How to keep wasps nests off your property.

Thanks to our often temperate weather, Florida residents have become very familiar with paper wasps, yellow jackets, and other stinging insects. Due to the extreme pain that comes with wasp stings, it’s important that you keep these flying nuisances off your property. Wasp control can be a bit of a challenge, but it’s certainly not impossible.

In fact, with just a little hard work and know-how, you’ll be able to prevent wasp nests and wasps from becoming a problem on your property. Today, we’re going to look at several effective techniques that you can implement that will all but ensure a wasp-free zone for your home.

Perform Routine Checks

Many homeowners become overwhelmed by wasps because they don’t pay enough attention to their property. It doesn’t take too long for a wasp nest to appear, so it’s important that you remain diligent at all times. A routine check every week or even once a month will allow you to stay on top of things. Look under eaves and other out-of-the-way places just to be careful.

Be Aware of Landscaping 

Wasps build their nests anywhere they can, but they often stay hidden because the nest will be located behind heavy landscape. Trimming back trees that are close to your house will help prevent this from happening. Keeping your landscape trimmed will also make your property less attractive to wasps and other insects.

Remove Food/Water Sources

Like their effect on other bugs, food and water sources around your property will attract wasps. Be especially mindful of anything sweet such as fruit trees and hummingbird feeders. Hanging up a feeder is perfectly fine, but you should keep it away from the home whenever possible. Water structures and standing water after rain can also cause issues, so try to keep excess moisture to a minimum.

Close Garbage Containers 

Wasps and other insects can smell trash from far away, which makes an open garbage container a sort of beacon for them. Make sure that trash bags are tightly tied and your garbage bins are properly closed. Food matter used for composting can also be a problem, so try to keep it indoors if possible.

Seal Any Holes and Cracks

Wasps may be bigger than many insects that you’ll come across, but they can still make their way into your home through holes, cracks, and other damage. This commonly occurs around the edges of windows and doors, but small gaps where power lines enter your house can be a problem, too. Either seal these areas yourself or hire a professional.

Put in Wasp-Repelling Plants

Instead of planting flowers, you may want to pick up some wasp-repelling plants such as mint, marigold, geranium, and wormwood. By placing them along the border of your property, you can create a wall of protection. What’s even better is that these plants are quite attractive, so you can match them with your landscape and they’ll fit right in.

Set Up Several Wasp Traps

Wasp traps work by tempting the wasps with something sweet inside and then blocking them from getting out. This is a reasonably good way to get rid of wasps and will work best if you can place them near a nest. If you’re worried about these traps looking out of place, there are decorative ones on the market that will appear as part of the décor.

Hire a Professional Exterminator

If you’re in need of any type of wasp removal, you should always call a professional pest control company. This is especially true if the wasps have already built a large nest and you routinely see them flying around. If you try to remove the nest, you’re likely to irritate them and get stung multiple times. Better not to take the risk.

Make a Soap and Water Mixture

Even though you want to leave a large wasp removal job to the professionals, you can treat small hanging nests quite easily. Fill a spray bottle full of water, mix in approximately two tablespoons of dish soap, and spray the mixture onto the nest. This eco-friendly pest control method will clog up the wasps’ breathing pores and kill them almost immediately.

Use a Wasp-Repelling Solution

Another way to keep wasps away from your property is to put a mixture of clove, geranium, and lemongrass essential oils into a spray bottle with water and dish soap. Then, spray it in areas where wasps tend to build nests such as under eaves, ledges, and crevices. Homeowners have also had very good luck using the same method but with peppermint oil instead of the three-prong approach.

Contact ProHealth Pest Control to Prevent Wasp Nests on your Property 

It’s not too difficult to prevent wasp nests and wasps on your property, but you’ll need to be diligent about it. If you’re in need of professional service, ProHealth Pest Control can assist you with all types of pest problems including wasps, bees, ants, spiders, rats, mice, cockroaches, mosquitos, and many more. Reach out to us through our website or call (727) 308-2543 for a free quote today.