A Helpful Guide To Wasp Control For Wayne Property Owners
8/14/2020
When wasps come into your yard, they can cause trouble. But most of the time they are a benefit. Wasps help with the control of destructive pests like the grubs of June beetles and Japanese beetles, and creepy pests, like spiders. And, while not nearly as proficient as bees, wasps assist with pollination. So it isn't so bad when wasps come into your yard. The problems begin when wasps create nests in your yard, especially if they are the wrong kind of wasps.
What are the wrong kind of wasps? They're called social wasps; and social wasps have an instinct that causes them to aggressively defend their nests. This can lead to lots of pain for you or someone you love because wasps gather into a swarm, and each wasp is able to sting multiple times. Keep this in mind as you consider the following helpful tips for wasp control in Wayne, Pennsylvania.
Know Your Wasps
We have several wasp species, but there are four you should become familiar with. These are the wasps you're most likely to have trouble with.
- Bald-faced hornets are large wasps that create basketball-sized nests above the ground. The nests are protected by sentries that fly around outside of the nest. This makes bald-faced hornets more of a sting threat.
- Paper wasps create paper, egg-shaped nests in aerial locations. These nests are most likely to be found in protected areas, such as underneath rooflines, on the ceilings of porches, and on tree branches.
- Yellow jackets are temperamental insects that tend to create their nests in voids. They may choose a ground hole or a hole in the side of a building on your property.
- Cicada killer wasps are very large wasps that are considered to be more of a lawn pest than a sting threat. This is because they are not social insects like the other wasps listed above. They don't defend their nests.
Reduce Attractants
You may think that your flowers are the reason wasps come into your yard but you would only be partly right. There are many reasons wasps visit a property. If they find an environment that is ideal, they may decide to establish a nest. Reducing these attractants will reduce your chances of having a nest develop.
- Remove standing water so wasps can't get a drink.
- Reduce moisture to reduce the bugs that wasps feed on.
- Keep trash in a covered container so wasps can't get a meal.
- Reduce unnecessary vegetation in your landscaping to reduce bug activity.
Remove Harborage Options
There isn't a whole lot you can do to prevent wasps from creating aerial nests on your property, but you can resist yellow jackets from creating nests in voids. Do an inspection of your yard and fill in any ground holes you find. Remove objects from your yard that have accessible voids and, in cases such as an open pipe on a swing set, cover and seal the opening so wasps can't get inside.
Keep Wasps Out
When wasps fly around in your landscaping, the last thing you want is for one of those wasps to find an entry point into your home, especially if it is a yellow jacket. Inspect your exterior and seal any gaps or holes you find.
Routine Inspection
Starting in spring, it is important to catch wasp nests early and remove them. Many nests begin as a little umbrella shape with exposed hexagonal chambers. If you see one of these, and there is no wasp on it, you can use a broom to sweep it away.
Ongoing Wasp & Pest Control
If you live in Wayne, remember that Resolution Pest offers residential pest control for Wayne property owners that helps to reduce the bugs that wasps eat, and to detect and remove wasp nests during routine visits. Reach out to us any time to get started with effective pest control in Wayne. We're here to help.
