How To Keep Hornets & Wasps Away From Your Wayne Yard
8/13/2021
Your yard is your own little patch of paradise. It’s where you can relax, unwind, and play. Unfortunately, nobody told that to hornets and wasps. Stinging insects can make it impossible to enjoy your time outdoors, but with a little landscaping know-how, you can help to keep hornets and wasps away from your Wayne yard.
What To Know About Hornets & Wasps
Wasps are some of the most remarkable insects in the world. They can be either social or solitary, colorful or plain, large or small. Despite tremendous variety from one species to another, wasps are all predatory insects equipped with a venomous stinger. There are a staggering 30,000 recognized species in the world, including at least 20 species of hornets.
The general difference between a hornet and a wasp is that hornets tend to be larger in size and live in social colonies. Most of the wasps in the world are solitary hunters and are smaller than most hornets by comparison. Wasps often build underground nests, while hornets always build aerial nests.
Wasps and hornets can be a good source of organic pest control for those willing to tolerate their presence. They eat up troublesome pest insects and can even help to pollinate flowers. But the negatives of having these pests around far outnumber the positives.
How To Use Landscaping To Prevent Hornets & Wasps
The biggest reason you’ve got hornets or wasps in your yard? Your landscaping. Certain plants and flowers not only attract hornets and wasps but also the bugs that they eat. Rethinking your gardening and landscaping as a whole can dramatically reduce the presence of stinging insects.
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Grow your own wasp-repellent. Geraniums and marigolds are two common flowers that repel wasps. Fragrant herbs like lemongrass, wormwood, and thyme are also effective at keeping wasps away.
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Reduce flowers and fruit. Try not to overplant fruit-bearing trees and sweet-smelling flowers in general. Queen Anne’s lace, yarrow, and sweet fennel are especially attractive to wasps.
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Keep up with yard work. Simply mowing the lawn and trimming the hedges can help to reduce the presence of the prey insects that wasps feed on.
Other Ways To Prevent Hornets & Wasps
While the plants on your property are usually a primary cause of hornets and wasps, there are plenty of other factors that contribute to stinging insects nesting in your yard. With a little sanitation and a little maintenance work in addition to the landscaping tips previously provided, you can take a more holistic approach to wasp prevention. Some easy wasp control tips you can try are:
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Tending to the trash – Make sure to keep trash cans covered at all times. Be sure to rinse out any containers for juice, beer, or soda before disposal. Try to wash out trash cans every so often to eliminate residue that attracts pests.
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Minding the meat – Hornets and wasps are predators, but they will gladly steal a hunk of hamburger at your next barbecue. Don’t leave food uncovered when eating or cooking outdoors.
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Sealing up siding – Inspect the siding of your home or business for damage and fill with silicone caulk as needed. Fill in any holes you may see in your yard with dirt or gravel but don’t seal the entrance to an active underground nest.
If you’ve got wasps in your yard in Wayne, you can trust the pros at Resolution Pest to help. We offer comprehensive hornet and wasp control services for area homes and businesses so you can get back to relaxing on the lawn without worrying about getting stung. Contact us today to learn more.
