Wasps, yellow jackets, hornets, and carpenter bees, are all species of stinging insects that can be found buzzing around during the spring, summer and fall months in Knoxville. Even though these types of stinging insects are very beneficial to the environment with pollination and insect control, our homes and families still need to be protected against their damages and dangers!
Carpenter bees, for example, can create nesting holes in the wood on the exterior of our homes in places like siding, decks, and porches. Female carpenter bees live alone in their nests, but many females may live in the same piece of wood. Over time, and with the help of woodpeckers who make the holes bigger looking for the larvae that the female carpenter bees leave inside the wood, the damages that these pests can create to the structures of your home can be quite extensive.
Stinging insects like wasps, yellow jackets, and hornets move from becoming environmentally helpful to dangerous when they decide to create their nest in the walls of your home, on your home near a window or doorway, or on your child’s play structure. Stinging insects will defend themselves and their nests by stinging whatever it is that they think is a threat. When their nests are too close to your home then the chances of you, your children, or pets getting stung greatly increases, especially if the nest is built in a high traffic area. While the sting is painful enough to warrant action, the venom from wasps, yellow jackets, and hornets is strong enough to cause some very severe allergic reactions in many people.
As a homeowner, there are several steps that you can take to help protect yourself and your property from stinging insects. Some helpful prevention tips from the professionals here at Russell’s Pest Control include:
- Making sure that all the wood on the exterior of your house, like siding, porches, decks, patio and lawn furniture and swing sets is stained or painted because carpenter bees prefer to nest in wood that is untreated.
- Chimneys should have a tight fitting cap on them.
- Holes or small openings in your home’s exterior walls or foundation should be repaired.
- Caulk spaces around exterior windows, doors and utility entrance points.
- Gutters should be routinely cleaned so that debris doesn’t build up and collect rainwater that the stinging insects can use as a source of water.
- Make sure that outdoor garbage cans have tight fitting lids on them.
- Remove old tree stumps or fallen trees that stinging insects could possibly use as a nesting site from your property.
- Reduce the amount of flowering, colorful landscape found outside the exterior of your home.
If stinging insects ever do decide to nest on your property and they start causing damages or become dangerous to you and your family it is best to contact a Knoxville stinging insect professional. Trying to take care of a stinging insect problem on your own can lead to stings and injury.
At Russell’s Pest Control we can safely remove a stinging insect nest from your property and offer continuous control services to prevent future issues through our Power Platinum program. The Power Platinum program provides year-round protection for your home and family against yellow jackets, wasps, hornets, and carpenter bees! For more information about protecting your home and family from stinging insects from the Knoxville stinging insect control experts here at Russell’s Pest Control, contact us today! Start your pest control program so that you can get back to enjoying your summer, your home and your property without a single thought of stinging insects!
