The spring and summer seasons bring warmer weather and more time outside. It’s frustrating to have to avoid flying, stinging insects, like wasps, in the beautiful weather. If your property attracts colonies of wasps and has you worried about being stung, there are some actions you can take now to help keep these insects away. This spring, you can tackle a potential insect problem with effective wasp control strategies and have a much more relaxing summer in your yard. The experts at Truly Nolen Pest Control can help you make your property more pleasant.

Increased Activity in Spring

After a long, cold winter, when the temperature rises in the spring, the wasps start to come out. In April, female wasps come out of hibernation and begin looking for potential nest sites. The queens may look for spots like shrubs, animal burrows, attics, decks, sheds, railings, and playground equipment to make their nests. Some queens may even attempt to set up a nest inside of a home, within a hollow wall or against a window. 

Once the female wasp finds the perfect spot for her nest, she begins to build it with her saliva and a paper-like material from plants or wood. Eventually, she will lay her eggs throughout her nest and create a hive of worker wasps. If her nest remains undisturbed, this could lead to up to 75 wasps circling and inhabiting the area. Wasps can sometimes be aggressive, especially if they feel threatened.

Signs of Wasps

Having a wasps’ nest on your property is usually easy to spot. Property owners may notice a number of wasps flying around their yard. There may even be swarms of wasps circling areas of the property. In some cases, homeowners may hear quiet buzzing sounds if a nest of wasps is nearby. Wasps are typically active during the day, so homeowners may see an increased number of these insects flying around in the daylight hours.

If a wasps’ nest is suspected, it’s possible to find the location of the nest by watching the flight pattern of the wasps. The nest may appear as a large paper-like hive or a series of honeycomb shapes. Never approach a wasps’ nest. Getting too close may result in getting stung. Wasps are capable of stinging multiple times and some people have an allergic reaction to a wasp’s venom, and this could lead to a medical emergency.

Wasp Control for Homeowners

The best way to keep wasps off of your property is to do some wasp prevention in the spring. Before a queen sets her sites on your property and makes her nest, take action to keep her away. This is because even if you manage to get rid of the queen, it doesn’t guarantee full removal. So, it’s best to take precautionary measures.

First, start with applying wasp repellent oil to wood surfaces around the property, such as decks, fencing, playground equipment, and wood furniture. This will prevent a female wasp from taking the wood for a nest and building one. Next, make sure the home is properly sealed, with windows and doors and other entry points secured. Replace damaged or missing window and door screen and make sure the attic is completely sealed off.

Wasps are also attracted to food sources, so ensure all trash is secure and kept in closed containers. If there is a compost pile, make sure it isn’t attracting wasps. Avoid keeping pet food outside and make sure any food from outdoor parties is completely removed and taken inside at the end of the event. Truly Nolen Pest Control can help eliminate other pests in the yard, which may be attracting wasps as well.

Wasp control is possible if you start now before the height of the summer season. Find out more wasp prevention tips from Truly Nolen Pest Control so you can get back to enjoying your backyard.