Useful Wasp Info
With wasp season getting into swing we thought we would offer a few bits of useful information on the pest with a painful rep!
Wasps don't swarm
We often receive call outs for reports of wasps all over a building or in a garden and a quite often we turn up to find a swarm of honey bees have stopped to rest.
Understandably if you have no clue what they are or what they’re doing and not everyone knows the difference between wasps and bees, you’re going to panic a little.
Bee’s tend to swarm when they’re looking for a new site, the queen will be in the centre of the swarm being protected. It’s always best to steer clear of them bees. They usually move off within a few hours or a couple of days once the scout bees find a suitable new site, or the queen decides she wants to move on.
Or you can contact a local bee keeper to come and collect the bee swarm. They will usually get out to you as quickly as possible and take the bees back to they’re own hives and let them start a new colony.
The venom in wasp stings contains a pheromone that causes other wasps nearby to become more aggressive
So if you do attempt to treat a wasp nest yourself then always remember if you are going to get stung you run the risk of doing so more than once!
The pain from a wasp sting can last up to 24 hours. Depending where you get stung can also have an impact on your reaction to the sting. Head, neck and shoulders are usually the worst places to get stung, as reactions from stings in these areas can often be worse.
However if you suffer from Anaphylaxis then you may require some kind of medical assistance straight away or may even need to use an Epipen (which hopefully you already posses).
This is why we would always advise you to call a professional or wasp specialist like ourselves to deal with your wasp infestation and avoid these situations.
There are some home remedies that have been know to help with wasp stings
If you are unlucky enough to be on the receiving end of a wasp sting then you should apply a cold compress to the area quickly, keep it there for 5 – 10 minuets.
Vinegar or apple cider vinegar have been reported to combat or neutralise a wasp sting thanks to the acidity in vinegar.
Any deodorant containing aluminium has also been said to help with a wasp sting.
After pain has subsided apply honey to the sting area, this should help to heal the wound and prevent the sting from itching.
If you’ve heard of any other remedies that are great for wasp stings or if you’ve found you own helpful methods of keeping wasps at bay, drop us a comment!
You can head over to our contact page if you’d like to speak with us or book a visit with a qualified wasp specialist.