Cooper Pest Solutions Blog Can I Remove Wasps and Bees from My Doylestown, PA Property?

As you may have noticed, the bees and wasps are out in full force as we continue to progress through summer. The yellow jackets have also returned to place their stake in the remaining prime real estate on your property. Hornets are also buzzing throughout your yard making their presence known to you and your family members.With all these stinging insects around your home, you may be wondering if there is anything you can do to remove their nests? At Cooper Pest Solutions, we can help remove those nests from your Doylestown property with our Stinging Insect Removal services.Types of Stinging Insects that are Active in Summer and Early FallThere are several different stinging insects that are active throughout the summer and into the early fall months including wasps, yellow jackets, hornets and cicada killers. Each one of the stinging insects varies differently in their nesting habits, nest locations, and the danger they pose to your family.What is a Wasp and Where Do They Nest?Paper wasps are a common wasp for Doylestown and the surrounding areas. They are usually black or brown with yellow markings and are often mistaken for hornets or yellow jackets. Paper wasps are semi-social insects where they exist only in small colonies. Even though they are not nearly as aggressive as yellow jackets or hornets, they are capable of stinging multiple times if they feel you are disturbing their nest.As their name suggests, Paper wasps build their nests out of paper that was created from scraping and regurgitating wood in combination with their saliva. They are sometimes called "umbrella wasps" because the appearance of their nests resembles the shape of an umbrella.Paper Wasp "umbrella" nest under a deck rail Photo Credit: Cooper Pest SolutionsThere are some locations Paper wasps can construct their nest. They are often found on the underside of porch ceilings, the top of window and door frames, under soffits, behind shutters, inside attics, under or inside mailboxes, and many other places. The location for a paper wasp's nest can be virtually anywhere, which makes a wasp prevention service essential to eliminating the potential nesting locations from forming on your property structures.Yellow Jackets - Behavior and Nesting LocationsThere are over 16 different species of Yellow jackets in the US. Yellow jackets are known for their very aggressive demeanor. They get their common name for their black and yellow markings on their abdomen, but they can get mistaken for a hornet or wasp. One way to tell them apart is that Yellow jackets tend to look bulkier rather than the delicate-looking wasp.Wasp VS Yellow Jacket appearance comparison Photo Credit: UnivarSince Yellow jackets are very social insects that live in colonies or nests, this contributes to their aggressive, defensive behavior. Their nests can grow extensively throughout the summer as the eggs mature into adult workers. As the nest grows, combs form and the paper envelope of the nest also gets thicker and can contain as many as 1,000 to 4,000 workers!Most species of Yellow jackets will build their nests in the ground or in a wall void within your home. Yellow jackets can get very aggressive when people approach the nest and are capable of stinging multiple times. Extreme caution should be exercised if you see them flying in and out of a hole in your lawn, landscaped beds, or the exterior of your home. Never try to treat a yellow jacket nest on your own, not only is it very dangerous, if the nest is in a wall void you can create an even bigger problem as improper treatment will cause the yellow jackets to disperse throughout the walls resulting in yellow jackets showing up throughout the inside of your home.Yellow Jackets entering through a wall void on a home. Photo Credit: Cooper Pest SolutionsAs the summer comes to an end and the available food sources decline, Yellow jackets may be noticed around garbage cans or dumpsters seeking food. With their food sources declining, yellow jackets become even more aggressive during the late summer and early fall months. Sometimes during this time, yellow jackets may sting people for no apparent reason.What are Hornets and Where Do They Nest?The two most common type of hornets in our area are the Bald Faced hornet and the European hornet. Bald faced hornets are black with ash colored markings and are slightly larger than a yellow jacket. European hornets are reddish brown with yellow stripes on the abdomen and are very large (> ½"). Bold Faced Hornet (left) and European Hornet (right) are common in Doylestown, PA Photo Credit: WikipediaThe European hornet is a social insect and has a nest that typically contains an average of 200-400 workers. Hornets build "football" shaped nests made of paper. These nests are often seen hanging from a tree limb or in a bush/shrub. Nests can also be constructed in hollow trees, barns, wall voids, attics, and abandoned bee hives.Bold faced Hornet nest on a structure. Photo Credit: Cooper Pest SolutionsHornets are capable of stinging multiple times, are very aggressive, and will readily attic if threatened.Cicada Killers - What is Their Behavior and Where Do They Nest?Cicada killers are easily mistaken for hornets due to their large size. Unlike the other stinging insects, Cicada killers are solitary wasps. Even though there may be many present in a given location, they each have their own nest.Females will look for areas with bare ground or sparse grass to create their nest. They will excavate a sizable amount of soil, and she will pile it in front of the entry hole. Each female digs her burrow, which is about ½" in diameter, and can extend up to 10" deep with several branches of individual cells for individual eggs that she will lay. The burrows can further damage the weak turf by ruining the grass roots.As their name implies, females will hunt cicadas then paralyze them with her stinger. She then proceeds to drag it back to her nest where she puts the paralyzed cicada into a cell to feed her larvae.Cicada Killer dragging a paralyzed Cicada to her nest. Photo Credit: Cooper Pest SolutionsDespite their large and intimidating appearance, females generally do not sting unless handled or stepped on. Males are not capable of stinging, though they can be fairly territorial.What to Do If You See Wasps and Hornets on Your Doylestown, PA PropertyFirst and foremost, as with any pest that poses a danger to people, DO NOT treat the problem yourself! Since many of wasps and hornets, especially yellow jackets, can be aggressive, do not do anything that will aggravate the nest.Sometimes when you think you are addressing the problem with different DIY tactics, your efforts may actually be making the situation worse. If there is a nest on your home and you try to treat it yourself, you may drive the wasps or hornets deeper into your home, making it even more difficult to control. It is best to have a pest control professional address the nests because they have been properly trained in the removal of the nests.Call Cooper Pest Solutions for Your Stinging Insect ProblemsAt Cooper Pest Solutions, we understand the biology and behavior of all stinging insects, especially wasps and hornets. We know how important the safety of your family is, so we offer same-day or next-day nest removal services. Our expert technicians will come out to your home and safely remove the nests, and all of our Stinging Insect Removal services are fully guaranteed.If you have a nest on or around your Doylestown property, call us today at 1-800-949-2667 or fill out our web form. If you are concerned about wasps and would like to prevent them from nesting on your home, we also offer a Wasp Prevention Service in the early spring where we can treat your home, and this prevention service is also included in our Home Intensive Service.