Are you seeing flying insects around your property? Stinging insects such as paper wasps, mud wasps, hornets, and yellow jackets are most active in the summer months in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Before you try to take care of wasp nest removal on your own, follow this guide to answer the common question of “Do I have wasps?”
How to tell if you have wasps
Let’s start with the nest. Which type of nest are you seeing?
Photo Credit: lockhaven.com
Paper Wasps
Nest: Resembles an upside down umbrella with a honey comb pattern.
Insect: Brownish orange or yellow and black. 3-4 inches in length.
Behavior: Not inherently aggressive, but will sting if provoked.
Photo Credit: 18669 No Bugs
Mud Wasps
Nest: Long, thin tubes OR looks like mud was thrown at a wall and splattered.
Insect: Defining feature is their thread-like waist. Can be blackish blue or have yellow and black stripes. Legs hang below the body when they fly.
Behavior: Not likely to sting as they are solitary wasps.
Photo Credit: UW Madison Department of Entomology
Hornets
Nest: Football-shaped. Large and grey.
Insect: Yellow and black or brownish red.
Behavior: Large populations live within each nest. They are aggressive and will sting if provoked.
Yellow Jackets
Nest: Nest is typically not visible because it’s in the ground.
Insect: ½ inch long with long narrow waist. Black and yellow.
Behavior: They nest together in the thousands and constantly travel in and out of their nest in the ground like planes going in and out of an airport. Aggressive and more likely to sting.
Why do I have a wasp nest?
In spring and early summer, they return to create their nests and grow their colonies. Most wasps with the exception of yellow jackets build their nests high in trees, under lawn furniture, on playground equipment, attached to high up soffits, around windows, or attached to wooden decks. Once the nest is created, wasps begin to search for food to feed their nest. Your home has potential to provide an abundance of food sources such as smaller insects, nectar, vegetation, and fallen fruit. Although wasps are not known to eat wood, they will often use shavings to create their nest.
What to ask
If you have decided to take the next step in wasp nest removal, please ensure that the pest control company you choose has the necessary experience, knowledge, and tactics. Any reputable pest control company should be able to answer the following questions and provide comprehensive responses.
Questions to ask a pest control company
- How long have you been performing pest control?
- What training do your technicians receive? Are they DEP and state certified?
- What pesticides and materials are used to perform the service?
- How are you going to perform the service? Why do you believe this is the best option?
- What type of wasp do I have? How did you come to this conclusion?
- How quickly can I expect them to be gone? What happens if they come back?
Some companies may present themselves as “experts,” and that they have “the best wasp service,” but cannot honestly answer these questions. Any reputable company will have an expansive knowledge of pest biology and behavior as well as new industry developments and skills. Without the proper training, a technician will likely respond to your unique issue in a cookie-cutter way and perform services with a “one size fits all” approach.
Here at Cooper Pest Solutions, our technicians are trained by top industry professionals including our Vice President, Richard Cooper, Doctor of Entomology. We believe that it’s important to deliver the best service and be able to stand by it with the confidence that we know every facet of what we do and why.
Best Practices
When a Cooper technician arrives at your home to perform service, they will be wearing protective gear. After carefully assessing your home, they will adjust the service to meet the nuances of your unique wasp problem. They will remove the wasp nest and treat the area. Protecting the health of your family is always our top priority, and we will go above and beyond to make sure our clients are happy.
Where Others Fall Short
Unfortunately, finding the cheapest pest control company is not always the best solution. Not only do we guarantee all of our services, but our well trained technicians can also spot other potential pest problems that you may not be aware of at your home.
The Cooper Difference
Cooper’s One-Time Stinging Insect Nest Removal
To remove an active yellow jacket, wasp, or hornet nest, click here to conveniently order service online.
We strive for same day or next day service when you schedule your service online. You do not need to be home because the technician will only perform an external treatment. Why waste a vacation day to solve pest control problems when you can conveniently order online? Scheduled your service for prompt technician dispatch.
Cooper’s Wasp Prevention Service
As a leader in the industry, we provide prevention services to give you peace of mind knowing that wasps aren’t going to ruin your summer. Most companies solely take care of wasp nest removal once the activity is already a problem for your family and pets. Our preventative service is 100% guaranteed and lasts through September. If you find wasp activity at your home after the treatment has taken place, we will dispatch a technician the same day or next day to remove the nest. Our wasp prevention service is also effective against carpenter bees, which in turn can reduce woodpecker activity.
When can I expect them to be gone?
After a technician performs service at your home, you can expect the wasps to be gone in 24-48 hours. You may see additional free-flying wasps after treatment because they were out foraging for food while the service took place and they are returning to find their nest. Once they realize that their nest is gone, they will leave your property. If you continue to have wasp issues, you can call our customer service department to have a technician dispatched promptly. Your safety is our priority which is why our goal is same day or next day service.
To learn more about Cooper’s Wasp service, click here. Please fill out our form above or call our customer service department at 1-800-949-2667 for more information or to schedule your service.