This spring sightings of extremely large hornets were all the buzz on local social media posts.
Posts with photos of the large vespas were accompanied by questions: “Is that a giant Asian hornet?” And “what on earth is it?”
There were also the fear-mongering posts exclaiming “the ‘murder hornets’ have arrived in Muskoka!”
The good news is that those pictures were of the European hornet, a larger-than-average species that’s been in the region for over 200 years, explains Mike Sampson of Muskoka Pest Control.
“However, they are still intimidating, and you don’t want to mess with one of their nests,” he says. “They will sting to protect themselves like all other species of wasp. For some reason, this spring there were more sightings than usual, but the buzz died down as the summer began.”
But expect to see more wasps and hornets of all kinds as the season continues. Mike and his dad Mark Sampson, who founded Muskoka Pest Control, know that almost every species of wasp is highly active in late summer as their nests reach full size.
“It’s best to call an expert if you find a nest on your property and want it removed, especially if you have anaphylactic concerns,” explains Mark.
Muskoka Pest Control has been handling local pest issues for homes and cottages for decades, including mice control, carpenter ants, spiders, and other native wildlife.
Bed bug prevention
As the transients of the insect world, bed bugs will cling on to anything they can find as unsuspecting human travellers bring them to every room they visit.
This makes places like overnight camps, hotels, motels, and even short-term rental units quite susceptible to their infestations.
Not only are bed bugs a health and safety concern, but they could cause irreparable reputational damage (impacting finances), as well as the psychological effects of anxiety surrounding the tiny creatures.
However, there are preventive measures one can take, explains Mark. This includes bringing experts in for inspections and doing a bio spore treatment to set up a bed bug barrier.
“Treating around the bed frames and baseboards is essential to prevention,” he says. “This way if a bed bug is introduced, it gets nipped in the bud before it becomes a problem.”
Recently, the Muskoka Pest Control team did a preventive treatment at a large facility – treating cabins and beds with bio-spores to provide a three-month protective barrier.
“If you’re a camp, you want to do it right before the busiest time of year,” says Mark. “For hotels, motels and busy rental units, it’s best to consult with us about a regular treatment schedule.”
TEXT CHRIS OCCHIUZZI
PHOTOS ANDREW FEARMAN
