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Wasps, Hornets and Yellowjackets in Wichita and Kansas City: The Complete Guide
Updated: 11 hours ago
A wasp nest by your front door. A yellowjacket at your cookout. Nobody wants either. This guide shows how to tell them apart, where nests hide around Wichita and Kansas City homes, and when to call for help.
Quick Answers
A wasp colony lasts only one year. The nest is not reused.
Workers die with the first freezes. Only fertilized queens survive winter.
Most stings happen when a nest is disturbed.
A nest in a quiet spot can be left alone. A nest near a door or walkway needs a pro.
How do you tell wasps, hornets and yellowjackets apart?
Paper wasps are slim, and their color varies by type.
Yellowjackets are about half an inch long, shiny, bright yellow with black marks. They are close in size to a honey bee, but bees are fuzzy and golden or brown.
Bald-faced hornets are about an inch long and dark. They have white or cream marks on the face and body.
Where do their nests hide?
Paper wasps hang an umbrella-shaped nest under eaves, on porches and inside light fixtures.
Bald-faced hornets build a large, closed nest with one hole at the bottom. It usually hangs from a tree branch, but can be on shrubs, poles or siding.
Yellowjackets nest in the ground, in logs or landscape timbers, or inside walls and attics.
Why do they seem worse in late summer?
Colonies start small in spring and keep growing. Paper wasp nests usually hold fewer than 25 wasps, but can pass 100 late in the season. Bald-faced hornet nests have a few hundred workers. Yellowjacket nests can hold up to 5,000. Yellowjackets also hover near trash cans and other food, so you notice them more at cookouts.
What can you do today?
Stay calm and walk away from a nest. Do not swat.
Keep kids and pets away from the area.
Keep trash can lids closed and clean up food and drinks outdoors.
Check eaves, porches, light fixtures and doorways each spring for small new nests.
Do not plug a hole in a wall where wasps are going in. Let a pro handle it.
Should you remove a nest yourself?
Not always. Wasps eat caterpillars and other insects, so a nest in an out-of-the-way spot is best left alone. Control makes sense in high-traffic areas, like walkways and doorways. Nests in walls or the ground are harder and riskier. That is when to call a pro.
What if someone is stung?
Move away from the nest first. If the person has trouble breathing, swelling of the face or throat, or a known sting allergy, call 911. For other stings, wash the spot and watch it. Talk to your doctor if you are worried.
What happens after the first freeze?
The workers die. Only fertilized queens survive the winter, and they build a brand new nest next year. An old nest will not be reused. That is why spring is the best time to check for new starts.
When should you call a pro?
Call when a nest is near a door, a walkway or a play area. Call when wasps are going in and out of a wall or the ground. Call when anyone at home has a sting allergy. Bug Shockers is local and family-owned, with no contracts and a 5.0-star rating on Google. See our Wichita wasp control and Overland Park wasp control pages. Wichita: (316) 775-7867. Overland Park and Kansas City: (913) 222-2847.
More wasp reading
Quick FAQ
Do wasps reuse their nests? No. They build a new nest each year.
What happens to wasps in winter? Workers die with the first freezes. Only queens survive.
Where do yellowjackets build nests? Often in the ground, in logs or timbers, or in walls and attics.
Should I remove a nest myself? A quiet nest can be left alone. A nest near a door, in a wall or in the ground is a job for a pro.
Do I need a contract for wasp control? Never.
Source
Need help in Wichita? See our Wichita pest control page.
Bug Shockers: The Shockingly Smart Choice.
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