Dukes Pest Management

Bees and Wasp Information

The European Wasp

European wasps sting repeatedly: The European Wasp also called Yellow Jacket wasp can attack in large numbers, as a single motivated group and may sting repeatedly in frenzy. In such circumstances, this feral pest can be highly dangerous to children, the infirmed and elderly.

Sting causes extreme pain: The sting of a European wasp is extremely painful and highly inflammatory if you are stung on the throat or other glandular parts of your body.

Death can occur: European wasps love sweet sugars and are known to enter a soft drink or beer can during a summer BBQ. Deaths of people have occurred where a person has swallowed a European wasp and been bitten inside the person's throat causing massive swelling of the glands and sudden death by asphyxiation (suffocation).

Paper wasps also aggressive: Paper Wasps are not nearly as dangerous but they too can be aggressive during hot weather periods and may cause severe pain from their sting. Paper wasps are about 20 mm in length, and should be approached with caution.

Identification and nesting locations

Identification: The European wasp can be identified by the bright yellow and black stripes on it's abdomen in the pattern as depicted by the graphic on your left. The paper wasp has brown and orange stripes.

Nesting locations: European wasp nests are usually found in the ground, rockeries, tree stumps, wall cavities and roof voids. The Paper wasp is usually found in a small papery nest usually hanging from a horizontal surface, such as, on walls under ceilings, window sills, awnings, shrubs and similar locations.

Treating an European wasps nest

Locate the nest: If you see a European wasp on your property and want to help eradicate the danger imposed by this wasp, then you could attempt carefully to find the source of the problem - the colony nest.

WARNING: DO NOT attempt to eradicate a European colony wasp nest yourself, unless you have the complete range of protective equipment and professional knowledge essential in the circumstances. Your action could induce the entire colony to swarm and attack as a group - a dangerous situation if you are not properly protected.

The cost of professional wasp control using a registered wasp control insecticide will depend upon many factors, including the extent of infestation and ease of locating the colony nest.

Expect to pay about $130 to $250 for an average size residential property and moderate infestation. The applicable service warranty period may vary depending upon the circumstances and the associated risk of re-infestation.

Bee's

Common problem: Bees are a common problem during summer, often when the commercial honey bee seeks to establish a new hive inside a wall cavity of a residential or commercial premise.

Extremely aggressive: A swarm of bees can be extremely aggressive and are known to attack a person in such large numbers as to cause death. Also they are known to carry highly toxic venom which is injected directly into the victim's bloodstream, thereby inflicting a hideous swelling of the skin, particularly of children and people with a fair complexion.

Allergic reaction: In some cases, death may arise to people who are allergic to the bee venom or who are bitten by the swarm of bees in large numbers.

DO NOT attempt to eradicate swarming bees, unless you have the complete range of protective equipment and professional knowledge essential in the circumstances.

Good Pest Control Practice: That the pest control professional use a synthetic pyrethroid insecticide - as the safer, more effective method. A professional pest control service for bees should cost on average around $130 to $250 to eradicate a swarming hive of bees, where the safer more effective synthetic pyrethroid insecticides are used.

If you have a problem with Wasps or Bees, Dukes Pest Management Solutions can help you!

Insect Information