You’ve pretty much got to be a maverick to take on a nest of yellow jackets. If that sounds like you, use a spray and spray with extreme caution (and do it at night). Otherwise, hire an exterminator; they’ll be more likely to completely rid the area of pests, anyway. Don’t be like Macaulay Culkin at the end of My Girl (if you haven’t seen this movie, I won’t ruin the ending for you, but I will let you know that Macaulay Culkin dies from being stung repeatedly by bees).
Do you own a beekeeper’s uniform? How about a Hazmat suit? If the answer is no (and by all accounts it should be), then you should seriously consider hiring a pest exterminator to rid you of hornet and wasp troubles. Certain species of wasps, such as yellow jackets, can be extremely aggressive, especially if you approach them without knowing what the hell you’re doing. Is it a coincidence that Pixar has yet to release a heartwarming tale chronicling the lives of a close-knit, smart-mouthed family of wasps? I think not.
What is it?
There are many different types of wasps that could potentially cause trouble for you and your family. The most dangerous and aggressive of these would be yellow jackets and hornets, the former usually a black and yellow, the latter mostly black with traces of white. In cases where you find a nest near your home, you should always consider pest exterminators first before trying to take care of business yourself (and when I say take care of business, I mean getting stung repeatedly).
Exterminators generally use aerosol-type sprays that instantly kill hornets and wasps alike, though depending on the job, they may use liquid or dust formations instead. They will certainly be decked out in full-on bubble boy garb (including a veil, hat, gloves, and beekeeper suit), which is a surefire sign that if you plan on doing this alone, you should take extreme measures. The aerosol spray should be administered at night or near dusk, as that is the time when the queen and most of the workers will be present and as docile as possible.
Before disposing of the nest, wait for one to two days, as some stragglers who weren’t in the nest may return home. The spray residue left from the nest will kill any hornet or wasp that comes near it. If possible, some extermination companies will try to remove the nest without harming any of dwellers inside (and maybe for an extra $50 they’ll throw it in your boss’s yard!)
Who needs it?
If you notice an excess of hornets and wasps near your home, then extermination is the way to go, especially if you or any one in your family has already been stung. You should note that not all wasps are as aggressive as yellow jackets. For instance, paper wasps (western species are generally golden brown with yellow or red patches) will rarely sting unless their nest is above a doorway or any other area with high traffic. Therefore, if no one in your family is allergic to wasp or hornet stings, and the nest appears fairly unaggressive, then you may not need to do anything. In fact, they can rid you of other potential problems, like spiders.
You should also note that nests can be found both indoors and outdoors. Depending on the species, nests can be anywhere from hanging on fruit trees or burrowed underground to hidden in the shed, attic, or roof of the porch.
Benefits
The benefits on the side of professional pest control far outweigh the benefits of doing it yourself. Here’s an example- you can take a nap in your air-conditioned home while the pros get to kill swarms of hornets while wearing full bodysuits during the middle of August. It will especially be beneficial to hire an exterminator if the nest is located somewhere in your house, like the attic. When nests are located in spaces as small as an attic, you will almost certainly get stung at least once, seeing as how there’s no easy escape route.
Otherwise, if you do plan on using an aerosol spray yourself, take solace in the fact that most of them will give you a range of 15 feet, which will give you a decent head start to your car, which should already be on and running.
