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Wasp, Yellow Jacket, Cicada Killer, & Digger Bee Control

Two yellow jacket wasps tending the young in their cells in a honeycomb paper nest.

Wasp and yellow jacket control are among our most in-demand summer services. As the Georgia summer gets hotter, stinging insect activity heats up -- and so do our phone lines.

There are many species of wasps who vary in their size, coloration, biology, and habits. They also vary in their aggressiveness.

Some wasps, such as hornets and some yellow jackets, are highly aggressive.

Some other wasps, however, like many of the "paper wasps," are relatively passive and usually won't sting unless they are provoked.

The wasps most commonly encountered in Georgia are hornets, yellow jackets, and various species of paper wasps. We provide control of all of these wasps.

Yellow Jackets

Yellow jacket wasp on a yellow flower

Yellow jacket wasps are common throughout Georgia.

There are a number of wasp species commonly called yellow jackets in Georgia. These wasps vary in their appearance, aggressiveness, and habits. As a group, however, yellow jackets are considered very aggressive, although not quite so aggressive as hornets. They can deliver a painful sting and will attack in large groups if their nests are threatened.

Yellow jackets are commonly seen buzzing around trash pails, dumpsters, and discarded beverage containers where they are foraging for food; as well as around their nests, which may be located a considerable distance away.

Most yellow jacket wasps build nests in voids in hollow trees, attics, wall and ceiling voids, soffits, rock walls, abandoned cars, crawl spaces, and other protected areas. They also may build nests in the ground, usually in abandoned animal burrows.

Paper Wasps

Paper wasps on a nest

There are many species of wasps found in Georgia that are commonly called "paper wasps." They vary in their habits and aggressiveness.

As with yellow jackets, there are many species of wasps known as "paper wasps." They get their name from their practice of building nests made of paper that they manufacture from chewed wood and bodily secretions.

Some paper wasp species prefer to build their nests in hollow voids in attics, roof soffits, wall voids, hollow fence posts, and similar areas. Other paper wasp species prefer building exposed nests, usually under overhangs, on window and door frames, or on the undersides of porch or gazebo roofs.

Most species of paper wasps are not very aggressive. They will attack and sting if threatened or provoked, but they are not as territorial as yellow jackets or hornets and are less likely to go out their way to sting someone who isn't bothering them.

Cicada Killers

Cicada killer wasp on a window screen in Buford, Georgia

Cicada killers are large, intimidating, solitary wasps that live in the ground and prey on cicadas.

Cicada killer wasps (sometimes called "lawn wasps") resemble large yellow jackets, but their behavior is unique. Cicada killers catch and paralyze cicadas, drag them into their nests in the ground, and lay eggs on them. The cicadas then serve as food for the cicada killer's young as they develop. The eggs hatch within a day or two after they are laid, and the larvae feed on the cicadas.

Male cicada killers cannot sting and are harmless, but their aggressive flight scares people. It's all a show. They don't have stingers.

Female cicada killers do have stingers and may sting humans if they feel threatened, but they are generally non-aggressive toward people. Cicada killer control becomes necessary when the insects' powerful, aggressive flying style scares people, when they do damage by creating unsightly holes in lawns or golf courses, or when they are present in great numbers and simply become too annoying to ignore.

Digger Bees

Digger bees are a group of bees that live in the ground. Although technically solitary bees, they tend to dig their holes in close proximity to each other and may forage together. But each hole is an individual nest tended by one female. Digger bees are common throughout Georgia, often occurring in the same places every year.

Although they can sting, digger bees are less aggressive than most other bees and wasps. They generally won't sting unless they are threatened. Their stings can be painful, however, and are very dangerous to individuals with bee allergies.

Stinging Insect Gallery

Here are a few pictures of wasp and hornet control jobs we've done throughout our North Georgia service area.

Left pointing arrow. Right pointing arrow.

Paper yellow jacket wasp nest in a bucket after being removed from the attic of a house in Acworth Georgia.
Yellow jacket nest removed from an Acworth attic
Gap in the edge of the roof reveals several paper wasps nests in the attic of a house in Cumming Georgia.
Paper wasps nest in the attic of a Cumming home
Gap in the edge of the roof reveals paper wasps nests in the eaves of a house in Canton Georgia.
Paper wasps in the eaves of a Canton home
Quarter inch gap in the miter joint at the corner of the roof trim allowed yellow jacket wasps into the attic of a Griffin Georgia home.
Yellow jacket entry gap at a house in Griffin
About a dozen paper wasps building a golf ball sized nest under the soffit of a house in Buford Georgia.
Paper wasp nest on a house in Buford
Mason wasp with a caterpillar it intends to eat or feed to its young
Four-toothed Mason wasp
Yellow jackets nest with part torn away to show the larval wasps inside the paper nest cells
Inside of a yellow jackets\' nest
Paper wasp nest behind the gap between the fascia and roof sheathing of a house in Gainesville Georgia
Paper wasps nest in Gainesville
Paper wasp on the leaf of a plant eating a caterpillar
Paper wasp feeding on a caterpillar
Several red paper wasps in a clump outside a barn
Red paper wasps on the outside of a barn
Yellow jackets nest between two seat cushions stored in a plastic storage bin
Yellow jackets nest between two seat cushions
Two yellow jacket wasps on a paper nest tending the eggs and the young
Yellow jacket wasps tending a nest
Paper wasps nest in a roof construction gap in a house in Acworth, Georgia
Paper wasps nest in a house in Acworth
A wasp inside the window of a pest control service vehicle
A wasp hitch-hiking in one of our service trucks
Yellow jackets' nest in a pine straw bale on a pickup truck bed in Georgia
A yellow jackets' nest in a pine straw bale
Remnants of a yellow jackets' nest after being removed from crawl in Roswell GA
Yellow jacket removal job in Roswell, Georgia
Yellow jacket wasp on a yellow flower
Yellow jacket on a flower
Yellow jacket nest on a window frame in Mountain Park, Georgia
Yellow jacket nest on a window frame
Yellow jacket nest removal job in Mountain Park, Georgia
Yellow jacket nest in Mountain Park, Georgia
Yellow jackets removed from Norcross, Georgia
Yellow jackets removed from Norcross, Georgia
Red wasps outside the hole leading to their nest
Red wasp extermination job in Jackson, GA
Paper wasp nest in an electrical fixture on the ceiling of a porch in Canton
Paper wasp extermination in Canton, Georgia
Men leaning over roof of an industrial building removing yellow jackets
Yellow jacket removal job in Piedmont, Georgia
Paper wasps on a nest
Paper wasps are common throughout Georgia
Mud dauber wasp under a roof soffit in Norcross, Georgia
Mud dauber wasp in Norcross, Georgia
Hornets' nest on a window in Loganville, GA
Hornets' nest on a window in Loganville, GA
Hornets on a window in Loganville, Georgia
Hornet extermination job in Loganville, Georgia
Cicada killer on a window screen in Buford, Georgia
Cicada killer on a window screen in Buford

For help with wasp, yellow jacket, or stinging insect control in North Georgia, please call us today.

 

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Spending this Sunday resting up for a big week ahead.
by Chad W.
Sep 10, 2023 08:32:59 am.

Finished up an exclusion before it for too hot outside. Perks of getting up early and getting started.
by Chad W.
Aug 26, 2023 11:03:43 am.

It’s a hot one today. Headed to Jasper Ga to look for a dead animal under a house
by Chad W.
Aug 24, 2023 01:11:32 pm.

Resting up for another full week of critter ridding.
by Chad W.
Aug 20, 2023 06:11:58 pm.

There is nothing like waking up and looking forward to going to going to work. I love my job and am blessed to be in the position I’m in.
by Chad W.
Aug 19, 2023 07:28:21 am.

Headed to Birmingham to do a raccoon quote. Got another raccoon quote in irondale. Squirrels will be active soon. Call Ridacritter for your free exclusion quote.
by Chris Scott
Aug 18, 2023 09:57:39 am.

A dentist office in Stone Mountain has a dead animal smell that needs checked out this morning
by Chad W.
Aug 16, 2023 07:11:34 am.

Sun’s out in Marietta. Getting hot
by Chad W.
Aug 14, 2023 02:51:31 pm.

Sun’s out in Marietta. Getting hot
by Chad W.
Aug 14, 2023 10:59:56 am.

Headed to Birmingham to seal a bottom transition that snake are entering through. We have a big bat exclusion in sylacauga today.
by Chris Scott
Aug 11, 2023 09:45:07 am.

Installed some crawlspace vent covers in Cartersville then checked out some gutters in Big Canoe
by Chad W.
Aug 09, 2023 02:13:17 pm.

Villa Rica to get some materials, Cartersville to screen some crawlspace vents, then Big Canoe to clean out a gutter for a customer. Busy day
by Chad W.
Aug 09, 2023 06:04:59 am.

Started with bats I Talbotton Ga, Bats in the attic in Manchester Ga. Now to Tyrone Ga for rodents in a home.
by Jason Arruda
Aug 01, 2023 12:52:34 pm.

Taking this Sunday to rest up for a big week. Gonna be a hot one
by Chad W.
Jul 30, 2023 08:20:46 am.

Mountains this morning to check out some carpenter bee and woodpecker damage then to Atlanta to trap a raccoon that’s trying to break in
by Chad W.
Jul 18, 2023 06:42:06 am.

Mountains this morning to check out some carpenter bee and woodpecker damage then to Atlanta to trap a raccoon that’s trying to break in
by Chad W.
Jul 17, 2023 06:12:21 am.

Headed to Tuscaloosa. Going to quote a client that has rats and bats. Got a few traps to check around the Birmingham area. Then to Lincoln for a flying squirrel quote.
by Chris Scott
Jul 13, 2023 08:23:51 am.

Villa Rica this morning to pick up some material then to Cartersville to look at a house with problems in the crawlspace
by Chad W.
Jul 12, 2023 05:50:08 am.

Quoting exclusions today, Tifton Ga bats this morning and more bats in Americus Ga this afternoon. Bats in the attic, bats in the house!
by Jason Arruda
Jul 11, 2023 01:35:50 pm.

Headed to Loganville Ga this morning to seal a house and install ridgeguard. Then to Duluth to check some traps
by Chad W.
Jul 11, 2023 06:30:46 am.

Another happy customer in Duluth Ga
by Chad W.
Jul 09, 2023 11:27:57 am.

Atlanta this morning to seal a house and do some ridgeguard. Then to Cleveland Ga to seal some carpenter bee holes
by Chad W.
Jul 07, 2023 06:46:37 am.

In Anniston to look a customer’s chimney. I believe he has chimney swifts nesting in the flue pipe. Going to Leeds after that to set some mouse traps. Couple stops in Birmingham for squirrels and rats later today.
by Chris Scott
Jul 05, 2023 09:10:06 am.

Another good day in the critter industry in the south ga region. Time to call it a day.
by Jason Arruda
Jun 28, 2023 05:53:20 pm.

We will be going around removing traps and deodorizing now that we have stopped all critter activity. Love seeing happy customers!
by Brandon C.
Jun 28, 2023 06:41:28 am.

Started off today having to get a new phone. At the end of the day we have more Exclusions lined up. Customers from Williamson Ga to Macon Ga. Also saw some clients in Sharpsburg and Peachtree City.
by Jason Arruda
Jun 27, 2023 04:01:52 pm.

Headed to north ga this morning. Blue Ridge , Young Harris, Hiawassee, and Clayton.
by Chad W.
Jun 21, 2023 06:02:36 am.

Headed to Lilburn Ga for a bat quote
by Chad W.
Jun 20, 2023 01:41:56 pm.

Got a few stops in Albany Ga today.
by Jason Arruda
Jun 20, 2023 10:34:47 am.

Rainy day isn’t going to stop production. Lawrenceville, Tucker, Atlanta.
by Chad W.
Jun 19, 2023 07:15:41 am.

Warm Springs Ga bats, Newnan Ga rats just to start off today.
by Jason Arruda
Jun 15, 2023 11:18:36 am.

Hiawassee, Canton, Cartersville, Alpharetta, Winder. Getting around today
by Chad W.
Jun 13, 2023 02:13:41 pm.

Rid-A-Critter provides wasp and stinging insect control in all of North Georgia, including Athens, Atlanta, Alpharetta, Canton, Carrollton, Cartersville, Cumming, Dacula, Doraville, Ellijay, Flowery Branch, Gainesville, Jasper, Lawrenceville, Loganville, Macon, Milton, Norcross, Rome, Suwanee, Villa Rica, Winston, Woodstock, Young Harris, and everywhere in between.

#wasp #removal #NorthGeorgia

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