San Antonio is home to numerous venomous arthropods, such as scorpions, centipedes, black widow spiders, brown recluse spiders, several ant species, and many more. However, few arthropods are more dangerous to humans than yellow jacket wasps. This time of year sees yellow jacket numbers peak all over the United States, and unfortunately, this is also the time of year when yellow jackets start gravitating into residential areas. There are several reasons as to why yellow jackets become more abundant around homes during the late summer and early fall seasons, and luckily, there are several simple ways in which residents can avoid disturbing yellow jacket nests that may be hidden on their property.
Anyone who is aware that they have an allergy to bee venom should be particularly careful while outdoors during the months lasting from August until October. This is because many people who are allergic to bee venom are also likely to be allergic to other insect venoms, particularly yellow jacket venom. Once August arrives, many people cannot help but to notice more yellow jackets buzzing around neighborhoods. During the spring and summer, yellow jackets feed on insects, but once August arrives, these insect food sources become more scarce in rural areas populated by yellow jackets. In order to find new sources of sustenance, yellow jackets travel into human populated areas in order to seek new food sources, such as sugary foods and drinks, leftover food waste in garbage bins and even hamburgers, steaks and other meats. This makes cookouts particularly risky during the late summer and early fall.
Considering the yellow jacket’s greater abundance and preference for human habitats during this time of year, it should not be surprising to learn that negative yellow jacket encounters and fatalities increase significantly during the late summer and early fall seasons. In order to make a property less attractive to yellow jackets, it is wise to remove fallen fruits from lawns, and residents should make sure that outside garbage bins are well sealed. Many yellow jacket nests are located below the ground, so keeping an eye out for small nest openings on lawns is important, especially while mowing the lawn. If a paper yellow jacket nest is encountered in a high-traffic area of a home, contacting a pest control professional for nest removal is highly recommended.
Have you ever found an active yellow jacket nest attached to your home?
