Dealing with Wasps in Hornets in Florida

Stinging pests, like wasps and hornets, can turn a relaxing afternoon in your yard into a stressful experience! These pests can not only be a nuisance but be a danger to both humans and pets. Let’s dive into how you can prevent wasps and hornets from taking over your yard!

Know Which Stinging Pest

It’s important to understand the difference between wasps and hornets so you can effectively prevent them.

• Wasps: These pests have slender bodies, narrow waists, and long legs. They can have a yellow, black, and even metallic blue body color. They will often build their paper-like nests in sheltered areas like eaves, attics, and trees, though species like yellow jackets love to build their nests underground.
• Hornets: Larger than wasps, hornet bodies can have black and white or black and yellow markings. Hornets also build paper nests, opting to place them high in trees or on buildings.

Both wasp and hornet stings can be very painful and cause similar symptoms, including swelling and pain around the sting site, burning sensation, itchiness, and more.

Preventing Wasps & Hornets

Let’s review the preventative measures to place around your Florida property to avoid stinging pests:

• Seal cracks and gaps in walls, eaves, and around windows to prevent them from getting inside.
• Hornets and wasps are attracted to food sources, so make sure you keep your garbage cans tightly sealed and clean up food and drink spills immediately.
• Both stinging pests are drawn to sweet smells; consider removing fallen fruit from your yard and avoid planting overly fragrant flowers near your home’s entry points.
• Keep your yard tidy by trimming shrubs, mowing the lawn regularly, and removing any debris to reduce potential nesting sites.

If you’ve noticed an influx of stinging pests around your Florida home, it’s best to call a pest control company near you. Removing nests can be extremely dangerous, so it’s always best to leave it to a professional pest control expert who can safely remove the nest and provide you with recommendations on preventing wasps and hornets in the future.