Tag Archives: Wasp Control

Bees & Wasps, Biting Insects, Home Pest Control, News

Everything You Wanted to Know About the New Jersey Paper Wasp

Paper Wasps
Paper Wasps

Have you noticed a grayish papery-looking mass on the side of your house? If so, you might have a paper wasp infestation which should be removed by your best Monmouth County pest control company, Allison Pest Control.

Paper Wasps

Paper wasps, also known as umbrella wasps, range in size from 0.7 to 1 inch long and are yellow and black in color. They get their name from their unique nest structures, which are built with chewed wood fibers and plant stems mixed with saliva. They look like a honeycomb but are grayish-brown in color. The paper wasp family also includes hornets and yellow-jackets, which also build paper nests.

Paper Wasp Nests

A true paper wasp nest is identified by the open combs and a stalk that anchors the nest, including attaching under the eaves or onto the sides of houses. Nest size can range from small to large depending on the age of the wasp colony and nest.

Nest Removal

While paper wasps have been found to be beneficial garden insects, they will attack if they feel threatened. Because their sting is painful and also a possible fatal anaphylactic reaction, a paper wasp nest should be removed by a Monmouth County pest control company and should not be attempted by the homeowner.

If you feel that you are dealing with a paper wasp infestation, call Allison Pest Control today for safe wasp nest removal.

Bees & Wasps, Biting Insects, Home Pest Control, Insects, News, Stinging Insects

What Bit You, a Bee or a Wasp? How to Tell

The Brad Pitt Wasp
What Bit You, a Bee or a Wasp? How to Tell

You’re out in your yard doing a little gardening or maybe taking a walk in the park or hiking a trail and you get stung. Was it a wasp or a bee that took offense at your being in their territory, or did you intrude into their private space? Either way, inquiring minds want to know.

About Bees

The most noticeable feature you can use to differentiate bees and wasps is their body structure. Bees have a thick waist while wasps have a much thinner, constricted waist.

Some bee species live in large well-ordered communities, some are solitary travelers, while others live in small communes without any organized system. Their main job is feeding on plant nectar and pollination. Bees don’t usually sting unless provoked or if their nest is threatened. Their stinger and its attached sac are planted inside the stung area where it releases venom until the sac is empty.

There are several types of bees found in the USA:

  • Carpenter Bee
  • Bumble Bee
  • Halictid (Sweat) Bee
  • Ground Bee

About Wasps

Unlike bees, wasps are notorious for repeatedly stinging victims without any provocation, which for some can be life-threatening. Below is a short list of the more than 100,000 wasp species.

  • Yellow Jackets
  • Hornets
  • Paper Wasps
  • Bald-Faced Hornet
  • Cicada Killer Wasp

When stinging pests take a bite out of you, it’s time to call in the professionals at Allison Pest Control.

Bees & Wasps, Home Pest Control, Insect Identification, News

Yellow Jackets, Paper Wasps and Nesting Behavior

Wasp Nests
Wasp Nests

Yellow Jackets are the generic name for all types of yellow and black striped wasps. These include actual yellow jackets and common paper wasps.

The main difference between the two in appearance is that a paper wasp has a much slender waist than the stocky waist of the yellow jacket. Nesting wise, yellow jackets nest underground, are are sometimes called ground bees, while paper wasps commonly nest beneath branches or underneath eves. Their nests are made in an umbrella-like shape, and because of that, these wasps are also known as umbrella wasps.

Yellow Jackets

Yellow jackets prefer abandoned rodent holes as nests. However, virtually any hole that will accommodate multiple comb layers will do. They are difficult to see, and many times a person will step on or near a nest, get stung and not know where it came from. They particularly like areas of bare ground.

Paper Wasps

These nests are easy to spot under overhangs. They will widen out at the bottom as they grow, and in trees, they take on a fully formed oblong “beehive” shape. Although not as aggressive as yellow jackets, if their nests are disturbed, they will attack and sting.

If you you have wasp issues, want more information about their differences or need to control them, please contact us at Allison Pest Control. Serving Monmouth and Ocean County for nearly 100 years.

Bees & Wasps, Insects, News

Weird Science: Wasps Turn Cockroaches Into Zombies

They Are Zombies Because of Wasps
They Are Zombies Because of Wasps

Recently, a lot of stories about a vicious and somewhat frightening species of wasp that has some beneficial pest control traits have been trending on social networks.

The Ampulex dementor is a unique type of distinctively red-and-black wasp that was discovered in 2014 in the Greater Mekong River Subregion with 138 other new species of plants, animals and insects.

Mimicry and Mad Scientist Behaviors

These wasps, besides looking like dementors from the Harry Potter series of books and films, act in ways that some people might find disturbing:

  • They mimic ant behaviors to trick other species into believing that they are ants.
  • They inject venom into their prey, which are primarily cockroaches, to shut down neurotransmitter octopamine receptors needed to control spontaneous movement.
  • They do turn their victims into essentially zombies that they can then lead around leash-style by the antennae back to their nesting and feeding areas.

Important Things to Remember

Although global travel and commerce might one day result in Ampulex dementor wasps finding their way into the United States, they are native to Thailand. Additionally, you should never consider them as a cockroach population eradication measure. Any NJ pest control professional will tell you that an exotic species can do more harm than good when introduced into a local environment.

Many other environmentally friendly and efficient pest control measures exist. Contact our experienced team at Allison Pest Control today for more information.

Bees & Wasps, Biting Insects, Commercial Pest Control, Home Pest Control, Household Insects, News, Problem Insects

Five Interesting Facts about Mud Dauber Wasps

Not Your Average Wasp
Not Your Average Wasp

It’s not hard to figure out how mud dauber wasps got their name … they build their tube-shaped nests out of mud. What else should you know about this bug?

  • They’re loners. Mud dauber wasps live a solitary life as opposed to other flying pests that build colonies in your home or yard.
  • They’re active in summer. During the warmer months, mud daubers can be seen on the ground at the edge of mud puddles after a rainfall.
  • They are not very aggressive. Mud daubers would rather flee than sting you, but they are still considered nuisance pests. However, if your property is invaded by spiders, a few mud daubers could help control those icky arachnids very efficiently!
  • They could be “gateway” wasps. These New Jersey pests are not typically aggressive. Still, their muddy nests often become habitats for more aggressive stinging insects, so you’ll want to discourage them from building their base camps near your home.
  • Their nests can have deadly consequences. In September 1980, a Florida Commuter Airlines flight crashed, killing all 34 passengers and crew. An investigation determined that a malfunctioning air speed indicator was affected by mud dauber nests in the plane’s tubes.

If you see these metallic-black wasps around your property, don’t wait for them to keep moving in. You’ll want to call the leading pest control company in Monmouth and Ocean Counties. With nearly a century of experience, Allison Pest Control is ready to rid your property of annoying and dangerous pests all year round.

Bees & Wasps, Commercial Pest Control, Home Pest Control, Insect Identification, News

Is It a Bee or a Wasp?

What Is It?
What Is It?

When something buzzes past your ear, it’s hard to tell if it’s a bee or a wasp. Even if you get a good look, you may not be able to tell the difference. Many bee and wasp species are amazingly similar in size and color.

When Monmouth County home or business owners call with complaints about bees or wasps, it usually takes an inspection by one of our knowledgeable bee and wasp removal experts to determine which stinging insect is causing the problem. However, if you can safely get a good look at the pest, try using these clues to determine whether it’s a bee or wasp:

  • Bees have a fuzzy appearance. Their bodies are covered with short, dense hairs. Wasps have smooth, hairless bodies which gives them a sleeker appearance.
  • Bees have thick waists. Wasps have the same pinched-waist as their ancient ant cousins.
  • Bees feed on plant nectar and gather pollen so are usually seen in gardens. Wasps are predators that feed on other insects, carrion and sweets. Wasps, particularly yellow jackets, are often seen buzzing around trash cans in parks.
  • Many, but not all, bees have barbed stingers and can sting only once. After hooking its stinger into its victim, the bee’s body is torn apart when he flies away and the insect dies. All wasps, on the other hand, have straight stingers which allows them to sting multiple times. This ability is what makes wasps, especially aggressive species like yellow jackets and hornets, such a dangerous threat to humans.

Removing a bee or wasp nest is a job for professionals. Call Allison Pest Control for fast, safe, effective bee and wasp removal.