Understanding Yellow Jacket Pollination In North Andover, MA
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As the days get warmer and the seasons transition in North Andover, Massachusetts, residents may find themselves dealing with uninvited guests in their yards: yellow jackets. While these stinging, buzzing pests can be a nuisance, it is important to understand their role in the environment and how best to manage them. For homeowners in North Andover, MA, F&W pest control offers comprehensive yellow jacket management, and this guide reviews the basics of yellow jacket pollination and ways to manage them around your property.
What are Yellow Jackets and What Role Do they Play in Pollination?
Yellow jackets, or hornets, are miniature relatives of the bee family and are among the most misunderstood of garden insects. The vast majority of yellow jackets are not killers, but rather beneficial pollinators that provide key services to humans and other animals. Consider that yellow jackets are extremely important to the successful pollination of flowering plants, fruits, vegetables, and nuts. It is believed their small size allows them to access and drink from the nectar of small flowers, transferring minute amounts of pollen between plants. This mission-critical work allows for the successful regeneration of crops, the distribution of new genetic material and healthful food sources.
Contrary to popular belief, hornets generally don’t hunt other insects, leaving Ann’s grubs and irritating mosquitoes alone. Yellow jackets will occasionally scavenge plants for sweet sap, nectar, and fruit; but, rather than plunder, they often develop a “symbiotic” relationship with gardens, keeping their host plants safe from ‘bug invasions’ and participating in the pollination of tons of plants ? including many of our favorite vegetables.
Where Do Yellow Jackets Nest and How Can I Tell if I Have an Infestation?
Although yellow jackets, like many other bees, live in colonies, they construct nests that look far different than those of their larger cousins. Yellow jacket nests are usually circular and made of a thin, papery material. The nest is almost always found near the ground, covered with a network of thin tunnels and surrounded by a few thousand pairs of the dancing terrors.
Homeowners may suspect an infestation if they notice yellow jackets swarming around their house or see them entering and leaving a single hole in the ground. Additionally, finding a papery nest that seems to house dozens of yellow jackets is a sure sign that someone has a yellow jacket colony in their backyard.
What Does One Do When They Discover a Nest on their Property?
Given the importance of the pollination work yellow jackets provide, it is not advisable to simply spray the nest and call it a day. Instead, a pest management professional should be consulted in order to assess the issue. If treatment is deemed necessary, a licensed technician will implement Integrated Pest Management (IPM) techniques to achieve optimal pest control with minimal use of pesticides. The technician will thoroughly investigate the property and target the infestation in a manner that will ensure the pests leave your property, without damaging plants or pollinating flowers.
Conclusion
No one likes to be stung by uninvited guests, but knowing how to properly manage yellow jackets is an important step to ensuring they are not causing further damage than they need to. Identification, control and prevention are all key steps in managing hornets, and the right pest control professionals are essential for ensuring safe and efficient removal. F&WPest Control offers expert services to homeowners in North Andover, MA and beyond, and our IPM techniques will help to ensure your property is well maintained with minimal fuss.
One of our pest management professionals will assess the extent of the issue and determine whether or not you need pest control services to get rid of troublesome pests. We have offices in Wrentham, MA, Framingham, MA, Peabody, MA, and Kingston, MA, but serve all of eastern Massachusetts. If we confirm that there are issues, we will recommend the treatments that will be most effective for your property.
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Searching for an easy fix to your pest problems? Here at F&W Pest Control, our exterminators will treat an array of different pest issues including termites, bed bugs, mosquitoes, and more! Long-term protection is right at your reach with the help of our highly trained team of exterminators in the Greater Boston area. Don’t allow pests to take over your home, put your trust in our pest control services to ensure a pest-free home. With our help, you won’t have to spend any more free time implementing DIY extermination methods!
