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How To Prevent Cicada Killers & Yellow Jackets In Spring & Summer
March 21, 2019
Don’t let cicada killers and yellow jackets take over your yard this spring and summer. They can be a real problem due to their aggressiveness and ability to inflict painful stings.
How to Identify Cicada Killers and Yellow Jackets
Cicada killers do sting, and have a venom that can cause an adverse allergic reaction in some people. This particular type of stinging insect is not usually aggressive to humans. They use their stingers primarily to paralyze cicada bugs and other insects in order to provide food for their larvae. They are basically large wasps that can grow up to 3” long. They can be black or maroon in color, with yellow bands on their abdomen. They tend to build their nests underground in burrows that go 12” deep. They can also build on playground equipment and other structures, as well as along sidewalks, foundations, and rock walls.
Yellow jackets can be aggressive and dangerous to people and their pets. This fact, along with their ability to sting multiple times, can be disastrous and painful. Yellow jackets inject a powerful venom that may cause large red welts or a serious allergic reaction in some people. Never try to eliminate yellow jackets or their nests on your own, as you could be faced with thousands of their members aggressively attacking you. They typically build their nests in the ground, but you can also find their nests in attics, eaves, and chimneys. yellow jackets are another type of wasp.
Yellow jackets are hairless and a combination of yellow and black in color, with bands around their bodies. They may be drawn to backyards when they find access to food and a place to nest. Commonly they are at their peak population from late summer to early fall, when they are frantically looking for food to provide for their massive colonies. They can become a huge problem at outdoor events, especially when food is served.
How to Safeguard Your Property Against Stinging Insects
Instead of facing another season dodging dangerous stinging insects like cicada killers and yellow jackets, implement these preventative measures that you can take before they arrive, as well as a few tips for outdoor activities.
Try the prevention steps below:
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Get rid of moisture and standing water around your home. This will actually help deter stinging insects and other insects, as well.
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Plant your vegetable, herb, or flower garden a distance from where you spend most of your time playing with your kids, hosting events, and hosting barbecues.
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Keep garbage and discarded foods in trash cans that are covered with tight-fitting lids.
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Seal off all cracks and crevices in your home's exterior that would allow these pests to nest in your walls or attic.
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Inspect your lawn before mowing to be sure there are no hidden burrows or nests.
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Take a look around your home on a regular basis to be sure nests are not being built on or close to your home.
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When you start spending a lot of time outdoors, avoid wearing scented perfumes and other toiletries.
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Clean up food and drink spills immediately, and keep all foods and drinks covered.
Professional Pest Control is Best
When stinging insects appear, stay clear of them and call on the experts at Montgomery Exterminating for effective control right away. We are knowledgeable professionals that can identify the problem, create a treatment plant, and take care of these pests for you.
For more information, contact us at Montgomery Exterminating in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and the Grand Lake region. Once the stinging insects have been removed and some preventative measures are put into place, you can get out and enjoy your own backyard again!
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