Hi this is Boruch Fishman and welcome to another episode of "Day in the Life of Dovid Davis Pest Specialist," we've got Dovid on the line, and today we're going to be asking Dovid about how the householder can evaluate roach sprays and pest sprays that are on the market. We're going to ask Dovid to tell us what we should look for, and how the sprays work. Specifically,  yesterday I went out and purchased a typical roach spray that you might find on the market, and I am going to ask Dovid about the chemicals in this spray.

Boruch: How you doing Dovid?

Dovid: I'm fine thank-you Boruch.

Boruch: Dovid, the first chemical listed in this roach spray is Propoxur. How good is that chemical?

Dovid: Let's step away from the brink for a minute. If you're going to be buying a spray to eradicate pests you're going to be buying a pesticide or you're going to be buying an insecticide. So if you're going to go to the counter and ask someone you don't want to go to the counter and say "Where's the stuff for insects?" because that in itself will identify you as not being knowledgeable about the correct terminology.  So the correct terminology you want to buy some insecticide. Well now that means that your target pest you are trying to eradicate is an insect, you use an insecticide,if its a pest, you use a pesticide, if its a rodent you use a rodenticide.

So what I always say to do, is to look at the inert and active ingredients in the product. The inert and active ingredients will tell you what percentage of the product is the active ingredient and which percentage is, in fact,  filler.  Now, there are many, many different pesticides on the market, today, most of which are good, and the percentage of the spray which is active will tell you how thoroughly and how quickly you will have your eradication. Also, you should be sure to read the label on the container because that's going to give you all the precautions that you must adhere to. That's for your own personal safety.  Okay, so what's your first question Boruch.  

Boruch: This particular spray has 1.1 % propoxur. Is that a good chemical and a good concentration?

Dovid: It is an insecticide and it is a good product. Let's take a look at the whole label. It's going to give us a list of the active ingredients and the inert ingredients.

Boruch:  .05% is Tetrametrin,  .1% is piperonyl butoxide,  and .320% is MGK 264.

Dovid: So those are the active ingredients. What's the balance?

Boruch: I guess everything else or approximately 98.43% is filler.

Dovid: More than 98% of what you've just bought is filler and less than 2% is active ingredients. Now of the three ingredients you've read out, one is a good killing agent, and the other two are flushing agents. If you flush that Propoxur into a particular hole, it's going to flush out whatever is in there. That's a very burning irritating insecticide, insects hate it, it usually gets them running.  It gets them out of those nocks and crannies they love to inhabit, and gets them into the area where they can be quickly eradicated with some of the other properties. Now insecticides that you are going to buy will have some level of residual, (meaning, chemicals that adhere to the ground and kill insects that walk on that area even days or weeks later), unless you are buying an aerosol.  If it's an aerosol, there's generally no residual to an aerosol because they are generally 99.5% inert gases, just to propel it to come out. But this liquid product has some resilience to it so there will be some residual, it's a good product.

Boruch: Okay, that's good to know. 

Special Offer: Dovid is offering a special early summer $99.00 insect treatment special. If you read about it here, click on this link and contact Dovid.  

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Hello, this is Boruch Fishman and welcome to another episode of "Day in the Life of Dovid Davis Pest Specialist. Here we are in late June, right now, which as you all know is the insect season, and today we're going to be talking to Dovid about general pesticide treatment of insects.

Boruch: S Dovid, we were chatting a little before the start of the interview and you were telling me that there's a general pesticide treatment that you use when you're called to the house to treat insect infestations. You want to explain to me first which insects you are treating, and how does the treatment work.

Dovid: Generally you want to keep in mind that the suffix "icide" means to kill, and so whether you're primarily talking about an insecticide or pesticide the mode of action is basically the same, meaning you're going to be using what is most commonly known as an emulsifier concentrate, an EC, which you're going to be mixing with water, usually one ounce of insecticide to a gallon of water. And you're going to be applying that in a course spray, which is a fan spray, which gives you a very wide berth, or pinpoint application, which is a very small thin stream. And basically, any insect that crawls through or around that particular barrier will pick up the insecticide on its legs, on its sides, and in the pores of their feet; and it will be absorbed into their skeleton and it will kill them. 

Normally, a general insecticide is going to be almost odorless. It will be effective against spiders, ants, centipedes, stink bugs, crickets, millipedes, bedbugs, and basically all the insects that are crawling.  Now, with some of these insects you want to be more specific about where you make your application. If you are offering preventative service, than you want to apply insecticides heavily on the outside of the building, the outside exterior of the building. If you are going to be doing something that's targeted to an active German cockroach infestation, for example, than you want to apply that to the inside of the building, inside your cabinets, inside your drawers, and places like that.

Now, this is the first day of summer, and a lot of these insects will be escaping the warm weather of summer and they will tend to come in, so now is an excellent time to get an insecticide treatment and it should last you for the rest of the summer.

Boruch: Is that right, one treatment, now, should cover householders for the rest of the summer?

Dovid: If it's a mild insect infestation, one treatment now should last you through the end or the middle of August. If you want to do something which is preventative all year around than you want to make that first application at the beginning of April, and an application now would, in essence, be your second application.

Boruch: Now let me ask you, if someone who is a condominium owner or renter has insects and he calls you do you also spray around the entire condominium building or just in his one apartment.

Dovid: I simply treat that particular unit. And I will eliminate all the insects pertaining to that particular unit. Now people often use the strategy, saying that "my neighbors got pest treatment and now the roaches will come through the walls, and so I should get free treatment paid by them or by the condominium management." But rarely do you have the situation where roaches go through the wall, and the rest of the building will have to play catch-up to you.

Boruch: Okay. Now, Dovid, what insects does this treatment not cover. 

Dovid: It would not be sufficient to eradicate bedbugs. Now there's a difference in terms of treatment application. Most treatment applications are for pest control, they want to control the pests that are bothering them. Now if you go into pest elimination, that requires more chemicals and more work and more money. Now when you are dealing with bedbugs, there is no real remedy in bedbug control. You don't want bedbug control, you want bedbug elimination. It's a lot more work and requires stronger chemicals.

Boruch: Okay. All right folks. You've just heard about it from Dovid. Now is the time to get an insecticide treatment. One treatment now, and you will be insect free for the whole summer.

Dovid: And anyone who clicks on a link from a website with this podcast, can get the entire treatment for only $99.00. I am running a $99 special if they say they saw it on your blog.

Boruch:  Okay folks, you've heard it from Dovid, if you heard about this special on my blog, you can get be pest free all summer for only $99.00. We'll that's it for another episode of "Day in the Life of Dovid Davis Pest Specialist." I'm Boruch Fishman, have a pest free day. 

A decade or two ago, bedbugs had all but disappeared as a major American pest. Then they began to return, and within the last few years their presence in American homes has burgeoned into a modern pest epidemic. What are bedbugs, what are their life habits, and why have they returned, that is the subject of this article.

Bed bugs are classified as part of the insect family Cimicidae. Three bedbug species feed on people. The most important bedbug species in human infestations is Cimex lectularius. Bedbugs may infest any type of warm blooded mammal, such as bats, birds, and mice.

Cimex lectularius is most usually found in the northern temperate weather of North America . Europe, and Central Asia and is most easily adapted to city dwelling areas. It dwells less often in southern temperate regions. In Florida and tropical areas it is replaced by C. hemipterus. At one time, thanks to effective insecticides such as DDT, bedbug infestations were greatly diminished in number. In recent years, however, because of the ban on the most powerful insecticides, greater urban congestion and the increase in international travel, bedbugs have made a comeback.


IDENTIFICATION AND LIFE CYCLE
Adult bed bugs are wingless 1/5 inch long oval rusty red or mahogany in color. Bed bug bodies are very thin and they have long antennae. Bedbug eyes are tiny, and the area behind their head expands forward on either side giving the appearance of a renaissance ruff collar. The immature bedbug appear identical to the adults except for their size, thinner cuticle, and a lighter, yellowish white color. Bed bugs are readily distinguished from kissing bugs, the vector of Chagas disease by their smaller size, more rounded shape, and lack of wings as adults.

Bed bugs are known for spread rapidly because even a single pregnant female can infest a home. This is because the female bed bug lays anywhere from 200 to 500 eggs (in batches of 10 to 50). They lay their eggs in very commonly available places, including rough surfaces such as wood or paper. Bed bug eggs are covered with a sticky substance and hatch in about 10 days. Even after the egg hatches, the shells frequently remain on the substrate. Subsequently, bedbugs pass through five nymphal stages of growth. Bedbug nymphs require a single blood meal before molting to the next stage. The entire bedbug life cycle from egg to adult stretches over a span of time lasting anywhere from 5 weeks to 4 months, depending on temperature. Bed bugs develop more rapidly in a warm climate with thermometry readings between 72 to 80 degrees. Both bedbug nymphs and adults usually feed on mammals at night and hide in dark places during the day. Common bedbug hiding places include mattresses and box spring seams, cracks in bed frames, behind loose wallpaper, on the back of picture frames, and inside sofa and chair fabric covering.

Bed bugs can live for 80 to 140 days without any external nutrition; bedbugs at later stages of development can survive longer without nutrition than younger bedbugs. Adult bedbugs have survived without food for as long as 550 days. A adult bedbug can ingest six times its bodily weight in blood, and a bed bug blood snack can extend 3 to 10 minutes. Mature bedbugs live about 10 months and because of the average age when bedbugs start breeding there can be up to 3 to 4 generations of bedbugs during the course of a year.

Download | Duration: 00:03:44

Mice  not only introduce horrid smells and dirt into the home, they also carry serious illnesses and consequently should be removed from the home at the first indication of an infestation. To illustrate my theme, I will present various illnesses conveyed to humans by mice. Mice  transmit the bacteria Salmonella Typhimurium. While not the most dangerous of bacteria, Salmonella Typhimurium can cause irritating intestinal complaints, which include loose stool, bowel pain, nausea and wretching. The salmonella related intestinal symptoms can prove fatal for people with a weakened constitution. The bacteria is spread through food contaminated by mice droppings and is the most common cause of food poisoning.

Mice  can transmit tapeworms.Mice become infected with tapeworm when they inadvertently eat food contaminated with a parasitic worm. Humans become infected if they ingest food contaminated with infected mice  droppings. This can frequently happen after people touch mice  or mice  droppings and then neglect to wash their hands thoroughly before eating.

Murine  Typhus is a mild disease that can be transmitted by both rat and mice fleas. The disease is contracted when a human bite victim scratches the place where he has been bitten by an infected flea. While scratching he inevitably pushes flea feces into the blood stream, and that permits the typhus to enter the body. Symptoms, which begin 6 days to 2 weeks after the bite, include fever, aching muscles and headache.

Leptospirosis is a more serious disease transmitted by mice . It appears in many forms and levels of severity and is one of the major reasons homeowners should assiduously work to rid their home of these disease carrying rodents .. When full blown the disease is alternatively called infectious jaundice or Wiel's disease. Symptoms of Leptospirosis include vomiting, high fever, chills, a rash, achy muscles and jaundice. Other complications of Leptospirosis can include difficulty breathing, kidney damage, liver failure and meningitis. Leptospirosis is usually transmitted by mouse  urine.

The most serious mouse  borne illness is Hantavirus. This rare condition is found throughout North and South America. The disease can be contacted through inhalation of dust contaminated with mice urine or droppings or through direct contact with mice or their urine or droppings or rarely through a mouse bite. The virus causes Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), which is a potentially deadly disease.

One other condition transmitted by mice  is Polio. Polio was once a serious and potentially fatal condition but is prevented, today, by vaccination.

These six diseases transmitted by mice  are six good reasons why you should call an exterminator 

Besides causing itching in pets and humans, fleas  can transmit several diseases, at least one of which is potentially deadly. Fortunately, thanks to modern medical advances, most flea transmitted diseases are curable and the most dangerous conditions rarely appear in civilized countries.
 
As a carrier of disease, fleas  are most well known for their role in transmitting the Bubonic Plague. Bubonic plague is transmitted to humans when an infected flea  bites a human victim. Fleas  catch Bubonic Plague by feeding on infected rodents. The plague itself is caused by a bacteria. While responsible for millions of deaths in the past, today plague is a rarity in the United States, seen only occasionally in Southern California, New Mexico and Southwest Texas.Symptoms of the plague include a swollen lymph node,( the buboe),which if untreated can lead to a massive infection that can spread throughout the body and is frequently fatal.

Murine Typhus is another condition spread by fleas . Unlike epidemic typhus, Murine Typhus is a mild febrile condition caused by a tiny organism called a Riketsia. The disease is spread to humans who are bitten by infected fleas . Infection occurs when the flea feces  mix into the blood of the bite area. Murine typhus is rare in the United States, most cases are from Texas.

Fleas may also be a vector for spreading tapeworm infection. The infection is transmitted when humans accidentally ingest infected fleas.
Another disease which can be transmitted to humans from fleas is cat scratch fever. Bartonella henselae are the cause of this disease. The condition can be transmitted to humans when an open sore accidentally comes in contact with flea droppings mixed into the fur of a pet cat. The condition can cause painful swollen nodes, but is otherwise not serious.
Flea allergy dermatitis, an allergic reaction to the flea's saliva, is one of the most common causes of skin disease in dogs and cats. Allergy dermatitis can lead to hair loss, and secondary skin irritations. In extreme cases, the dermatitis can become infected.
Finally, extreme flea infestations can lead to pet anemia and even pet death.

Today, thanks to modern medical treatments, flea pests are known mostly for the annoyance of their itchy bites and the allergic dermatitis caused by the scratching of their bites.

Download | Duration: 00:07:17

Summary:

 

 

 

 

 

In this episode of "Day in the Life of Dovid Davis Pest Specialist," the moderator willl be asking Dovid some tough questions about flea pesticides that contain possible carcinogens.

 

 

 

 

Content:

 

Hi and welcome to another episode of "Day in the Life of Dovid Davis, pest specialist.  Today we have going to be confronting Dovid with some difficult questions.

 

Dovid is a respected professional Baltimore pest control  expert, who is very experienced using all the chemicals in the pest control armementarium. We're going to be asking Dovid togive his opinion about some of the chemicals in flea and tick sprays, which are known to be carcinogenic.

Boruchovid, I looked into this problem. I found a group called NRDC, the National Resource Defense Council. This group has set up a web page which provides information about all the sprays and chemicals used to treat fleas and tics.

I checked on their list to see what they had to say about the chemical treatment you most often talk about, "Front Line." And here's what they say. "It is used sparingly, and avoided if there is a pregnant woman in the house and avoid using around children, because the main product, Fipronil, is considered a possible carcinogen. What's your response to this?

Dovid: Fipronil is a powerful chemical. It is a major ingredient of Combat Roach Spray, Max Force, and it is also found in pesticides. Because you find it the sprays that I use for roaches and termites, you have to have to use the same precautions that you would in general.But Front Line, even though it has Fipronil, is not a spray. It is something that you are putting on the pet itself.

Boruch: Would you recommend that Front Line not be used in a household with a pregnant woman and a young child and a cat that likes to jump up onto the mother's lap?

Dovid: No, no. In the first place, it's not my responsibility. Fipronil sprays are purchased from the vet. That's something that a veterinarian would give to a family after they took their dog to be flea dipped. So that a family getting a product with fipronil will be getting a disclaimer saying how the product should be used, and they won't think it's like Brill cream that you can just spread around the pet.

Boruch: So that's really the responsibility of the vet and not the pest control specialist. But what about Revolution flea and tick collars for cats, this website says that the risk is so great that you should avoid them all together.

Dovid: Most people oppose the use of flea collars because the pesticide impregnated surface continually rubs against the pet's neck.

Boruch: According to the NRDC, the collars are impregnated with propoxr, a probable carcinogen! Are you familiar with it at all?

Dovid: Probably. Yes, yes. But once again, these are regular insecticides, but the amount they are using on pets is a minute amount. So when you were talking about fipronil, I use fipronil for roaches and termites in a one gallon container. A tube of Front Line only contains about 6 drops of anti-flea medication. That's all you're getting, not ounces but drops. And it will say put two drops on the hind legs and two drops behind the shoulder blades. And that's it, you're not getting quantity. So it would be very hard to mess it up, 'cause you really not getting that much.

Boruch: What about Advantage? The NRDC describes it as similar to Front Line. They recommend, once again, to use it sparingly and not at all around pregnant women or children.

Dovid: Again, this is a treatment that is applied to the animal and not to the house. The medicine can only be purchased from a vet, and the amounts to be applied are a matter of droplets. If you were going to be dealing with large quantities it might potentially be hazardous. But the amount that you are getting, the drops, are not going to harm anything. So a pregnant woman could apply it to a dog, because the disclaimer will instruct her to use gloves when she is applying it. So she is only going to be breaking open a little tube and squeezing a drop or two here and a drop or two here.

Boruch: So let me paraphrase what you just said. The quantity of pesticide used in flea treatment is minute and the sale and application of these minute amounts is controlled by the veterinarian.

Dovid: That's not anything that the exterminator is going to be dealing with.

Boruch: Okay. This website also recommends using safer alternatives. These include things that you also recommend, washing the bedding, vacuuming the house, combing daily with a fine tooth flea comb. They also recommend that homeowners try natural flea repellants such as sprays made of lemon grass and cedar wood. Then if the infestation is severe, they advise homeowners to use pesticides containing low risk chemicals such as pyropoxiphen, nitropyron and spinosad.

Dovid: You can do all those things that are natural. But when all else fails call an exterminator.

Well, that's it for another episode of "Day in the Life of Dovid Davis Pest Specialist ," and folks, have a pest free day.

 

 

 

 

 

　

Resources:

 

 

 

This research has been supported by Entymologist Dovis Davis, Director of A #1 Pest Control#http://www.anumberoneanimalandpestcontrol.com Exterminator#http://www.anumberoneanimalandpestcontrol.com Bed Bugs#http://www.anumberoneanimalandpestcontrol.com/bedbugs.htm, Roach#http://www.anumberoneanimalandpestcontrol.com/roaches.htm Animal Flea#http://www.anumberoneanimalandpestcontrol.com/bugs.htm and Termite Control

 

 

 

 

 

　

Keywords:

 

 

 

flea control, flea extermination, flea eradication, flea pesticides

 

 

Download | Duration: 00:03:28

Hi, I'm Boruch Fishman, and welcome to another episode of Close Up. Today, we will be considering if the pesticides on the market today are safe for home use?

Current insecticides on the American market are safer than before, but they can still cause illness and even accidental death if used improperly. On the bright side, according to specifications, they do not cause cancer.

Insecticides are chemical formulations used to eradicate or mitigate infestations of insects including such common household pests as flies,  fleas, ants, spiders,  cockroaches , wasps and more. Insecticides may be applied as a spray as poison bait, as powders or liquids.

Pesticide is a more all inclusive word than insecticide and includes substances meant to kill and eradicate all forms of pests including non-insect pests such as mice , animals , plant pests, fungi, bacteria and viruses.

Example of common household pesticides include cockroach sprays and baits, insect repellants for personal use, rodent poisons, flea and tick spray, powders, pet collars, antifungals, even sanitizing chemicals that can be used around the house or around swimming pools and weed killers.

Domestic pesticides are controlled by a number of government regulations, which date back to the 1950s.  In devising these procedures, the government weighed the risk versus the benefits of using the various substances to control infestations. When the benefits of using certain pesticides is great, chemicals with risks are approved for use, and therefore users must handle these products with caution. 

A 1954 law called for the determination of permissible concentrations of pesticides in agricultural products and a 1958 law added regulations which apply to any pesticide that leaves traceable residues of chemicals in food. According to this amendment, any substance which is found to induce cancer is automatically banned from the market.

As a result of these regulations, many chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticides were withdrawn from use. This led to the introduction of organophosphate and carbamate pesticides, many of which are harmful to pets. Owners must therefore be very observant of side effects in pets exposed to pesticide treatment. More recently, some of these harmful compounds have been taken off the market.

While many regulations are in place, common pesticides, as noted above, can have harmful side effects and therefore users should take certain common sense precautions when using them. Homeowners should carefully read the label on any pesticide, before using it, especially if they are to be used in any area where food is consumed or placed. All food surfaces should be thoroughly wiped after use. Fish tanks and bird cages should be covered before spraying with insecticides.  And hands should be thoroughly washed after spraying or using pesticides.  

For severe infestations a homeowner is encouraged to consult a licensed pest specialist , who is familiar with the proper use of the more powerful pesticides.

Well that's it for another episode of Closeup. I'm Boruch Fishman. Have a great day.

Late summer and fall picnics can be ruined by the presence of stinging insects , mostly yellow jackets, which are attracted by sweet foods placed out on the table. However, the problem can be remedied with the use of inexpensive store bought or even free home made yellow jacket traps.

If you wish to buy a trap, an online consumer website http://www.galttech.com/research/household-DIY-tools/yellow-jacket-traps.php recommends  RESCUE Reusable Yellow Jacket Trap . The traps are inexpensive, ($10.00), and reusable. If you run out of bait you can substitute something sweet like sugar water or crushed fruit or soft drink.  A second choice is Raid Disposable Yellow Jacket Trap (81605) - 4 Pack:. These traps cost around $35.00. However, the advantage is that they are disposable, and avoid the need to clean and reuse.   A third recommendation is Glass Yellow Jacket & Wasp Trap: by Greenfleet . These traps go for around $20.00 they are reusable, decorative and attract wasps as well as yellow jackets. 

If you prefer, you can build a very effective yellow jacket trap, in a few minutes at no cost at all. The only supplies you will need are an empty 2 liter plastic bottle, some tape or staples, some string and a kitchen knife or hole puncher. Just follow the instructions.

1. Take an empty 2 liter plastic bottle; a mineral water bottle will do just fine.
2. Cut the top off, just where the diameter has become as wide as the body.
3. Fill the empty bottle base partially full of bait.          
4. Yellow jackets like protein  in the spring, when they are mating, so if it's springtime you will use a chunk of meat.     
5. If it's late summer, when yellow jackets are most aggressive, use something sweet, like fruit chunks. They love mashed up grapes or banana. Other bait choices include a 1/2 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of water mixture, 1 cup of apple cider vinegar, I banana peel, half fill bottle, lemonade or even Pepsi/soda. You can use anything you have seen yellow jackets attracted to at one of your outdoor picnics.       
6. To add to the killing power of the trap, squirt in a couple of tablespoons of dish washing liquid        
7. A  little bit of yellow food coloring can also be added as the color yellow attracts them.
8. Now invert the top of the plastic bottle, upside down, so that it resembles a funnel, and place it inside the lower half of the bottle, remember to remove the plastic top.
9. It should hold in place, depending on the bottle shape
10. Tape and/or staple the top together with the bottom of the bottle. Make sure the seal is tight.
11. Cut two holes in the plastic where the two pieces come together, near the top. Put string through the holes and use to hang the bottle.
12. Use a slippery substance such as hot soapy water, dishwashing soap or Vaseline and spread it along the exposed surface of the funnel. This will cause the yellow jackets to lose their footing and fall into the trap. Cooking oil may also be used.
13. Place about 20 feet from the picnic table
14. Works best at a height of four feet
15. Works best at around 85 degrees
16. The yellow jackets will fly in, attracted to the sweet. When they try and leave, insect  logic dictates they should look for the highest point to exit. They will fly around, but miss the inverted opening. When they get tired they will fall into the soapy liquid. The soapy liquid, will stick to the yellow jacket body making it impossible for them to breath. 
17. When full replace the trap with a new one or empty the trap regularly making sure the yellow jackets are dead. You can kill the yellow jackets by filling the bottle full of water, or covering it with plastic and placing it in the freezer until they freeze to death.
18. Replenish the bait every few days.
19. DON'T let live yellow jackets escape. Their frenzied distress in the trap will attract nearby yellow jackets, and the idea is to keep them all in the trap.  DON'T crush yellow jacket bodies as that emits a smell warning yellow jackets to attack. You can also free the yellow jackets in the wild, however they may return  
20. Bury dead yellow jackets or flush them down the toilet as dead yellow jackets emit a warning odor to living yellowjackets .

Good luck and enjoy your outdoor picnics in safety.

Although many people consider hornets  to be a separate insect species ,  they are, in fact, the largest type of wasp. Like wasps, they are a members of the Vespa insect species . They are distinguished from other wasps by their large vortex, i.e. the space between their two eyes. Their stings are painful, and their nests are generally found in trees shrubs and under eaves. Fortunately for man, they are usually found in out of the way places.

Hornets  do not generally attack humans, and will only sting when they or their nests are threatened. If a hornet perceives  it is under attack or that its nest is under attack, it will respond viciously. While wasps generally threaten by flying around the head of their victim, hornets go right for the target, in dive bomb fashion. Their sting is more painful than a bee, yellow jacket or wasp.

Notably, hornets have a signaling capability so that when an individual hornet or nest is threatened; the entire colony will come out against the intruder. This can cause fatalities to victims of multiple hornet stings.

Should you accidentally come upon a wasp nest, it is important to proceed with caution, so as to avoid triggering a swarm attack. The following suggestions will help you to minimize your danger. Don’t make a loud noise. Don't make a movement toward the nest with your body or arm. Don't breathe on the nest or breathe on a hornet. Don't prevent a hornet from returning to its nest. Do not try and break apart a hornet's nest. Even if you are following instructions, don't try to remove a hornet's nest during the day, when hornets are most active. If you are stung by a hornet don't panic, as a sudden move might trigger a swarm attack. Rather slowly move away from the nest.

More feared than the sting of a single hornet, is the insects  ability to respond to a series of signal pheromones, which can trigger a mass hornet attack. The pheromones are released, either from the body of a dead or crushed hornet, or via chemicals released when a hornet stings a victim. The pheromone signaling alerts members of the nest that a source of food, e.g. a local bee hive, is near, or else a perceived intruder is approaching. In either case the powerful chemical attraction mobilizes any hornet in the area to come and join the attack.

Due to the signaling system, it is always unwise to kill a solitary hornet when found outside. The smell released from the crushed body will attract a horde of hornets, which will come out en masse against the hornet killer.

The pheromone chemicals found in hornet venom are also found in certain food flavorings, which can likewise trigger a hornet attack if they are taken on a picnic. Certain flavorings in bananas and oranges attract hornets. Other foods containing these natural flavorings attract hornets. Certain citrus scented products attract hornets, as well as certain volatile chemicals and perfumes. Because pheromones pare owerful at even small concentrations, wearing clothing or gloves that have been stung by hornets or worn while killing hornets, may attract a hornet attack if parts of the hornet were smeared into the cloth.

Despite the potential danger of attack, it is important to keep in mind that hornets are not intrinsically aggressive towards humans, if you happen to see one or a nest, follow the recommendations provided in the report and don't provoke them to attack.