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Why You Shouldn't Self-treat for Yellow Jackets

Posted by: Cooper Pest

Are you noticing an increase in yellow jacket activity on your property? Are you thinking about taking on a DIY remedy? Well, DON’T! There are many pests that you can tackle on your own, but yellow jackets are not one of them, at least not if their nest is located in the walls of your home! Before you think you can handle a yellow jacket problem, or any stinging insect problem for that matter, take a few steps back and let us explain why it is in your best interest to call a pest professional.

Dangerous DIYs You Don’t Want to Try

Yellow jackets are one of the most aggressive wasps who will stop at nothing to protect their nest. With that being said, no matter when or how you treat, you are subjecting yourself to a dangerous situation. There are several ways that average “Joes” have attempted to rid themselves of their yellow jackets, but instead they were just building a recipe for disaster.

According to Dave Burgess, Vice President of Operations at Cooper Pest Solutions, any type of DIY with a stinging insect, especially a yellow jacket, can be very dangerous considering their aggressive nature.

“Yellow jackets are very aggressive and sting in masses and repeatedly when they feel threatened,” Burgess said. “They have been known to pursue a foe for up to a mile!”

Burgess strongly suggests everyone stay away from DIY methods when dealing with yellow jackets, but said some of the craziest remedies he has heard of was using gasoline and using “blunt” objects to remove the yellow jackets and their nest.

Other senseless DIY remedies that should NOT be tried are:

  • Gasoline poured into the nest entrance
  • Bug sprays like Raid or similar
  • Bleach and Ammonia mixture poured into the nest entrance: EXTREMELY DANGEROUS
  • Boiling water dumped into the entrance of the nest

Most of the DIY remedies suggest that homeowners get in close contact with the yellow jacket nests to spray or dump the solution into the nest, however, this can be extremely dangerous. You should never get near a yellow jacket nest without the proper safety gear on otherwise you’re subjecting yourself to the possibility of getting stung multiple times.

According to Burgess, not only is it dangerous to spray anything into a yellow jackets nest but more than likely that spray won’t work.

“Most pesticides available to the public are repellents,” he said. “The aerosols that spray from afar are often the most repellent and the ones most likely pushed for stinging insects, that way the homeowner avoids the stings. The side effect of that is when you treat an entrance hole, the bees may try to find another way out. If they are nesting in a wall void or soffit area, the other way is often inside the house!”

What Are the Downfalls of Self-Treating Yellow Jacket Nests?

Not only is it extremely unsafe to treat for stinging insects on your own, but if the nest within the walls of your home, your efforts in eradicating the insect may actually be making the problem even worse, to a point where it is even difficult for pest professionals to solve the problem.

If you have a nest within a wall void of your home and you decide to self-treat the yellow jackets by spraying an aerosol spray inside the entrance of the nest, you can force the yellow jackets further into your home.

“Once the yellow jackets start moving through the walls it is near impossible to eradicate the yellow jackets,” Burgess said.

Dr. Richard Cooper, Technical Director at Cooper Pest Solutions, added “The nest will be destroyed but the dispersing yellow jackets spread throughout the home, travelling through the walls and finding their way out into the living areas of your home. It’s a real disaster, the yellow jackets can continue popping out in different rooms for weeks when a nest is improperly treated.”

Unfortunately, at Cooper Pest Solutions, if you self-treat for a stinging insect, especially if they are nesting in the home, we can no longer guarantee our service.

What to Do if You Have a Yellow Jacket Nest on Your Property

Before you rush to the store to purchase any sprays or traps, call Cooper Pest Solutions. DO NOT attempt to do anything that will aggravate the yellow jackets or their nest.

“At Cooper Pest Solutions we use products that are almost undetectable by the yellow jacket and can perform the services safely while wearing the proper protective bee gear,” Burgess said. “Cooper understand where the bees are likely to build their nests and can eradicate the bees with minimal amounts of pesticides.”

Cooper Pest Solutions has safe and effective methods for treating yellow jackets and their nests. We understand the urgency in removing the nests, so that’s why we offer same-day (if applicable) or next day services. We will send out one of our expert technicians to safely remove the nests, and as long as you haven’t self-treated, our Stinging Insect Removal services are fully guaranteed.

Stinging Insect Nest Removal and Wasp Prevention  – To remove an active yellow jacket, wasp, or hornet nest, click here to conveniently order service online. 

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