it will emit a pheromone that signals to other wasps that there is danger and help is required
- It is best practice to not swipe at a wasp, this may be construed as an attack and you will be stung!
If you find a wasp nest in or around your home, please call in a professional to assess and deal with the situation. We are fully trained and qualified to make sure the problem is dealt with properly. There have been many instances over the years where individuals have felt that they are able to deal with a wasp nest without calling on a pest controller. This can be extremely dangerous without the correct protective equipment. As a result, people have ended up in hospital due to being stung so many times by wasps protecting their nest.
Give Devon Pest Control a call today!!
