Eliminating wasps can be difficult. To get rid of them safely, call a professional.

Colonial Pest Is Your Leading Wasp Exterminator

Colonial Pest is proud to have served clients since 1984. We’re a leading wasp exterminator in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, and work with both residential and commercial clients to eliminate and prevent wasp infestations.

We Provide Custom Wasp Extermination Services

You should only pay for the services you get. We tailor an extermination plan just for you. Our removal methods are safe for children, pets, and property guests.

We Take a Multi-Pronged Approach

When you contact Colonial Pest, we take the following steps:

1. Assess your infestation
2. Customize a multi-pronged extermination method
3. Eliminate the wasps
4. Get rid of nests, so they don’t harbor other pests
5. Prevent wasps from returning

Wasps are dangerous insects that shouldn’t be around your property. Protect your health, home, and business by contacting us today at Colonial Pest.

Want to learn more about wasps? Keep reading!

Wasps multiply quickly, and their nests can contain thousands of inhabitants. If disturbed, wasps can be very aggressive, which can be dangerous around a home or business.

While outside, wasps can threaten both humans and pets. Inside a home, they can cause damage to your property. If you have a wasp infestation, you should reach out for professional help.

Types of Wasps

There is a wide range of different types of wasps, including paper wasps, mud daubers, digger wasps, cicada killer wasps, and others. Although all wasps share some similarities, they have different breeding and nesting habits, depending on the type of wasp. When you hire an extermination company for wasp removal on your property, you should make sure they know all the types of wasps so that they can develop a custom extermination plan that is truly effective.

Identifying Wasps

When most people see a black and yellow buzzing creature, their first question is whether they’re looking at a wasp or a bee. Luckily, with just a little information about the key differences between these species, you can easily determine which is which. Familiarizing yourself with the features of various kinds of wasps can help to identify the best extermination methods and assess the potential damage related to wasps.

Bees and Wasps: Similarities and Differences

Bees have thick bodies and are “hairy” compared to wasps, which have a slender body with a very narrow waist and appear smooth and shiny. Their feeding habits differ, as well. Bees will feed only on pollen, which is a source of protein, and nectar, which is a source of carbohydrate. Both come from flowers.

Wasps have different preferences and feed other insects to their young that develop inside the nest. Later in the summer, they become more interested in gathering carbohydrates such as sweets. Bees and wasps can become very aggressive as they scavenge for food, sometimes near humans when food and drinks are served outdoors. If you notice a lot of stinging insects or nests nearby, understand that as the spring and summer progress, the problem is likely to get worse as the larvae hatch into adults.

Before it turns into a serious problem, contact an experienced wasp control and bee removal company.

Paper Wasps

Paper wasps are a part of the vespid family of wasps. These kinds of wasps mix dead wood and plants with their saliva to create water-resistant nests that often appear to be made from gray or brown paper. There are over 1,000 species around the world. Paper wasps include the polistinae subfamily of wasps and the stenogastrinae subfamily, which includes hornets and yellowjackets.

These wasps make nests with open combs containing cells for their young. The nests have a stalk in the middle to anchor it and are often located under the eaves of homes or other buildings. The nests may also be found on tree branches, at the ends of pipes, on old clotheslines, and in similar locations. These wasps attack if they feel threatened, and their stings can cause anaphylactic shock in some victims.

Mud Daubers

Also called the mud wasps or dirt daubers, mud daubers consist of several different species of wasps who make their nests from mud. In all mud wasps, the female wasp molds the nest with her mandibles, but the shape and location of the nest varies based on the species.

With black and yellow mud daubers, for example, each nest contains a one-celled opening, positioned in a wall crack or crevice. This nest contains just a single egg. In contrast, “organ-pipe” mud daubers build vertical organ-pipe-shaped nests on walls, bridges, cliffs, and other structures. Mud dauber nests have caused at least three airplane incidents since 1980.

Digger Wasps

Easily confused with bumblebees or cicada killer wasps, the digger wasp is a non-social burrowing wasp. They use flying as their primary method of hunting and dig into the dirt or sand to create nests for their young. The nests are a foot deep, and like ant colonies in that they feature multiple chambers with room for an egg and a paralyzed insect for the larvae to eat after hatching.

Females generally are not aggressive and use their stingers for paralyzing prey while hunting. Males, however, can be aggressive and often swarm or dive-bomb their enemies.

Cicada Killer Wasps

The cicada killer wasp is a large digger wasp that preys on cicadas. Although there are several species of cicada killer wasps, the eastern cicada killer is the most prominent through the Eastern and Midwest United States. Ranging from 1.5 to 5 centimeters, the cicada killer wasps are some of the largest wasps in the country.

They feature red and black coloring with light yellow stripes on their abdomens. These solitary wasps tend to emerge in the summer and die off in early to mid-fall. Their underground nests feature single chambers for the eggs. Only the female cicada killer wasps can sting and may do so when stepped on or caught in clothing.

About Wasps

Wasps tend to be social creatures, but some species are solitary. They feed on nectar, and more often, other insects and spiders which they paralyze and drag back to their nests. Sometimes these bodies are left next to an egg as food for the young. To deal with wasps effectively, you need an exterminator that understands their habits.

The Benefits of Bees and Wasps

Bees and wasps are beneficial to the environment but for different reasons. Bees are recognized for their importance in pollinating flowering plants. It is estimated that bees are responsible for more than 80% of the pollination that is required for the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, flowering trees, and ornamental plants. They spend most of their time gathering pollen or nectar, especially if they are social species.

Wasps are vital because they are predatory insects that help control bugs that are considered pests, such as flies, spiders, caterpillars, and crickets. Parasitic wasps are used increasingly by farmers in “natural” agricultural pest control, usually as an alternative to chemicals.

The Dangers of Bees and Wasps

Found in virtually everywhere in New Hampshire and Massachusetts, bees and wasps — including yellow jackets and hornets — use their ability to sting to defend themselves or their colony. When a bee or wasp stings, it injects a protein venom which can be very painful. This venom can cause other reactions, such as serious allergic reactions which can range from a rash and hives to massive swelling, respiratory distress, and headaches.

A more severe and systemic reaction may cause anaphylactic shock, which can be a life-threatening allergic reaction requiring immediate medical care. Symptoms include difficulty breathing, blockage of the throat and fainting, usually within minutes of the sting. As these insects are so beneficial to the environment, it is only when they become a danger to humans and pets that you should call an experienced pest control company.

Colonial Pest provides wasp removal and bee extermination services in the Massachusetts and New Hampshire area.

How to Identify and Deal with Wasp Nests

Wasps nests take a variety of forms, depending on the species of wasps. The nests may appear like a small umbrella without a handle, or a large ball-shaped structure with multiple chambers, long organ pipes, or other shapes. Usually, nests appear in the spring when the female wasps lay their eggs.

Be cautious around nests as wasps will attack if they feel threatened. If you remove the nest on your own, be aware that the wasps may try to return to the area to rebuild. To reduce the chance of this happening and keep you safe, hire a wasp extermination professional. Even empty wasp nests can present issues because other creatures, including carpet beetles, may move into the nest.

Handling a Wasp Sting

If you are stung by a wasp, watch for signs of a severe allergic reaction. If you experience nausea, facial swelling, difficulty breathing, or a rapid heartbeat, call 911 and get help as soon as possible. Anaphylactic shock can be life-threatening.

Luckily, in most cases, you are likely only to experience a mild, nonallergic reaction. To ease the pain, remove the stinger, clean the wound, apply ice, use over-the-counter painkillers to reduce pain, and allergy medications to help with slight swelling around the site of the sting.

What to Do When Wasps Get Inside Your Home

During the winter, wasps may try to nest inside attics, between walls, behind window treatments, under the carpet, and in other cracks or crevices. Because they are relatively inactive during the cold months, you may not even notice the infestation right away.

If you find a wasp’s nest, do not attempt to remove it on your own if it’s inhabited, the wasps may swarm if disrupted.  Even if wasps are not using the nest, other creatures may have moved in. For best results, contact a wasp removal professional if you have wasps in your home.

Handling Wasps Outside and Around Your Vehicle

If you see wasps around your car, they may be crawling into the vehicle to scavenge for dead bugs or nesting in the car. You can lift the hood to find out what’s happening but be very careful as most species of wasps attack if they feel threatened. To handle the issues as safely and as effectively as possible, you may want to contact a professional exterminator.

Why Choose Colonial Pest Control?

• All our technicians are highly trained and state certified.
• We use low impact/low toxicity products.
• Our treatment methods are custom tailored to your specific wasp, hornet, or bee problem.
• Your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed.

Please call today for a FREE ESTIMATE at 1-888-982-2963 or make the request online for our wasp control & bee exterminator services at – REQUEST A QUOTE

Bees and wasps are insects that are closely related to ants and belong to the order hymenoptera. They are found locally in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, and on every continent except for Antarctica. They are usually considered beneficial insects until they begin to inhabit areas frequented by humans. Because of their ability to sting, they then become classified as pests.

Bee and wasp infestations can be difficult. It’s best to call an established bee removal and wasp control company if your family is threatened by these insects in or around your home. Even though bees and social wasps both live in colonies ruled by queens and maintained by “workers,” they look different and have very different behavioral traits. It is crucial to determine which insects they are, as the methods used to control them will differ.