No pest control is a walk in the park, but the most dangerous kinds of pests to have around your property are the ones that fight back. In this case, we’re talking about wasps, which use their stingers to stand their ground and ward off elimination attempts. For those with allergies, the consequences can be dire. This is why every property owner should learn how wasp nests form and why you should seek professional help if they are buzzing around.
Common Area Wasps
Many people don’t realize that the term “wasp” doesn’t apply to just one kind of stinging insect. Instead, it’s a term we use to describe a whole family of pests, from aggressive hornets to gentle bumblebees. That’s right, even those crucial pollinators, which are so important for the environment, are part of this dangerous family of insects. That’s why proactive prevention is better than late reactions. Keeping these kinds of wasps out of your yard will help protect entire neighborhoods from their harmful stings:
- Bees: Bumblebees and honeybees are some of the least aggressive wasps since they typically die after using their stingers. However, too many of these in and around your property can be dangerous, since their venom can be harmful to those both with and without serious allergies.
- Yellowjackets: A term used to describe many of the aggressive species of wasps, yellowjackets have the same coloration as bees but lack the fuzzy features.
- Hornets: Another term used to describe a wide range of species within the Vespid family, hornets are typically larger than other wasps, with thicker bodies than the more slim yellowjackets.
What Attracts Wasps To Yards?
You shouldn’t try to get close enough to wasps to try and tell them apart -- that’s a job for experts with the proper protective gear. Instead, focus on the kinds of factors that attract wasps to your yard in the first place, like the following:
- Wood: Where there is wood, there is space for wasps to build their nests, which typically hang from high places. While this includes trees, wasps also target roof overhangs and the undersides of balconies.
- Moisture: All kinds of pests are attracted to standing water or areas where moisture builds, even wasps. Yards with water features or poor drainage can be more attractive to these stinging pests.
- Other pests: Not all pollinators eat plant nectar. Instead, some wasps, especially the more aggressive ones, hunt other insects for their meals. It’s just one of many examples of how existing pests inevitably attract others to properties.
How To Prevent Nests On Your Property
All of the following are ways you can reduce those attracting factors around your yard, taking the first steps toward proper pest control:
- Landscaping: Keep your trees and bushes trimmed to avoid overhanging foliage that provides wasps with shade and surface area to build nests in.
- Trash storage: Many wasps are attracted to sugary aromas, as are the pests that they like to hunt. Keeping your trash inaccessible to pests, and making sure you don’t leave soiled containers or food spills around your yard, will reduce this attraction.
- Yard treatments: The best way to ward off all kinds of pests, including wasps and the bugs that attract them, is with lawn treatments offered by licensed technicians.
Already Got Wasps? Turn To Aiken Pest!
By their very nature, wasps can fly anywhere looking for new homes or sources of food. That means even properties that address those kinds of attractants can still wind up with wasps or infestations that might attract other troublesome pests. The best prevention comes from pest professionals who can thoroughly inspect your property for early warning signs of an infestation or factors that attract them. At Aiken Pest, our trained staff knows how to handle wasps safely and effectively, not to mention prevent their nests from forming in the first place.