Facts about Yellow Jacket Wasps
Wasps and Hornets
Do you have wasps flying all over the grass? Pest Managers can get rid of those pesky invaders. Call Us today for professional wasp control! All wasps are Hornets but not all Harnets are Wasps.
We know from personal experience that a wasp sting can be extremely painful. Be cautious when it comes to wasps as they turn aggressive in a instant. Here are some facts to consider when it comes to wasps.
Yellow Jacket and Hornet Habits and Facts
Entomologists have identified many species of wasps over the years, and there are nearly 30,000 varieties in total. We can divide wasps into two categories – social and solitary. The majority of wasp species live alone. There are many types of wasps, but the German wasp belongs to a group of insects called – Vespidae. It is parasitic nature that allows wasps to survive on their own.
In agriculture, wasps can be used to control pests. Since wasps are predators, wasps can be extremely effective in controlling agricultural pests, particularly in the case of maize and sugarcane crops. As master hunters, wasps have a wide selection of prey to choose from, including spiders and insects.
Only about 1,000 of the 30,000 wasp species identified are social in nature. Yellow jackets or German wasps are members of the social order. In a colony, there are primarily three types of wasps. The queen, the worker, or the female and the male.
Wasps have three segments: the head, thorax, and abdomen. Wasps have a thin waist that defines these parts. In addition, certain characteristics are distinct, such as hornets having either bald faces or being large in size. Bald faced hornets are smaller than their larger counterparts, known as giant hornets, and can reach a length of 25mm. The hornet is not naturally afraid of people and does not pose a threat in general, but if provoked, they will respond fiercely.
It is known that Yellow Jacket wasps can be very aggressive towards people. They are approximately 25mm in length, yellow and black in color, and have distinct characteristics such as thin wastes, and drone-like behavior, particularly over grass.
Are Wasps in Cape Town Dangerous?
Three of the most commonly sighted wasps in Cape Town are the German Wasp, the South African Paper Wasp, and the European Paper Wasp. In Cape Town, wasps are considered to be some of the most dangerous flying insects. The wasp is not only aggressive and capable of stinging numerous times, as opposed to the bee, but they are also detrimental to the conservation of bee populations.
It may surprise you to learn that wasps can have an adverse effect on bee populations. Their predation on them is well documented. Our responsibility is to ensure that bees are protected as they are vital to pollination. It would be most effective to control the reproduction and invasion of wasps in order to accomplish this goal.
We recommend that you contact us if you notice any signs that you may have a wasp infestation. Despite their aggressive nature, these pests should never be handled by an untrained individual, as they are capable of delivering multiple stings that could lead to serious injury. We will be happy to assist you if you discover flying insects that appear to be wasps in your home.
All Facts about Wasps
• In mid to late summer, wasp colonies start to produce new males and queens. The wasps fly away to mate after which the queen finds a place to hibernate. Colder weather eventually kills the males, workers and the foundational queens.
• Wasps are very aggressive towards other insects they kill smaller insects to feed to their young.
• German wasps strip the bark from trees causing extensive damage over long periods of time.
• Wasps do not collectively gather to swarm predators or humans unlike bees.
• When you are stung by the wasp you can self administer deodorant as it contains aluminum that breaks the enzyme down that causes the pain.
• Wasp venom can cause discomfort for up to 24 hours, there are however a minority of people who go into anaphylactic shock.
• The impregnated queens are the only wasps that survive the winter. They emerge from hibernation in the spring time to build new nests and start the colonization process all over again. The first batch off eggs laid are sized between 10 and 14. The queen feeds them until they eventually hatch and become the worker wasps. The worker wasps go out and collect food to feed the larvae and guard the nest from predators.
• Male wasps are called drones. Drone wasps impregnate the queen. After the drone wasp has impregnated the queen he dies in short succession. Male wasps cannot sting and really only have the one task in their lifecycle.
• Wasps form colonies that are self contained communities, each following an order of queens, males and workers.
• The venom of the wasp contain a pheromone. If other wasps detect the pheromone they can become very aggressive. Never kill a wasp close to its nest.
Wasp nest removal is a very specialized task and should only be carried out by pest control professionals specializing in wasp pest control. If you or anyone else try to remove the nests you run the risk of being stung multiple times and the pain will be unbearable. If you remove only some of the nests the wasps will continue to build and the problem will not be resolved. You can be assured that Pest Managers can safely remove and dispose of all nests. Contact us today. Wasp Control in Cape Town.
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