Yellow jackets are a pest no one wants to deal with. If you have had the misfortune to experience a yellow jacket sting, you know how painful it is, and if you have not, count yourself lucky to have avoided it. Yellow jackets, like other stinging insects, form nests, so finding one yellow jacket on your property means there’s a strong chance that there are more. Our team at BeeMan Stan is highly experienced with yellow jacket removal and can find and eliminate the nest in short order. If you decide to attempt removing the problem yourself, however, here are some safety tips:
- Wear Protective Clothing- The best way to minimize the chance of being stung during yellow jacket removal is to cover as much of your skin as possible. This is why beekeepers wear their big suits. If you’re like most people and don’t have access to a full beekeeper suit, however, you can still minimize skin exposure by wearing long pants, long sleeves, close-toed shoes, and gloves. Further minimize your risk of stings by tucking your pants legs into your socks and your sleeves into your gloves–you can even seal the seams with tape for an extra layer of protection.
- Choose the Right Time and Place- Yellow jackets are most active during the day, so treat the nest at dusk or dawn, when the insects are less likely to be active. In addition, most commercial pesticides for yellow jackets are designed to be sprayed at a distance so that you’re not in range of a bunch of angry insects when the spray hits. Choose a spot within the range indicated by the label where you can spray into the wind, rather than against it.
- Have Backup- Yellow jacket removal is a bad time to find out that you have an allergy to their venom. Always have someone with you to provide treatment or call for medical attention in the event of an emergency.
If past yellow jacket removal efforts have been ineffective, or if you just want to make sure that the job gets done right the first time, you can call us at BeeMan Stan to get rid of your pest problem in short order.