With spring just a couple of weeks away (can you believe it?!), it’s time to start thinking about spring pests. Wasps can be a nuisance and can be harmful if they sting. If you want to protect your home and family from these springtime pests, here are some things you can do.
Where You’ll Find a Wasp
Wasps can be found anywhere there is an overhang for them to cling on to. Typical nesting spots include porch ceilings, window corners, under decks, inside grills, in attics or crawl spaces, the upper corners of your home or shed, and in tree branches.
What Do Wasps Eat?
Wasps are drawn to the sweetness of flowers and fruit trees. They eat plants, fruit, and nectar, as well as small insects like flies, caterpillars, and beetle larvae. They’ve also been known to go after things like pet food and picnic scraps.
Prevention Tips
A big part of prevention is removing food sources so they’re not attracted to the area around your home.
- Seal your waste bins tightly
- Try not to leave pet food outdoors
- If you have fruit trees in your hard, regularly pick up and properly dispose of fallen fruit
- Cover your outdoor compost piles
- Rinse out your recycling
- If you know that an area of your home typically attracts wasp nests, rub the area with bar soap to prevent them from nesting there
Safety Tips
- Regularly check for wasps nests while doing your normal yard work – this is especially important in spring
- If you’re going outdoors for a picnic this spring, keep your beverages covered
- Don’t swat at wasps, this agitates them and can make them more aggressive
- Avoid killing a wasp that is buzzing around you – if you kill one wasp, pheromones are released which can attract other wasps
Following these tips can help you enjoy a wasp-free spring. For more information on seasonal pest control and prevention, see our seasonal pest control guide.
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