READING, Mass. — Local pest control experts are urging homeowners to stay vigilant after noticing a spike in calls for one specific insect nesting in homes.
Easter Pine Pest Control’s co-owner Tanner Hutchison told Boston 25 that August is usually when they start seeing a high number of calls for yellowjackets carving through people’s homes.
However, most of his work, he said, is cleaning up after homeowner’s who don’t know how to address the infestation.
Hutchinson shared videos showing yellowjackets nesting behind his customers’ doorbells, exterior framing, gutters and more.
“Population is just rising and rising with these yellowjackets,” he said. “It’s the highest we ever seen, and we expect it to continue on through this summer.”
He urged anyone who notices an interior nest to call a professional.
Hutchinson claimed many customers try to use over-the-counter repellent to spray an interior nest and cover the access point from the outside.
“[Repellent] can kill on contact,” he said. “But they can’t reach the entire nest. So what that’s going to do is really agitate them, and we will see sometimes hundreds... of these wasps that get into your home because they treat with the repellent and seal up the gap.”
Hutchinson also showed videos of massive nests formed from yellowjackets carving their way in.
Eastern Pine Pest Control said they respond to roughly a dozen of these infestations a year — mostly between August and October.
They claim over-the-counter repellent is best used for exterior nests.
Hutchinson and his team expect this year to be worse than last and are encouraging their customers to address any vulnerabilities in their home’s exterior before an infestation.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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