We all have an insect “sting story,” a time when we got stung by a bee or hornet. Norman Patterson, the owner and operator of The YellowJacket Expert, has heard them all.
“I have my own sting story,” he says. “When I was five years old, I jumped into a yellowjacket nest and before I knew it, I was overwhelmed by yellowjackets and covered with stings. I didn’t go outside for a month after that.”
His fear grew into a curiosity and eventually a fondness and intrigue for the ferocious insects. After years of curiosity and voluntary nest removal, Norman founded The YellowJacket Expert.
In operation for more than two decades, the YellowJacket Expert, serves clients throughout Connecticut and New England. The company removes wasps, hornets, and nests from decks, lawns, yards, and sometimes even from the inside the walls of homes.
He does so by capturing the hornets and without using pesticides, chemicals, or poisons. At the same time he ships the yellowjackets to medical labs, where much-needed venom is extracted from the bees to create allergy medications, which are highly effective and can even cure deadly allergies.
“Many people have severe allergic reactions when they get stung,” Norman says. “Some people can go into anaphylactic shock, and while people commonly carry Epi-pens, many do not know or realize that they can become ‘desensitized’ to their allergic reactions. Epi-pens are designed to keep people alive long enough to get to an emergency room, but are not effective in treating a sting allergy, not to mention the price for Epi-pens has skyrocketed in the last few years.” When an allergist gives small amounts of venom to patients they can, over time, develop an immunity to venom.
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” says Norman. “The tell-tale sign of an insect infestation is bee traffic coming in and out of a hole in the ground, a crack in your house, or bushes in your yard. “It will look like a mini-airport with a steady stream of insects coming and going from a specific spot.”
He warns, however, of homeowners “taking care of nests on your own.” Spraying pesticides on insects can actually make matters worse, by driving them into your home.
Yellowjackets are most active in July and into mid-October.
There are many varieties of stinging insects in New England and they vary greatly in their level of aggressiveness, preferred nesting spots, and likelihood of stinging.
“For example, V. Germanica is a variety of Yellowjackets commonly flying around your picnic table or patio,” Norman says. “While annoying, they’re usually harmless and rarely sting.
While many exterminators claim their products and processes are ‘green,’ he adds, “they are often deceptive. They play on people’s fear and ignorance about stinging insects.”
Some so-called “green” pesticides are still dangerous to your children, pets, and the environment. Norman captures the hornets alive and then freezes them for shipment to labs.
For more information visit TheYellowJacketExpert.com, or call 860-379-6078.
