Summer…summer…summertime! It’s the best season of the year by many people’s standards. While we enjoy getting outdoors more often thanks to the hot weather and sunshine, the summer also brings many threats into our life, including pests like yellow jackets.
What are Yellow Jackets?
Yellow jackets look similar to honey bees with black and yellow coloring and long dark wings. Unlike bees, however, yellow jackets do not produce honey. Instead, they live in nests placed in secluded areas of the ground.
Another difference between a yellow jacket and a bee is its stinging ability. Bees sting one time and die. Yellow jackets can sting multiple times. When it stings, it pierces you with its stinger to inject a poisonous venom that causes immediate pain and sometimes inflammation, fatigue, itching, and warmth in the area.
Painful Yellow Jacket Stings
Yellow jacket stings hurt, to put it mildly. Anyone that has experienced the yellow jacket sting knows nothing is more important than fast relief from the symptoms. Here’s what you should do after a yellow jacket sting to alleviate the symptoms.
How to Treat Yellow Jacket Stings
- Apply an ice pack to the area to reduce inflammation and pain. Some people wrap ice in a towel or washcloth if they do not have an ice pack readily available. Leave the ice on the skin for a minimum of 20-minutes.
- Take an antihistamine to reduce swelling and itching; a common complaint people have after a yellow jacket sting.
- Mix together baking soda and water to form a thick paste. Apply the paste to the affected area. This mixture counteracts the venom that yellow jackets inject into the skin.
- Vinegar can help relieve itching. It works as an astringent, which will help you avoid picking at the area, which can increase pain.
Prevent Yellow Jacket Stings
Yellow jackets come out in full swing in Muscle Shoals when the weather is warm. They feed on flowers which help nourish them and their colonies. Once flowers die, they begin to scavenge trash, searching for sugar sources. This is when they are aggressive and most likely to sting. Keep these tips in mind to prevent stings:
- Cover food up to keep yellow jackets away
- Keep a lid over the trash can
- If a yellow jacket lands on you, remain calm. Swatting will only increase the risk that it will sting you.
- Call pest control in Muscle Shoals professionals to eradicate any nests on your property.
Southern Pride Pest Control is a full-service pest control company headquartered in Muscle Shoals, AL. SPPC specializes in pest control and prevention services, including termite control, rodent control, bed bug control, ant control, and mosquito control, and can even help with moisture control around your residence or commercial property. Established in 2010, Southern Pride PestControl is a reliable source of quality pest-management solutions delivered by a team you can trust. Call us today for any of your pest control needs.
