What a summer it was!

      Yellow jackets and white faced hornets. We all know about them. Nests in the ground, big gray nests hanging from tree branches, in shrubbery, on the roof line of the house, or yellow jackets getting into the house from nests that are in the structure of your home. Matt (my stepson) and I ran ourselves ragged dealing with these things this summer. It started about mid-July, which is typical. Then it cranked up, and never stopped until about 2 weeks ago. They were everywhere!
       One example, we went to check out a BAT job in a neighboring town, and before we left we killed four yellow jacket nests in the guy's house and stonewall that he didn't even know he had. That's how the season went!
       I went to one job where a family had a nest on the bottom of their deck, right where they stepped out the kitchen door. Obviously, they couldn't use their deck. The deck was about 3 1/2 feet off the ground, so since I was going to have to go in on hands and knees, I figured I better put on my bee suit (only goes to my waist) and gloves. All dressed, and in I go. Have to crawl about 20 feet, and as get about halfway in, I kneel on an old piece of rotten cardboard. Anyone want to guess what was under the cardboard. Yep, another nest. Panic time!!!. I start getting stung, and I start scrambling out from under the deck, laying down a fog of spray as cover, and finally make it out. Got stung six times, including once on each of my butt cheeks. I let them calm down for a few minutes, and I head back in. Got both nests this time! Ah, revenge is sweet. As I said before it was a record year. I more than doubled my all time record for one season. It was unbelievable!

Yellow Jacket or Hornet nest

     (They both build nests like this)

 

 

 

 

Yellow Jacket

 

White Faced Hornet

Check for Potential Hitchhikers

       The end of the college year is near and students will be coming home with all their "stuff". Are you prepared to deal with any potential hitchhikers in that stuff? I'm referring to bed bugs and cockroaches! College dorms and off campus apartments are sometimes notorious for having infestations of those two nasty insects.
       When your student arrives home, go through ALL of the stuff they brought home. Go through it with a "fine tooth comb", BEFORE you bring anything into the house. Check all clothing , drawers of any furniture, books (especially inside book jackets), etc. These insects are masters at hiding and you don't want to bring any into the house, or in a few weeks you will calling someone like me to get rid of them. Stop them before they get in your home. I have posted pictures of both so you know what you are looking for.

German cockroaches ( top row, l to r - adult roach, female carrying egg sac, and final stage nymph,  bottom row, l to r - egg sac, various nymph stages)

                                         

                    

Adult bed bug (they are about the size of an apple seed). Young bed bugs are the same shape, but smaller than adults.