What should I do if I get stung?
wasps leave no stinger, so there is nothing to remove. Ice it and watch for hives, dizziness or facial swelling. Those signs at a Florence home mean a trip to emergency care, and a follow-up with a doctor about testing for a sting allergy in Florence.
Should I be worried about a nest in the ground?
Ground nests cause the most stings around Florence homes, mainly because people do not know they are there until a mower or a foot lands on the entrance. Flag the spot from a distance. Keep children and dogs off that part of the Florence lawn until it has been treated and confirmed dead.
What is the difference between a wasp and a bee, and does it matter?
It matters a lot. Honey bees are fuzzy, sting once and are valuable pollinators, so a swarm at a Florence home should go to a beekeeper, not an exterminator. wasps are smooth-bodied, sting repeatedly and build paper nests, and a Florence wasp colony is handled by a pest provider.
Will wasps come back to the same nest next year?
No, wasps do not reuse a nest. The colony dies in fall and only the new queens survive, hidden under bark or in attics around Florence until spring. A queen may build a fresh nest near the old site, though, so removing the old comb and sealing gaps at a Florence home reduces the odds.
Are wasps dangerous to my pets?
Yes, especially dogs that snap at flying insects or dig at a ground nest in the Florence yard. One sting is painful; several, or one inside the mouth, is a veterinary emergency for Florence pets. Keep pets indoors while a Florence provider treats the nest and for a day afterward.
What is the most common way to get rid of a wasp nest?
Destroying the nest directly. Keep this in mind while inspecting a Florence home: Forty-three percent of respondents to the Moths and Butterflies of New Zealand Trust's 2025 wasp survey had used nest destruction, the most commonly reported control method in that opt-in New Zealand sample; it is a practice figure, not a home infestation rate. If you are in Florence, use this as a starting point for questions rather than a prediction for your home.
Is cost the main reason people leave wasp nests alone?
Not according to the available survey evidence. Context for Florence, not a local measurement: in the Moths and Butterflies of New Zealand Trust's mid-2025 survey of 1,055 individuals and 100 restoration groups, cost was named as a wasp-control barrier by 17%, behind knowledge at 26% and time at 19%; the unweighted responses come from New Zealand. For a property in Florence, the next step is an inspection that identifies the source, not a guess based on national averages.