Tips when approaching stinging insect nests

Noel McCarthy, VP Advertising, Noble Pine Products Co.

September is the time of year that is abuzz with call after call from customers contending with yellowjackets, fire ants, hornets and all the other seasonal insects that bite, sting and generally make a nuisance of themselves.

Because most stinging and biting insects attack when they are guarding what they consider to be “their” territory, as an invader in their turf you need to be calm and careful when approaching a nest.

Here are a few tips:

• Make sure your clients close all the doors and windows of their home before you start treatment.
• If you spray a nest, make sure the sprayer nozzle is set to produce coarse droplets. This will reduce unnecessary misting. Keep the sprayer as close to the target area as possible.
• Make sure your clients don’t water their lawns after you’ve applied chemical treatment, for the period specified on the product label.