Is killing the queen wasp a guaranteed way to get rid of an entire wasp colony? This is not always the case. Here’s some crucial information to consider before attempting something disastrous like doing your own wasp nest removal or extermination :
Identify the queen wasp.
A key queen wasp identifier is her size, as she is usually the largest wasp in the nest. Her main function is to lay eggs and create a large colony. Only female wasps have stingers, male wasps have “spikes”.
During the late spring and summer, trying to exterminate a queen wasp on your own may be nearly impossible. They rarely leave their nest during this period. The queen remains in her nest to lay eggs, tended by female wasps.
Queen wasps are usually detected in the spring.
In early spring, the queen wasp emerges from hibernation to find a small area to begin her colony. Solitary wasps at this time are most likely the queen wasp as she looks for food to feed her first batch of larvae.
Timing is everything.
During the winter, the queen is the only member of the colony to survive the cold months. Worker wasps die as the temperature lowers. Taking advantage of the time when worker wasps are not guarding the queen might make extermination easier.
Killing the queen in the summer may not be the best idea.
It is rare to find the queen outside the nest during the summer, but it is not impossible. If you’ve decided to get rid of the queen during this time, it probably won’t have much impact on the colony; it’s already well-established. Hurting the queen at this time will result in an aggressive reaction from worker wasps, endangering yourself, neighbors, family, and pets.
Attempting to exterminate a wasp colony solely by targeting the queen can be a fool’s errand. Getting rid of wasps is always dangerous if you don’t have the right equipment and the professional background to handle such a task. Call Mr. Pest at 1-888-794-7378 to handle any type of wasp problem.
