Tag Archives: hornets

News, Stinging Insects

What to Know about Hornets and Their Life Cycle

What to Know About Hornet Attacks
What to Know About Hornets

One outdoor pest many people have experience with is the hornet. An old saying about “stirring up a hornet’s nest” is the last thing you want to do.

About Hornets

There are around 20 species of hornets found worldwide. That’s a lot of buzzing going on around the world. They’ve made their presence known in Asia, Africa, Europe, and here at home in North America.

Head of Household

There’s no debate when it comes to the “leader of the pack.” That would be the queen. She is the domineering force and responsible for reproducing.

Other females have tasks such as providing protection for the colony, taking care of the young, construction, and food gathering.

The male has only one specific job and that is to mate with the reigning queen; then he dies.

Hornet Life Cycle

Winter usually finds young queens along with their eggs in protected areas to weather the season. During the spring, the queens begin the process of nest building, followed by directing their workers to take over the chores.

She will continue to reproduce to ensure more workers as well as breed a new generation of drones (males) and queens.

NJ pest control services are a good way to prevent hornets from setting up household in your yard and home. When hornets are making a pest of themselves, it’s best to contact the NJ pest control specialists at Stern Environmental.

News, Pest Control, Stinging Insects, Wasps

How to Tell the Difference Between a Hornet and a Wasp

The Wasps Advantage
Wasp Control

Both hornets and wasps strike fear into the hearts of many people. But the threat usually occurs only when nests are disturbed or when territory is infringed upon. Another common problem with hornets and wasps is that they often build their nests in inconvenient locations – near public meeting areas, around park benches and on children’s playgrounds. For the sake of communication between your company and NJ pest control services when you call for assistance, here is how to tell the  difference between a hornet and a wasp.

Appearance and Behavior

Wasps tend to have no body hair on their back. They look similar to a giant flying ant in that respect. They also have a thin, elongated body. The color of wasps varies between types, so you can’t really tell from the color if it is a wasp or a hornet. Be aware, though, that yellow wasps are more aggressive than, for example, the paper wasp. The paper wasp is very passive, and unlikely to sting passersby unless attacked first.

Color and Nesting Habits

Hornets are either black and white or reddish-brown in appearance. Hornets swarm and become very aggressive when their nest is disturbed. Hornet’s nests are always higher up, such as under building eaves. Wasp nests can be located in both high and low locations. You should always contact the NJ pest control experts to handle both hornet’s nests and wasp’s nests.

Bees, Insect Control, Pest Control, Pest Eradication, Pest Management, Stinging Insects, Wasps

Stirring Up a Hornet’s Nest – Don’t Try This at Home

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When someone has “stepped into a hornet’s nest,” that means they’ve unintentionally wandered into a violent or contentious situation. We say someone has “stirred up a hornet’s nest” when they provoke an attack from spiteful enemies or vociferous critics.  “Madder than a hornet” is another colloquial expression used to describe a fit of bad temper.

You get my drift. These sayings persist in our language for a reason. And that reason is hornets. These are not insects you want to mess around with.  Hornets are large, strong, aggressive insects and their sting is severe.

It’s no wonder then that anyone would be horrified to suddenly see one of their huge muddy brown tornado-shaped nests clinging to the eaves of their home. It is especially ominous now during the summer when kids are home from school and you may have small children running around the yard busy at play. A full hornet’s nest hanging over their heads is like a ticking time bomb. And heaven forbid one of the little tykes spotted it and decided to swat at it like a piñata.

Hornet nests may contain thousands of wasps which are extremely aggressive when disturbed. The nests are often located out of reach and removal is best accomplished by a professional NJ, NYC pest control firm.