It’s been a very hot summer, with a lot of rain! How we long for the sunshine and less humidity! Unfortunately with these conditions can come more mosquitoes and other pests on your property. Bugs unfortunately see the warmer, wetter days as an open invitation to come out of hiding, but there are some ways for you to stop them in their tracks. Whether you’re a homeowner or currently renting a place, you might be wondering how you can prevent mosquitoes from invading your home and turning your yard into a mosquito breeding ground. Here are 10 tips we’ve compiled to help you!
Where Do Wasps Live?
Wasps live in nests that they build by chewing wood and plant debris and mixing it with their saliva. Because of this, wasp nests can look almost like paper. Depending on the type of wasp, you might find nests underground in your yard, hanging off the side of your house, within hollow walls or inside a tree hollow.
In the summer, the average wasp nest can hold between 3,000 to 6,000 wasps.
Unfortunately, climate change has resulted in the development of much larger “super nests.” These super nests can be as large as a small car. They can hold as many as 15,000 wasps as a result. In recent years, wasps have built these super nests on cars, in the ground, inside garages and even on people’s homes.
For smaller, isolated wasp nests, you may be able to neutralize and destroy them yourself. However, summer is the peak season for wasps, so we recommend contacting our pest control experts at PESTOUT to handle nests for you.
What Are The Differences Between Wasps, Hornets And Bees?
All hornets are wasps, but only some wasps are hornets. Hornets are larger stinging wasps, and often live in tree hollows. Some common types of wasps in the United States include bald-faced hornets, yellow jackets and northern paper wasps.
Honey bees, however, are very different from wasps. It’s easy to confuse the two, but there are a couple of ways to tell them apart. Bees, for example, can only sting you once before ultimately dying. A wasp, on the other hand, can easily sting you multiple times. A bee also has a light coat of downy hair, while most wasps do not.
So How Do I Keep Wasps Away?
Now that you know what wasps look like and where you might find them, we’ve outlined some tips to stop wasps from invading your yard.
Clean up quickly after barbecues:
In the summer, wasps tend to crave food with lots of protein. So if you’re having a summer barbecue, make sure you don’t leave any meat lying around! You should also avoid leaving juice or any sweet drinks out for too long. When you are outside, always look at your cup or bottle before you take a drink. There may be a wasp down there!
Keep trash cans tightly sealed:
As we mentioned, wasps are always looking for food. To stop them from stealing your leftovers, make sure you’ve sealed and secured all your trash.
Patch up any cracks or crevices:
Some wasps like to build their nests in hollow walls or floors, roof spaces or even chimneys. To stop them from nesting on your porch or deck, fully seal any gaps or cracks they could use to burrow into your home.
Consider herbs and essential oils:
There are some natural scents that repel wasps. If you combine clove, lemongrass and geranium essential oils, you can apply it to outer walls and crevices to keep wasps away. Wasps don’t like peppermint oil, either, so you can use that as well! You can also plant spearmint, thyme, citronella, eucalyptus and wormwood in your yard or garden to stop wasps from coming in.
Even After Your Best Efforts, A Wasp Colony May Still Find Their Way Into Your Yard:
If you do find a nest in your yard, it’s best to call pest control professionals to neutralize and get rid of it for you. There are some DIY solutions for small nests — such as wasp traps or decoys — but you need to be careful! PESTOUT has the tools and experience required to get the job done.
Wasp “super nets” and large colonies can seem overwhelming and scary. But it’s important to remember that wasps aren’t always a nuisance! It’s true they can sting us repeatedly, but they also perform some much-needed pest control. For example, cicada killer wasps prey on cicada eggs, while digger wasps hunt insects and larvae. If you see these wasps in your yard, you don’t need to worry about them.
The best way to keep wasps out of your yard this summer is to clean up after yourself and stay on top of home maintenance. But if you do end up with wasps on your hands, you don’t need to stay inside! Instead, give PESTOUT a call. We’ll come take care of your Wasp problem, so you can enjoy being outside.
For more information about PESTOUT’s Insect Treatments, call our office at (757) 856-6557 or click here.