The summer brings with it the birds and the bees. Not only the bees but also the wasps are involved in buzzing around and finding their way into our backyards. These insects are an important part of our ecosystem, but also can find themselves in the wrong place and become pests. But the best way to take care of these insects is to know about them as much as you can. Because of this, we’re going to explore wasps, their lifecycle and how to deal with them if they’re pests in and around your home
THE STINGING WASP
Wasps are a stinging insect. They apply a toxin through the stinger in the back of their abdomen. This toxin is a mixture of substances that break down the membranes of our cells. The toxin reacts with the pain centers in our nervous system causing them to overload and give giving the victim a burning sensation. In addition, it stops the flow of blood in order to keep the toxin from being swept away quickly. Unlike bees, wasps stingers do not have barbs on them. That means that they can remove the stinger and use it again and again. When a wasp stings it does not die because of this. This toxin can be dangerous for people who have allergic reactions to it. It’s important that if you have an allergy to this insect sting, or may possibly have allergies to it that you seek medical attention immediately.
Wasp stings are used in a way to protect the insect, but are also used for hunting. At different times in the lifecycle of a wife, it will eat more protein in the form of other insects or it will need more carbohydrates in the form of nectar and honeydew. When I wasp is young, it must develop into a full grown adult larva. This requires much more protein and therefore a lot more prey. But in adult form, wasps are busy building nests, laying eggs and hunting for their young. This means more energy and therefore more carbohydrates. This is why you’ll see wasps around flowers and other blooms that can produce nectar. The sugary nectars provide the sustenance and the energy that the adult wasps will need to do the tasks that are necessary.
THE LIFECYCLE OF THE WASP
The lifecycle of a wasp develops through a complete metamorphosis. The wasp starts as an egg. Once it hatches, it becomes a larva, or worm. At this stage, it will consume mostly proteins in order to develop the structures it needs. Then it will pupate, and lastly emerge as an adult wasp. The adult wasp will mate, create a nest and lay eggs, repeating the process. Each particular wasp species has a different set of uniqueness to their process of development. Your Broken Arrow exterminator can help.
They almost always lay their eggs in some form of cell where it will continue the egg, larva and pupa stages inside that cell. Paper wasps, for instance, build a paper nest with hexagon cells joined with one another. These nests can get quite large and have eggs in the hundreds. Each hexagonal cell has one egg in it and often a few paralyzed spiders that were caught by a hunting adult wasp. They will hatch, the larva will feed upon the spider larva and begin the process.
MUD DOBBERS
Other wasps, like the mud Dobber, only create one or two cells. The adults will gather a large amount of mud and create a cell. Usually mud dobber species are named based on the shape of the cell. Once they create this cell, it will go hunt a spider or other insect and then carry it back to the cell. They will then place a paralyzed insect inside the cell and lay an egg up on it and then close up the cell. Contact your Tulsa pest control company for more information.
A potter wasp, for example, builds a cell that his round and the end of it has a neck like look to it. This makes it look like a small pot or jug. The organ pipe wasp creates vertical cells that look much like the pipes of a pipe organ. These wasps are solitary wasps and function by themselves. Paper wasp and other wasps that create large nests are known as your social wasps. They don’t necessarily act in a colony, but they do lay large number of eggs in nests with large numbers of cells.
OVERWINTERING WASPS
In the fall months, the last generation of males and females will mate. These males will die off and the females will go find a crack or crevice where they can hide over winner. Often this is in a tree trunk or some crack the ground. Sometimes female wasps will find their way into the siding of a house or underneath a shingle. When they’re in a place like this, they can become a nuisance over the winter months. These female wasps will wait for the warmth of spring to emerge from their overwintered state. Contact your Broken Arrow pest control company for help.
If a wasp is in an attic space or somewhere close to the house, it can feel the heat of the heater in the home. If it does that, it will start working its way towards the heat, thinking that the spring is here. Often during the winter months these wasps will come out inside your home. Once a female wasp emerges from its overwintered state, it is in a very compromised position. It has been living off the body fat it had on it from the fall and it’s almost completely depleted. They must find sustenance quickly and because there are no flowers in your home during the winter months, these wasps will die very quickly.
KEEPING WASPS OUT OF YOUR HOME
If you’re having an issue with wasps, bees or any other nuisance pest it’s time to call and the best Tulsa exterminator that you can find. TermMax Pest Control specializes in bees and wasps and other pests like this. We service the greater Tulsa area including Owasso, Turley, Coweta, Catoosa, Sand Springs, Sapulpa, Prattville, Broken Arrow, Jenks, Bixby and much more. Call today for a free estimate. We’re here to help!