Have you ever encountered wasps? If not, picture this. It looks like a perfect sunny day – you’re sitting outside while waiting to enjoy a grilled steak. However, you hear a familiar buzz just above your shoulder. That’s when you realize that wasps have arrived and it will ruin a perfect day with your family. Do you know what’s the worst? These insects are here to stay and you’re in a dilemma on how to get rid of wasps.
Luckily, you have some options to get rid of these stinging insects. As you read this article, you will have the knowledge on how to get rid of all the wasps that have been infesting your home.
Remember that these wasps are dangerous and have killed a lot of people annually. On average, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recorded 62 deaths per year due to wasp, bee, and hornet stings. This is why the need to eliminate stinging wasps is a must. Luckily, you don’t need to solve this by yourself.
You can reclaim your property after getting professional wasp control. This company kills wasps instantly so you and your family can enjoy the outdoors again, free from stinging wasps danger.
Most of these companies provide extermination for yellow jackets, paper wasps, and many others. They also offer wasp nest control services. As we go further in this article, you will learn more about different types of wasps and different removal tricks and tips, and how to deal with them.
Different Kinds of Wasps in the Yard
There are different kinds of wasps. This includes hornets and the yellow jacket known to be their cousins. Whatever their family relation is, one thing is for sure – wasp stings are really dangerous especially to those who have allergic reactions to these insects.
Wasps have gained a reputation for building their nests around residential properties and your house is no exception. This is why it is important to prevent nesting behavior as these pose an imminent threat to homeowners.
Wasps are attracted to places where there is an abundance of flowers, sweet food, and warm areas to apply their nesting habits. If your yard seems to be a good spot, then it will be no wonder when European hornets start to come to build nests. If you happen to notice a good number of wasps circling your area, they might be scouting for food or considering the viability of building a nest in the vicinity.
Wasps are subdivided into two groups including the solitary wasps and the social wasps. The majority of these wasp species are solitary. Solitary wasps prefer to live alone and build a solitary nest. Solitary wasps will also feed on paralyzed insects and spiders and this will also serve as food for their young.
Social wasps, on the other hand, live in colonies following a caste system. They have several queens, a few drones or males, and a sterile female called workers. Social wasps are known to make a nest from wood fibers that have a paper mache finish gaining them the name paper wasps.
In general, wasps are helpers in keeping the pest population down. Their vital ecological role is to control the number of potential pests like greenflies and caterpillars that can cause great damage to crops and gardens. Like bees, they are valuable pollinators as they transfer pollen when visiting flowers for a drink. Although they have a reputation for being aggressive insects, some wasp species are docile. Being able to identify the wasp species available in your area can help you deal with them.
Common Wasps Variety
Yellow Jackets
These are bee size wasps known for their distinct black and yellow markings. They tend to be aggressive especially when they are defending their nest. They can also sting even when unprovoked. They have smooth stingers which can sting more than once and can be very painful. Yellow jackets are carnivorous and will feed on other insects like bees and flies.
Paper Wasps
Paper wasps are slightly bigger than yellow jackets. You can identify them by their brown or black bodies with yellow markings. Paper wasps live in small nests that usually have a single-layer comb for brood rearing. These paper wasps build their nests in trees and plants. But, a paper wasp can also build its nest on the eaves of homes, docks, and garages. A paper wasp can also prey on caterpillars, flies, plant nectars, and beetle larvae to feed their young.
Hornets
Hornets have black with yellow or white stripes that are more distinct than yellow jackets. There are 20 varieties of them in the world and they only sting in response to persistent attempts to disturb their nests. When threatened, they swarm. Being allergic to hornet’s venom can be dangerous. Their nests are made by chewing wood into paper pulp which they build on high trees or woody plants.
Mud Daubers
With their black with bright yellow markings on their thorax and legs, the mud daubers have a long thin body that sets them apart from other wasps species. They are docile and do not live in colonies or build a nest with other wasps. They are calmer and would prefer to move or build a new nest elsewhere than attack their intruders. They build their solitary nests from mud for themselves and their offspring.
Bees vs. Wasps
People can often confuse wasps and bees because of their similar shapes. Bees are fuzzier in appearance which helps them to gather pollen easily while wasps are more of bald and shiny insects.
Bees will attach only once when provoked while wasps will attack, provoked or not. Wasps are stinging insects and can sting multiple times. Both insects play ecological roles in pollination. However, once these wasp species pose threats and dangers, then it is important to get them controlled.
Reasons Why There's A Wasp Infestation in the Yard
Paper wasps, yellow jackets, maud daubers, and other species including a solitary wasp are constantly migrating. However, they do get attracted to several things that make them stay. This includes:
Shelter
Colony queen wasps get impregnated during autumn. This causes the male wasps to die. Then, the queen finds shelter in a warm and safe area. This will enable it to survive winter. While finding an ideal place, they may come across your yard. They often pick walls, cracks and crevices as perfect shelter from predators and the cold winter. They also find a wasp nest where they can breed their colony.
Available food sources
Bees feed on flowers and so do wasps. However, unlike bees, wasps eat dead spiders and other insects. Mud daubers are known to be spider-eating wasps. Just before hibernation, they often stock food in their wasps nests. Once winter is over, they will start looking again for food. Blooming spring flowers will surely attract wasps. If they find these in your garden, then a yellow jacket or mud daubers will surely come as wasps feed on these. If there are also a lot of insects including spiders in your yard, then you should find ways to get rid of them. This will help deter wasps if there are few insects in the yard.
Leftover food
Did you know that wasps also hunt for leftover food? They can even bring it back to their wasp nests to feed their young. These insects are opportunistic and would love a free meal whenever they fly above one. Other wasp species aside from the yellow jacket, hornets and mud daubers are attracted to protein-based foods. Thus, they will scavenge food leftovers including meat scraps on the grill left uncleaned in the yard.
Of course, you cannot get rid of wasps flying all over when you’re having a family cookout. However, you can prevent them from attacking on their spotted food by covering cooked food. You can also keep them away by cleaning up after you use the grill. You can even get rid of wasps by cleaning the ground where possible drippings and spills are found.
Did I mention wasps love sweets?
These insects got the sweet tooth and they’d be looking for sugar sources to stock for winter. They’d be going around looking for these mostly during fall. They’d love to check out an empty soda bottle head for any sugar residue. They can also go looking inside garbage cans so you’d better be careful during this season. You might just find a swarm of them doing some wasp activity inside your dump finding a good source of sucrose.
Flowers
As much as honey bees love nectar, wasps also find flowers delicious. They are pretty much attracted to flowers and its sweet scent. This is another reason why wasps can infest a garden of flowers in no time. During spring and summer months, people are recommended not to wear strong fragrances especially when they are living in areas known to be wasp infested.
Preventing Wasps from Getting Inside your Home
Are there any entry points open?
When wasps are outdoors, they have the potential to get in your home as they can easily fit in vents and mortar between your bricks. Open doors and windows without a screen can be an invitation for them to explore your home. Find the potential access points of wasps in your home and seal the cracks and gaps with silicone caulk.
Do Home Remedies work?
Natural ways to get rid of wasps can include making a wasp repellent. A mixture of one cup water, two cups apple cider vinegar, and two cups of sugar, mixed and placed near the nest can help. This will attract and kill the wasps.
Use Wasp Spray
When using a wasp spray indoors, use it with caution especially with other members of the family present. While wasp spray is effective, it might contain chemicals that can be harmful to children and pets.
Calling Professional Removal Services
It is dangerous and time-consuming to deal with indoor wasp nests especially if it is intensive. You can safely reclaim your home by calling a professional who can best handle the situation.
Effective Ways in Getting Rid of Wasps in Your Yard
Yards can be a haven for wasps since they can provide some of their needs like insects and larvae that can be found in the lawn soil. You can see them in the morning flying low over the lawn looking for the tasty grubs and larvae. They can also join your outdoor party as they buzz around looking for sugar in the berries and other fallen fruits around your yard. If you have unwanted waps presence, here are the things to do to get rid of them:
Are wasp traps effective?
Wasp traps have a liquid that attracts wasps, making them crawl looking for the source of the sweet smell. They will eventually get stuck and drown. Hanging wasp traps is the most common and effective way of ridding your garden. The traps should be changed often as accumulated dead wasps in the trap can be nasty to see.
Can you use wasp spray?
Active wasp nests around your home and property should be eliminated as soon as possible. Wear protective clothing, use a store-bought wasp nest spray with a long nozzle that will allow you to spray at a distance. Spray late in the evening, when wasps are dormant and all are present in the nest. Re-spray the nest repeatedly over a few days if needed to get rid of the wasps.
Use Soap and Water
Mix two tablespoons of dish soap in a bottle of water sprayer. This mixture can be an alternative to store-bought insecticides which you can spray to the wasp nest. Getting in contact with the soap and water mixture can clog the wasp breathing pores and kill them instantly.
Build a Homemade Wasp Trap
Use what’s around your house like a large soda bottle that can be made into a wasp trap. Cut off the top part of your large soda bottle and add a few inches of soda or fruit juice that will attract the wasps and a few drops of dish liquid. Hang the homemade trap in the yard by inverting the top part inside the bottle with the sweet liquid. The idea is to let the wasp in without a chance of flying out.
Kill Surviving Wasps
You can eliminate the wasp one by one using a store bought spray by spraying them on sight. Be sure to follow the labeled instructions posted.
Advance Treatment of Possible Nesting Grounds
To discourage possible nest building of wasps in your area, identify the spaces that have the potential of attracting the wasp to take up their residence. These can be your deck, patio, playset, wood fence, and pool. Purchase residual insecticides in your local hardware store and spray these identified future nesting wasp areas. This way, it can save you the headache of having unwanted buzzing neighbors circling your yard like they own the place.
Call the professionals
It is time to call the professionals when faced with a large colony of wasps in your yard. This can save you a lot of trouble as getting rid of it on your own is impossible. They can remove the wasp colony and can take steps in eliminating another colony formation in the future.
Getting Rid of Wasps Nests
Getting rid of a wasp’s nest can look pretty simple. You might even think it’s also easy to kill wasps. However, it’s more than just getting hornet sprays on a nest and surrounding area. Repelling wasps nests can actually be dangerous. You can do DIY methods to prevent them from nesting in your area but it will be wise to contact professional services to have their nest removed. Going for hornet nests by yourself can pose great danger as these insects swarm and sting when aggravated.
Should you wish to get the work done by yourself, you should get a hornet nests spray from a local store. Then, you can spray this to the nest 24 hours before the removal process. This will get them killed, assuring you safer extraction. However, if there is still wasp movement or activity, then you have to spray it once more.
After you’ve observed that the wasps inside are dead, you can do the following steps:
- If a nest is attached to wall cavities, gently pull it off and get the garbage bag sealed around it.
- Throw the garbage bag containing the nest away. Make sure it is sealed tightly.
- If the nest is located on tree branches or other hard to reach places, don’t attempt to remove it by yourself. Call a professional and let them handle the job for safety reasons.
Calling Professional Wasp Removal Services
Professionals can help address your wasp problem. They are experienced and highly qualified to take care of the issue. Handling wasps require expertise and not just simply using insecticide spray on wall cavities containing nests. Keep in mind that these insects are aggressive and can attack any time when threatened.
So, how do professional wasp removal services do the job? Let’s find out more.
Property Inspection
First, they will conduct an inspection of the entire property. They will look for wasp nests that will be identified by pest control technicians. These experts are licensed and highly skilled to determine any hanging nests, nests found on the ground and other hidden colonies. They will also determine and advise you on the best way to get the job done. If there are multiple types of wasps in your yard, then the pest control tech will also identify each species. They will also create a tailored plan on how to get rid of these wasps and their nests.
Destroying Nests
Once the nests are identified and the species of wasps are determined, it’s now time to destroy the nests. Professionals will use a specially formulated substance designed for wasp elimination even when they are inside the nest.
Administering Yellow Jacket treatments
Yellow jacket nests have been often found in yards during nesting season. That is why calling professionals for help will get this problem resolved right away. They will apply treated bait that will lure yellow jackets to feed. When yellow jackets eat the bait and get killed, this ensures that your pets and even kids are kept away from risks. Then, they will be able to get the yellow jacket nests out and dispose of them accordingly.
Yellow Jacket Nests Annual Control
Experts will recommend yearly yellow jacket pest control if your problem with these species is tough. You can sign up for an annual treatment program that will take care of yellow jackets and their nesting grounds. Often, treatment programs include installing bait stations and hive treatments.
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