Yellow Jacket

Some things in life hurt, like falling off a bike and skinning your knee or picking up a hot cast iron pan without using an oven mitt. Thankfully, most painful things are avoidable. This includes painful wasp stings. There is one wasp; however, that is a little harder to avoid. If you have never considered the dangers yellow jackets pose to residents in Salt Lake City, today is your day to do so. Here is everything you should know about these pests, including just how dangerous they are.

Are Yellow Jacket Stings Painful?

If you have ever been stung by a yellow jacket or any other species of wasp, you know that their stings are painful. You might not know that there is no good scientific way to understand how painful different wasps stings are by their venom alone. The only scale we have is the Schmidt Index which rates yellow jackets at a 2.0 out of 4.0. Seeing that the bullet ant, a pest that's sting puts people in the hospital and causes immeasurable pain, is at a 4.0, and the fact that there are no numbers between whole numbers makes this system a bit difficult to understand. All you need to know is that yellow jacket stings hurt enough that you should avoid getting stung.

Are Yellow Jacket Stings Life-Threatening?

Yellow jacket stings can be life-threatening, but only if the individual who is stung is attacked several dozen times or if they are allergic to insect venom. Even if you are allergic to insect venom, treatments are available that quickly address life-threatening symptoms like anaphylactic shock. To check to see if you are or are not allergic, consult with your doctor.

Can You Outrun A Yellow Jacket?

Something that makes yellow jackets dangerous is how fast they fly. Fully grown, this pest is capable of traveling at 30 miles per hour. They are also agile in the air and can land and sting multiple times even when their victim is running away from them. Keeping this in mind, here are some do's and don'ts to follow if you are ever under attack:

Do remain calm. Panicking will only make the situation worse.
Don't swat at wasps or try to fight back. You will not win.
Do leave the area as fast as possible. The quicker, the better.
Don't jump into a body of water like a pool, pond, or lake. These pests will be waiting for you when you come up for air.
Do find a straight path that will get you far away. Yellow jackets will sometimes chase victims up to a mile before giving up.

Don't run into a nearby home or business if wasps are close enough to be stinging you. At least a few wasps will follow you inside and continue to attack.

How To Remove Yellow Jackets From Your Property

The worst thing you can do if you find a yellow jacket nest on your property is to allow it to grow. These pests are aggressive year-round but are much more so during the fall months. Take care of nests in your yard by hiring the experts at Pestmaster® Services. We will send one of our qualified technicians to inspect your property and safely remove any nests they find. They will also recommend some prevention strategies that will reduce your chances of finding yellow jackets on your property in the future. Call today to schedule your property for pest control services in Salt Lake City.