Date Posted: November 23, 2020
Category: Bees & Wasp
Do you know what to do if you find an empty wasp nest in Portland? Although your first reaction might be to knock it down, you should think twice before doing this. Knocking down a nest comes with consequences. Find out why you need to call the professionals instead of removing a nest yourself.
The Wasps In Portland
There are two common types of wasps in Portland - yellow jackets and paper wasps. Although there are some differences between these wasps, they share several similarities. For instance, the queens of both types of these wasps like to spend the winter in man-made structures. They stay in a structure until spring when the weather warms up. Then, the queens find nest sites and start building nests.
Both wasps are similar in color. However, paper wasps have very thin bodies and long legs. Yellow jackets are stockier and have shorter legs than paper wasps. Although paper wasps and yellow jackets will both attack when they feel threatened, yellow jackets are the more aggressive of the two.
When a wasp stings you, there will be a pain. Lots of pain. Wasps have potent venom that causes a stinging sensation and inflammation. They also can attack in large numbers, which makes them particularly dangerous. If you get too close to a wasp nest, you’re likely to be a victim of multiple stings.
Nesting Habits Of Wasp
After a queen wasp emerges from her winter rest, she starts rebuilding a colony. Wasps often look to nest in eaves, gutters, and soffits. Before choosing a location, wasps will consider what resources are nearby. They look for spilled sweets, flowers, and open garbage cans.
Paper wasps look for building materials before they build a nest. To get started, the queen scrapes fiber from wooden materials. Then she chews it up and mixes the wood with her saliva. She spits out the pulp-like material and starts shaping a nest.
Yellow jackets have slightly different nesting habits. If you have other insects on your property, yellow jackets are likely to nest near your home. This is because they eat other insects, like spiders and caterpillars. When a yellow jacket queen finds a place with ample insects, she may decide to call it home.
Over the course of the spring and summer, a wasp colony will thrive. But then the cold weather approaches. Most wasps can’t survive in the cold, and this is why the queen of a colony will look for a place to spend the winter. They leave behind empty wasp nests, which can be tempting for homeowners to remove.
Empty Nests
When the winter is over, most wasp nests will be empty. Wasps don’t usually reuse nests; they prefer to build new nests. However, that doesn’t mean it’s safe to remove these nests
There are a few reasons why this is dangerous. For one, the nest may not be inactive. You can never be certain that there are no wasps inside. Even if there are only a few wasps, they can sting repeatedly.
Another danger comes from the way in which you remove the nest. Because many wasp nests are in hard-to-reach places, you might need to get creative to reach them. Unfortunately, getting up on a ladder and trying to knock down a nest is dangerous. You could fall, resulting in a serious injury.
There’s only one way to safely remove wasp nests from your property. If you don’t want to put yourself in danger, you need to work with our experienced professionals. For safe and effective wasp nest removal, contact the professionals at Big Blue Bug Solutions.
