Protecting Our Pollinators While Managing Summer Wasps

Should you call a beekeeper or pest control for bees?

For a honeybee swarm in a wall, call a local beekeeper, who can often move the colony instead of killing it, since bees are pollinators under pressure. Native bees, including bumblebees, mason bees and sweat bees, are pollinators too. Ontario says the declining health and population of bees and wild pollinators is cause for global concern, and that without pollinators much of the food we eat would not exist.

The City of Toronto says ground-nesting mining bees, nicknamed "tickle bees", don't sting and are very gentle.

Which wasps cause the most problems in Ontario?

Yellowjackets, paper wasps and bald-faced hornets are behind most wasp calls, and yellowjackets especially will defend the nest hard and can sting more than once. Health Canada says that in some rare cases, severe allergic reactions to wasp venom have caused death. Yellowjackets nest in the ground, in wall voids, under eaves and in attics.

Can you leave a wasp nest alone until late fall?

Yes, if the nest is not a health hazard: Health Canada says it's best to leave it until November or December, then remove it once it has been abandoned. Knowing what you're dealing with first means the treatment fits the problem. A paper wasp nest in a back corner of the garage might only need to be left until the colony dies off in late fall, then sealed up. A yellowjacket nest in the wall beside a door needs a professional, and soon.

At Sting Out, we identify the insect before we recommend anything. If it turns out to be a harmless, useful insect, we'll tell you that. If it needs treatment, we pick the method for that species and spot, make sure the whole nest is dealt with, and seal the opening so they don't move back in next season.