WHY ARE STINGING INSECTS SO AGGRESSIVE IN THE FALL?
During the early summer months, hornets and yellow jackets rarely come out and sting people. So why do they become so aggressive during the late summer and fall? The reason has to do with how they spend their time in the summer versus what they’re doing in the fall!
The Life of A Stinging Insect
Most stinging insects are social, meaning they start and build a new colony every year – and it’s hard work. Hornets and yellow jacket queens come out of winter dormancy in the spring to build their new nest. She does it all by herself until she’s raised the first of many worker daughters. The colony will continue to reproduce and grow from eggs, to larvae, to pupae, to adults. In the summer, the pupae are busy undergoing metamorphoses – where the maturing hornets or yellow jackets literally must digest their old body and build a new one using the nutrients from their diet.
What do Stinging Insects Eat?
The insects are simply a little too busy to come out and sting people. Workers will find caterpillars, crickets, and flies to bring back for their growing sisters to eat and complete their metamorphoses. They mash the protein into a paste that the young can consume – and this is so time consuming of a process that they rarely have time to look for your can of soda or pie at your picnic. While it is true that they are very active and busy, if you disturb their environment they will attack because of their social tendencies.
Why Wasps Are Active During the Fall
In the late summer and early fall, the fertile kings and queens are flying away to eventually start their own colonies. The left-behind stinging insects no longer spend all of their working hours defending the colony and hunting for food to raise the young – so they start looking for sugary foods to boost their energy. And this is why they are out and about more often during the fall and are more likely to sting you.
How to Get Rid of Wasps and Stinging Insects
If you have hornets, yellow jackets, or any other stinging insect infestation on your property, it is best to bring in the experts from Viking Pest Control. Sure, you could spray their nests with a spray but you are at risk of being stung. With yellow jackets and hornets, you’re at risk for being stung multiple times when you disturb their nest. And, if anyone is allergic, the risks are even greater. Don’t chance it – call on our knowledgeable pest control technicians to quickly and safely remove stinging insect nests on your property.
Call Viking at 800-618-2847 to learn more about pest control and extermination services, or get a fast, free quote online today!
