Watch Out for the Dangerous Hornet

People often concern themselves with eliminating bees and wasps from their yard, while leaving hornets alone. This is a huge mistake: hornets are just as dangerous, it not more so, than their relatives.

The aggressiveness of the hornet is the main reason they are such a threat. Unlike more docile bees and wasps, they are more than ready to defend their hive with lethal force. In fact, every hornet in a nest is more than willing to join the defensive force protecting their livelihood.

However, let’s say you successfully kill a hornet near its nest before it can warn the others to attack. That was a major mistake: you just unleashed pheromones that will immediately alert the hive that one of their own is in danger and needs to be protected.

And once you’ve roused the whole hive, you are in danger of being stung hundreds, if not thousands, of times. That’s because the hornet has a straight, not barbed, stinger and can sting you as much as they want without fear of death. In fact, hornets often like to bite and sting at the same time.

Here’s the real kicker, though: even if you’ve shown no signs of being allergic to bees or wasps, you may end up being allergic to hornets. Their venom, though less severe than its cousins, is also different enough to be considered a completely different allergen.

So if you see hornets lurking around in your yard, call a professional pest control specialist as soon as possible to keep you and your family safe.