Wasps use their nest for nearly a year and they attack if they feel that their nest is somehow getting disturbed. If you tamper with their nest, a pheromone in the venom alerts the wasps thus making them highly aggressive. Once you get a wasp sting, there will be immense pain in your affected area along with swelling. If the sting is strong then it could also cost your life. So it’s rather preferable if you know when is it safe to remove a wasp nest. You will know about how are wasp net made, and what are the wasp net early stages as you continue reading the article.
1. What are the types of Wasps?
There are a total of 19 types of wasps, but typically three basic kinds of wasps are mostly seen. Before getting the answer to when is it safe to remove a wasp nest, read about them.
- Paper Wasps: Paper wasps are the kind of wasps with a small head and medium-sized eyes and antennae of medium length. They have a lean body and a narrow waist. Their long pair of wings are tinted with brown shades. These paper wasps are very closely related and are even larger than the natives of Polistes having a much more distinct yellow and brown band. They have their home in the urban areas, forests, and woodlands. The adult wasps feed the larvae by preying on caterpillars and feeding on nectar.
- Yellowjackets: These are wasps belonging to the Vespula and Dolichovespula Genera. They are fat and fuzzy bumblebees to look at. The sting of a yellow jacket can be avoided if you stay calm and stable when the yellow jacket sits on your skin. (See 8 true Bumblebee flying facts)
- Hornets: Hornets are not as aggressive as they are hyped to be. Hornets tend to attack you only to defend themselves when they feel insecure or when you go near their nest, approximately 2 to 3m away from their nest. They are considered to be passive insects and are very shy in nature. Also, check out the 20 largest Zoo in the World.
2. How are Wasp Nest made?
You might be curious to know when is it safe to remove a wasp nest and what is so special about wasp nests, how are wasp nest made? So, let’s start with the making of wasp nests which depends on the kind of wasps making them.
- The paper wasps have their nests made up of cells arranged in series taking the shape of inverted cones which are formed when saliva mixes with wood fragments. When this mixture dries up, it takes the form of a paper, and thus the name paper wasps.
- Yellowjackets make their nests underground and have a similar kind of urban planning to that of the ants. They build their nests on or just above the ground. Hence, if you ever see black and yellow insects roaming inside out of a hole in the ground, they might be yellow jackets. Make sure that you do not disturb their place with anything, especially a lawnmower.
- Hornets build their nests in areas higher than the ground, that is, attics, treetops, under roofs, decks, sheds, garages, and tree trunks. Their nests may sometimes freely hang with the help of a petiole that helps connect the nest with the nearest support like a tree branch. (See Do insects sleep?)
3. What are the Wasp Nest early stages?
Wasp net, during their initial days which is early spring, is very small in size usually the size of walnuts or golf balls. As the number of wasps starts increasing during summer the net size can grow to the size of a football or even larger. So, if you ask when is it safe to remove a wasp nest, it is usually advised to treat the wasp nest in its initial phase before it becomes more active in the late summer. (See How is Silk made from Silkworm?)
4. How Dangerous can the Wasps be?
Talking of paper wasps, you need to stay away from their painful stings. However, they are not as aggressive as the European Wasps. They attack if you disturb their nests, moreover, you may suffer from severe reactions if you get multiple stings from the paper wasp. A pack of ice is preferred to be applied on wasp stings like the first aid and later, a physician must be consulted for proper treatment. Hornets are passive and shy creatures however if they bite, their stings are highly poisonous as they can damage your tissues. (See Why do bees sting people)
5. How can the Nest location be identified?
To know when is it safe to remove a wasp nest, you need to identify them first. Wasp nests are made out of chewed wood. During springs, the queen wasps start building nests of miniature size to give birth to the wasps. By the time it comes to the middle of summer, these nests grow in size and take up a medium size. The wasp nests can be easily traced out if you keep an eye on their flight path. However, their usual location to build their nests is under the roof or mostly in the sheds of your garden. (See How to identify bugs in your garden)
6. What are the ways to Remove a Wasp Nest?
To get a complete idea about when is it safe to remove a wasp nest, below are some of the methods to remove wasp nests.
- Hang some traps for wasps. Also, check out how to get rid of gnats without apple cider vinegar?
- Purchase a wasp spray and spray it on nests
- Small wasp nests in the initial stages can be removed by using soap and water.
- Make homemade traps by cutting the top part of the large bottle of soda and just fill it with a few inches of soda or more preferably fruit juice and hang it in your garden space.
- Call a professional pest management authority to remove wasp nests safely. (See Do bees have ears?)
So, these were some of the pieces of information you require to know when you think of when is it safe to remove a wasp nest. You do not necessarily need to be afraid of wasps if you do not go too close to the vicinity of their nests, however, precautions are necessary. (Also read What is a One Hump Camel called?)
