Are wasps dangerous? They may be if you find them on your property.
If you see wasps flying around near your home, the best thing you can do is avoid them. After all, if you leave them alone, they’ll usually leave you alone as well. However, it’s important to understand just how dangerous wasps can be, so we’ve put together some basic facts.
Wasps are Aggressive Nest Protectors
If you take any lesson from today’s discussion, let it be that wasps are very aggressive. They may be small, but what they lack in size, they make up in ferocity and how they deal with protecting their nest and young. Wasps are absolutely fearless and have no qualms with attacking a person or animal, not matter their size. For them, the old adage is true – size does not matter.
They’ll Call Reinforcements
Wasps may be fearless, but that doesn’t mean they’re above calling reinforcements to help them out. In fact, if social wasps are threatened or agitated, they’ll release pheromones to let all the wasps in their colony know that there’s a potential danger in their midst. This means that swatting away a single wasp could result in a onslaught of stingers.
Potential Allergic Reaction
Many people are afraid of the pain from wasp stings, but for those who are allergic, that’s the least of their worries. Most people who are allergic will simply experience swelling, but people will have a severe reaction known as anaphylaxis. This life-threatening condition is an emergency and presents itself with symptoms such as lightheadedness, difficulty breathing, rapid heartbeat, wheezing, anxiety, and confusion.
People Can Become Allergic
A lot of people who have been stung by a wasp will assume that they’re safe from having a severe allergic reaction if they’re stung again. This isn’t always the case. When a person is stung for the first time, this can cause a process called sensitization, wherein the person will develop an allergy. Then, if he or she is stung a second time, this may trigger an allergic reaction.
Wasps Have the Potential to be Lethal in Large Numbers
The average person who isn’t allergic can safely withstand 10 stings per pound of their body weight. While it’s very rare that someone would be stung so many times that it could kill them, it’s still something you should consider when faced with a nest, especially since kids and pets are more vulnerable. This is why you should never try to remove a nest on your own.
Wasps Can Be Relentless
You’ve probably seen in cartoons where a character is being chased by a bunch of bees and the only way they can escape is to jump into a lake. Well, replace those bees with wasps and you’ll have a pretty good idea of just how relentless these little flying menaces can be. Although you may not find yourself jumping into a lake, an aggressive wasp may chase you until you find shelter.
Wasp Removal Is Tricky
There are a few different do-it-yourself solutions for getting rid of a wasp nest, but every single one of them is risky. Even if you manage to destroy most of a nest, you’re very likely to be left with an extremely angry swarm of survivors. Not only will these attack you, but they can later rebuild a new nest and you’re right back where you started. This is why a professional wasp treatment is always the best route.
Contact ProHealth Pest Control for Wasp Control
Having a wasp infestation can be dangerous for your entire household, including your pets. ProHealth Pest Control has wasp control and removal techniques that will take care of the problem right away. If you have any questions, including “how dangerous are wasps?”, reach out to us at (727) 308-4087 today to schedule a free consultation.
