Most people fear wasps, and for good reasons. Even though wasps do not seem to amount to much, they have very powerful stingers that can sting, some even without much provocation. The least they could be is that they can be a nuisance to your Sunday barbecue or picnics outdoors. Wasps can be awesome, but they are more of a danger when they get to your neighborhood.
If you find wasps in your territory, it is best to call the professionals rather than to remove them yourself. They are too dangerous, and it takes skill and knows how to remove them the right way. If you are from South Carolina, the most recommended pest expert in Greenville SC is Go-Forth Home Services, which has been serving Greenville residents since 1959.
Types Of Wasps In The United States
The first step in getting rid of the wasps is to know how to identify them. Each type of wasps are different, so they have different behaviors. Knowing which type will certainly help you know which ones to stay away from because of their aggressive behavior, and which ones are not aggressive. Here are the types of wasps:
Paper Wasps
They are among the most common wasps. Paper wasps gather fibers from wood, which they use to make nests. The nests are almost like paper. They help rid gardens of pests, but they attack humans when they feel that they or their nests are in danger. Their sting ate quite painful and may even cause anaphylactic shock.
Solitary Wasps
As their name suggests, they are not used to having companions. They do not live in a colony. They can be identified by their long and thin bodies. They usually fly alone only attack when they are threatened. They prey on insects like beetles, spiders, crickets, and aphids. While they may not be dangerous, they still incite fear and can become a nuisance pest.
Wasp Hornet
A wasp hornet is a black wasp with white markings. They can attack without provocation and their stings are painful. Like paper wasps, they also make paper-like nests out of wood fibers and their saliva. Because they can be dangerous, removal of their nests are of utmost importance. However, you should ask a pest control professional to do this.
Yellowjacket Wasps
Of all the types of wasps, the yellow jacket wasps are the most dangerous. Removing their nests if you see one is of utmost importance also. They sting when they feel threatened and are highly territorial. They have a powerful sting and can be deadly for some people who might be allergic to their venom. They are distinguishable for their black color with bright yellow stripes. Again, it is best to call the pest experts in Greenville SC, Go-Forth Home Services, if you see yellow jacket wasps in your area.
Wasps As Dangerous Pests
Wasp sting as a form of self-defense, just like the bees. They say we should not fear wasps because they only sting when threatened. However, how do we humans know when they feel threatened? Even if we do not have any intention of attacking them, simple movements as a hand gesture, walking, or even swinging of hands can be considered threats for them.
Wasps, unlike the bees, are capable of stinging repeatedly, like a boxer continuously jabbing at his opponent’s face. This is because when bees bite, their stingers are lodged right to the skin of their victims. Wasps, on the other hand, still have their stingers intact when they sting.
The sight a wasp nest right in your backyard can also be very scary and unsettling, and can cause you anxiety, for how can you freely go about your daily chores when a fearsome colony of wasps is flying right next to you?
They can also be a nuisance, invading people’s outdoor picnics, and at times ruining them.
Symptoms Of Wasp Stings
For normal local reactions, you will develop a raised welt at the site of the sting. You may have sharp pain initially with a burning sensation around the sting site. People with large local reactions are the ones who experience allergies when stung by wasps. They do not experience life-threatening illnesses such as anaphylactic shock. Symptoms for the large local reaction include vomiting, nausea, extreme redness, and swelling. Usually, these subside on their own in at least a week.
Unfortunately, some people experience a severe allergic reaction to wasp stings, called anaphylaxis. This would happen when the body experiences shock after being stung by a wasp. Symptoms of anaphylaxis include breathing difficulties, dizziness, lightheadedness, severe swelling of the face, sudden hypotension, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and weak pulse. Seek immediate medical care once these symptoms occur after a wasp stings.
Treatment Of Wasp Stings
Wasps stings are very painful. To some people, it can be fatal. Wasp stings are fairly common during the warmer months when people ate out to enjoy the sun.
Immediately medical care is of paramount importance if you have an allergic reaction to wasp stings. If you do not have any allergic reaction, you can do the treatment at home yourself. If the sting is mild, it can be treated at home. Here are things to do when you only have a mild reaction to the sting:
- Wash the site of the sting with soap and water. Remove any traces of the wasp venom.
- Applying a cold pack to the sting site reduces swelling. Let it stay there for 5 to 10 minutes while elevating the affected area.
- You may cover with a bandage the bite site if you wish for added protection.
- Use over the counter pain relievers like ibuprofen to reduce pain. For the itchiness, take antihistamine drugs to relieve itching as well. Baking soda can be used to soothe the skin.
If you or your loved ones have severe allergic reactions, treatments include:
- Epinephrine. This can calm the immune system.
- Oxygen or steroids to improve breathing.
- Perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR if breathing suddenly stops after the sting.
- Always carry a wasp sting kit if you have a history of anaphylaxis. This kit should contain epinephrine injections, which you can pull out anytime you need it
- Seek medical treatment from your healthcare provider.
How To Control Wasps’ Population
Make sure to keep your trash and garbage covered and dispose of them regularly. Avoid leaving any food, even dog food, outside to cut off a food source. If you spot holes on your yard, fill them in. Yellowjacket wasps may spot them and use them as hiding places. Use sprays and trap which you can purchase in home- improvement stores. As for sprays, put citrus oil extract in a spray bottle to stop them right off their tracks. Limonene and linalool ingredients are effective in killing these wasps.
About Greenville
Greenville is now getting the recognition it deserves from different media outlets throughout the United States. According to the New York Time, Greenville is a “national model for pedestrian-friendly city center”. Livability ranked it as one of the Top 10 best downtowns in the country. The National Geographic named Greenville as one of “The Best Cities in the United States”. Trip Advisor recognizes Greenville one of the “Top 10 Traveler’s Destinations On The Rise in 2018”. People Magazine called it “The Next Big Small Town”. It is the”# 3 Top Small City in the United States”, says Conde Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards. CNN Money said it is one of the “Top 10 Growing Cities in The United States”. Bloomberg named it the “Third Strongest Job Market in The Country”. This city has gained many other recognitions.
Greenville was named after Gen Nathaniel Greene, an American southern campaign hero. Greenville stands on a site which was once a hunting ground for the Cherokee. In 1770, an Indian trader name Richard Pearis, received 100,000 acres of land from the Cherokees, because he was living with a chief’s daughter. In 1786, state legislature formed Greenville County.
South Carolina counts Greenville county as the place with the largest population in its territory, having 470,000 residents. Of that number, 61,000 residents are in Greenville City. It is located at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Greenville has a pleasant climate, with its mild weather the whole year round, making it one of the reasons why people come to live in Greenville. Greenville is said to have the mildest summer in the southern area of the country.
Go-Forth Home Services Is Greenville’s Choice
When it comes to the pest experts in Greenville NC, there is only one name to trust: Go-Forth Home Services.
Go-Forth Home Services is a family-owned company with excellent experience not only in wasp extermination, but with other pests as well, including cockroaches, termites, mosquitoes, flies, mice, weevils, and bed bugs among others.
They have a team of highly skilled and well-trained technicians, using only the latest and most advanced equipment in the business.
Go-Forth Home Services has been trusted by residents and business establishments in Greenville for more than 50 years.