8 Tips to Prevent Wasp Nests around Your Home

Is there anything worse than finding a wasp nest around your property? It can be disheartening and destroy your summer fun. While you may not be able to get rid of wasps entirely, you don’t have to live with a nest in or around your home. But it can be difficult to remove a nest once it has been built. It’s best to leave that to animal control professionals. 

The best tactic is to try and prevent wasps from building their home on your property. Here are some ways you can do that. 

1.Understand Wasp Habits

You don’t need to be on guard all the time. In the fall, queen wasps start to hibernate and won’t wake up until the spring. The cold weather will kill off all her workers, which means she’ll need to build a new nest when she wakes up. This means you’ll need to start making your wasp deterrent plan in the early spring and put it into effect so you can have a nest-free summer. 

As you formulate your plan, consider all the places on your property that may look attractive to the queen wasp. It includes:

• Hallow tree trunks
• Eaves
• Railings
• Overhanging
• Playhouses/treehouses

Get some repellant or even a decoy wasp nest to persuade the queen to build her home somewhere else. 

2.Maintain Your Yard

Keeping your yard clean can be another deterrent to wasps. While it includes keeping your shrubs and trees pruned, your leaves raked, and your grass cut and free from clippings, it also means picking up after yourself and your guests. Wasps love sweet things so, if you’ve been enjoying some sugary treats in the hot sun, be sure to pick it up and seal it well before you toss it in the garbage. 

You should also remove any standing water, such as a birdbath, which can also be inviting to insects. 

Keep your garbage cans clean from any food or spills that may attract a wasp. Regularly hose them down and keep the lids on tight. 

3.Add Greenery to Your Landscape

Did you know there are some plants that you can grow that wasps don’t like? Consider adding one of the following plants to your yard to help prevent a wasp infestation:

• wormwood 
• marigold
• mint
• basil
• pennyroyal
• geranium

4.Seal Up Your Home

To wasp-proof your property, regularly check for any openings or spaces that a wasp may find ideal for nest building. Repair fences and decks, close up any holes around windows and attics, and repair siding if you notice damage. 

5.Remove Wasp Attractors

Wasps can be attracted to your property by bird feeders, particularly the sweetness of hummingbird nectar. They may also find your property an ideal home if you have a compost heap outdoors where they can access it. To overcome these challenges, you can remove birdfeeders or be strategic about where you place them. Moving your composting indoors can also cut down on the likelihood it will draw wasps to your home. 

6.Fill in Ground Burrows

Rodents and other pests can create holes in the ground around your home. Even if you can get animal control to remove these critters, the holes they leave behind may be attractive nesting spots for wasps. Survey your property and fill those holes so wasps won’t have a place to build a nest. 

7.Protect Your Pool

If you have a swimming pool in your backyard, it may be attracting wasps to your property. Brightly coloured swim toys and bathing suits may draw them in, while the ice cream and popsicles encourage them to stay. Wasps, like people, enjoy staying cool on hot days, and pools offer that refreshment. Get a pool cover and clean up sticky messes quickly.

8.Watch What You Wear

Bright colours may attract wasps as they will confuse you with a flower. So, watch the clothing you put on before you head outside. Strong and sweet smells also drawn them. So, you may want to switch the perfume you wear. 

Types of Wasps

Several types of wasps can build their nests on your property. In case you do find a nest near your home, it may be useful to understand which kind of insect you are dealing with. Here are the most common types of wasps:

Yellowjacket – The most commonly recognized type of wasp is the yellowjacket. These insects often look for logs, old rodent homes, or any empty hollow structure to build their nests. You’ll notice that the nest has just one entryway and a thick layer of protection. While they can build aerial nests, the majority of yellowjacket homes will be made close to the ground. These nests can house thousands of wasps. 

Paper wasp – Recognizable by their reddish-orange or dark brown colour. They prefer to build their nests under roofs, tree branches, or overhanging sheds or garages. Unlike the yellowjacket nest, a paper wasp nest does not have a layer of protection. Instead, its nest looks like open cells. On average, these nests house 20 to 30 paper wasps. 

Hornets – Similar in appearance to other wasp types, a hornet is slightly larger. These insects like to build their homes inside tree cavities or similar hollow spaces at least six feet from the ground. You’ll recognize it by its pear shape that is greyish-brown in colour. Hornet nests can have up to 400 insects. 

When to Call Animal Control

Wasps are an essential part of the natural world, and they do help keep other insect populations in check. But that doesn’t mean you need to let them threaten you and your family. If you’ve tried all the steps to prevent attracting wasps to your property and you’re now dealing with a nest don’t tackle it on your own. It is always the right decision to call animal control professionals to treat and remove the nest, so no one gets hurt. 

If you need wasp nest removal, contact Swat Wildlife technicians to help.