Flying insects keep enthusiastic gardeners and homeowners in Austin from enjoying their lawns. They also can keep business people from attracting prospective customers and employees. No one wants to visit you if they could be bitten or stung by a pest.
Stinging bugs are broadly classified as wasps. Each subgroup has features and characteristics that set them apart from another, including risks. It would be prudent to learn more about local wasps, so you can better manage them. White Knight Pest Control can certainly be of assistance.
What Wasps Are in Austin? What Are the Dangers?
Paper wasps and yellow jackets are very common in the city. Paper wasps are 1 inch long. Since they have black wings and their brown bodies have yellow marks on them, the bugs are usually misidentified as bees. Their distinguishing trait is that their thinner figures are narrow and elongated. Sheltered areas are where they tend to start their nests, so expect to discover some around foundation voids, roof eaves, door frames, and window sills. They will enter your home or business if they find an open window or door, or a structural crevice. Seeing a single paper wasp means you have an infestation.
Another element that separates paper wasps from insects like them is how they build their cocoons. They join chunks of plant matter together with their saliva, which appears as paper when it airs out. The material is extremely profuse; the interiors will be hidden from view. Nests will have a shape like an umbrella, earning these bugs the alternate name of “umbrella wasps.
Yellowjackets could be labeled as bees too. Though they have slender waists and fewer body hairs, their black and yellow coloring throws people off. However, several are black and white. They are 0.39 to 0.62 of an inch long, but their wings are even longer. Nectar, fellow insects, meat, and sugar are invasion motivators for these pests. Generally, their cocoons will be by patios, sidewalks, tree bases, voids, and other ground-level spots. That said, aerial nests are an indication of trouble.
Additional essential facts about wasps are:
- They’re Environmentally Useful: The ecosystem remains balanced by its feeding and pollination cycles.
- Their Stings Are Concerning: If you’re stung, you’ll have pain, inflammation, warmth, and itching. Physical and/or allergic reactions may be critical enough to necessitate medical attention. Wasps can attack multiple times.
How Can You Prevent Austin Wasps?
Boosting your exterior care practices can make a difference for wasp deterrence. This includes cleaning and lawn maintenance routines. Here’s what you should do specifically:
- Regularly trim grass and greenery. Fill ground holes and discard organic debris.
- Set in repellent plants for gardens, such as eucalyptus and citronella.
- Distance plants from your property by two feet. Don’t overseed or overwater them.
- Flush out your gutters and vents on a routine basis.
- Use canisters with airtight lids for food and trash storage.
- Keep decks, porches, and roof eaves clean, and try not to leave food out.
- Close up gaps in foundations, windows, and doors.
- Contact White Knight Pest Control if you have critters wasps consume.
What Can White Knight Pest Control Do About Austin Wasps?
Wasps and their nests should never be approached, whether it looks dead or you have sprayed. In fact, retail products may make things worse. A strike from the bugs can ensue. Further, such shelf goods are frequently toxic or limited ineffectiveness. If you want a safe wasp control avenue that will also garner desired results, look to White Knight Pest Control. Our skilled technicians will remove cocoons and treat your property with reliable, specially designed treatments. Guarantees and recurring visits are available.