The spring and summer months are a great time for those in the North West to get out, have barbecues, and enjoy the outdoors. Unfortunately, wasps often make it incredibly difficult to enjoy your outdoor space, particularly if a colony has created a nest in or around your home. It is at this time of year that people often wonder how to get rid of wasps. However, to know how to do that, you have to know when they are most active, if they will come back, and what is attracting them to your home. To answer these common concerns, below are some of the most frequently asked questions about wasps, and the answers to them.
When are Wasps Most Active?
The months that wasps are most active are the hot, sunny months of mid-summer. In April, the young queen will awaken from her months of hibernation and start to create nests using small particles of wood that have been mixed with her saliva. The queen will then start to populate her nest by placing eggs into the cells of the nest, which will hatch into worker wasps. The worker wasps will take over the job of building the nest for the queen.
By June and July, the busiest and most active months for wasps, hundreds of wasps have matured into adulthood in the nest and they will venture out every day to find food. Throughout August, September, and October, the activity starts to wind down and the queen will die, with young queens ready to mate and wait until the next spring when they can start to create their own nests.
What Time of Day are Wasps Most and Least Active?
Anyone that has tried to have a lunchtime barbecue, or make dinner on the grill, will notice that wasps are most active during the hottest hours of the day, usually between 12:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. After this time, wasps will retreat to their nest, but they do not spend that time sleeping, as most people think. Instead, they use this downtime to tend to their young and work on their nest.
Do Wasps Come Back to the Same Nest Every Year?
It may seem amazing to some that wasps are able to fly for hundreds of yards and always find their way back home at the end of the day. Although it is true that wasps take distinctive test flights before leaving their nest for a day, and during this time they will use visual cues to find their way back at the end of the day, they no longer do this once the season is over.
During the fall or winter, only the queens that have mated will survive. These queens will leave their nest and will not return to it, leaving it to decompose in the elements. Young queen wasps will hibernate during the winter and in the spring, they will start building their own new nest. As such, homeowners that notice old wasp nests around their home can safely remove them, as long as they have confirmed that wasps are not currently using it.
What Smell Attracts Wasps and Which Smells do Wasps Hate?
Wasps are known foragers, and they spend much of their day looking for food, which can be just about anything for wasps. Flowers are known to attract bees, but the nectar within them also provides a food source for wasps, attracting them into your yard. A wasp may also mistake cologne or perfume for nectar, so these aromas will also attract wasps into your yard.
Like nectar and other sweet scents, the aroma of sweet food will also attract wasps. Fruit trees, fruit juice, and even soda are all sweet-smelling scents that will attract wasps. Although wasps prefer the smell of sweet things, they are also attracted to the smell of protein, such as leftover meat, or even insects in your yard.
However, just as some plants may attract wasps into your space, there are others that can repel them. Wasps do not like the smell of mint, so grow several plants in your backyard or keep them on the windowsill and open the window so the smell can draft out to the yard. Other plants that repel wasps include lemongrass, thyme, citronella, penny-royal, and eucalyptus.
What is the Best Way to Get Rid of Wasps in My Yard?
Go into any hardware store and you will find plenty of options that claim to get rid of the wasps in your yard. The truth is, unfortunately, getting rid of wasps on your own is both ineffective and dangerous. Anyone dealing with a wasp problem in their space should call a professional pest control company that can help them get rid of the problem.
Call Our Pest Professionals in the North West Today
If you have a wasp problem in or around your home, do not wait to call our North West pest professionals and take your space back. At Pointe Pest Control, we have safe and effective solutions to remove wasps from your yard once and for all. Call us today at (866) 633-1573 or contact us online to request a quote and to learn more about how we can help.
