Hornets and wasps have a painful sting! If found close to your family’s residence or your place of business, these aggressive insects should be eradicated because they can be harmful to humans.

So that you can recognize them and find the source of the infestation, let’s take a closer look at these bothersome flying species:

Knowing the stinging insects in the Greater Vancouver area will help you avoid getting stung this summer. They include the European and native paper wasps (also known as umbrella wasps), as well as the more prevalent yellowjackets and so-called bald-faced hornets. Mason or potter wasps are other types that can be found, as well as a few more less prevalent varieties that people don’t notice as frequently because they aren’t as “in your face” as the more popular variety.

Although hornets are frequently mistakenly believed to be distinct from wasps, they are actually merely a bigger subset of the wasp family. Hornets, like yellowjackets and paper wasps, are social insects that reside in hives. In opposed to hornets and yellowjackets, which can expand their nests to contain as many as four or five thousand individuals, paper wasps typically have only a dozen or so roommates per nest. Without a doubt, the idea of 5,000 hornets swarming over your house or place of work will give you major nightmares.

The life cycle of the three wasp species discussed in this article is fairly typical for wasps in the Greater Vancouver area. A queen hibernates over the winter and comes out of hibernation in the spring when the weather starts to warm up. She chooses a location to start a nest, develops it to the point where she can lay her first eggs there, and then feeds her first group of larvae until they are ready to start the process of expanding the nest—typically the papery-looking football-like structures that are so common under the eaves of homes. The nest may occasionally be found in a tree branch, an alcove, or another location that offers some protection from the elements.

While the workers watch over the nest, enlarge it, and provide food for the young, the queen continues to lay eggs. When fall arrives, the drones—males created from unfertilized eggs—will only have one task: to mate with the new queens that have just emerged.

The nest is abandoned after mating season, presumably never to be used again, and the queens enter another round of hibernation with the exception of the new queens.

The three wasp species we’ve discussed here consume a range of foods. Workers consume fruit pulp, tree sap, and nectar (apples are particularly delicious to hornets, while European paper wasps are an expensive nuisance to Okanagan cherry and grape growers). Broadly speaking, the wasp diet seeks out anything high in sugar and carbs.

The fact that wasps are drawn to meat and fish, giving them the nickname “meat bees,” is one of the most intriguing aspects about wasps for many people. The meat is actually taken back to the nest by the wasps who collect it, where the larvae eat it instead of the wasps themselves. It’s actually a productive exchange since the workers condition the flesh for the larvae, who then emit a sweet compound that the adults ingest, and thus prepare the protein.

Although the larvae consume meat, it should be noted that the majority of this meal is obtained by wasps’ hunting and death of other insects; the steak at your barbeque is merely one additional option.

We now come to our interactions with people. Due to the propensity of all three of these wasp species to construct nests close to human settlement, wasp management services are so frequently required in British Columbia.

Keep in mind that a wasp stinger is different from a bee’s stinger in that it can cause harm more than once, and wasp venom can result in reactions in people and animals that range from acute irritation to hospitalization and death.

Consequently, calling in the experts at Blitz Pest Control for wasp or hornet control is a much safer course to take. We have dealt with the insects since 2009, therefore we have the expertise and tools necessary to deal with wasps effectively and securely.

Blitz Pest Control, one of the top wasp control businesses in Vancouver and the surrounding areas, is expert in dealing with hornets, yellowjackets, and paper wasps at your residence or place of business. Your safety is always our top priority, and all of our staff members are trained and certified in all of the tools and supplies we employ.

The fact that we priorities customer service means that we won’t be content until you are. We are the first choice for wasp control or any other type of pest control on the speed dials of happy clients thanks to our courteous interactions with them and successful outcomes.

So call Blitz Pest Control and put us to work if you’re having issues with any kind of wasp. We are more than willing to assist. We promise to complete the task efficiently, fairly, and with a smile.