Your Pest Control Experts in the Shenandoah Valley, West Virginia,  and Loudoun Areas

Preventing Wasps in Your Backyard

Wasps in your backyard
Don’t let pesky wasps stop you from enjoying your backyard! Learn the behaviors of wasps and how to prevent them from hanging out in your outdoor space.

The sun is out, making it a beautiful day, so you decide to eat lunch in your backyard. When suddenly you start hearing something. *Buzz Buzz* you look around, and the next thing you see is a wasp. You try to forget about it, but the wasp doesn’t stop. Before you know it, you’re back inside, finishing your lunch, avoiding the possibility of being stung. If this sounds familiar, you know what it’s like dealing with wasps. They are an aggressive species that stop at nothing. With bright yellow shiny bodies and a distinct buzzing noise, it is hard to forget about them. 

Learn more about wasps and ways to prevent them from nesting in your yard so you can enjoy your lunch in peace. 

The Life of a Wasp 

The moment an egg is laid, each wasp will have a specific role they must abide by. Whether they are the queen, worker, or a drone, each role plays a part in the colony’s success. Larger in size, the queen wasp is in charge of populating the colony. Without a queen, the colony would not survive. At the beginning of the season, worker wasps are born. These wasps are sterile females whose primary role is to care for the nest. From defending, foraging, and caring for the young, the worker wasps are the ones who get things done. Towards the end of the season, male drones will be born, and their main role is to mate with the worker wasps to create new queens. The wasp’s cycle then starts over with new queen bees starting their own colony or worker wasps and drones. 

Knowing the life of a wasp can help you determine how bad your situation is. If you notice an abundance of worker wasps around your home, there is a high chance that they have created a nest nearby. Wasps nest in areas where they will not be disturbed, like trees, wall voids, attics, under your deck, and unattended containers. If they are in an area you cannot reach, or the nest has gotten so overwhelmingly big, it is crucial to call a professional exterminator to prevent the situation from worsening. 

If you have pesky wasps in your backyard, call Pest Exit, and we can eliminate the problem. 

Prevent Wasps from Nesting in Your Yard 

There are many home remedies that you can try to help prevent wasps from nesting in your yard. 

  • Remove Food Sources – Make sure that no food is available for wasps to find. If you keep your trash bin out in the open, try bringing it into your garage to prevent them from swarming around old food. If you cannot bring your trash bin into your garage, make sure that it is always closed to deter the wasps as much as possible. 
  • Plant Insect Repellent – If you have a green thumb, try planting citronella, thyme, or eucalyptus in your backyard. These are natural insect repellents that can prevent wasps and other unwanted pests. 
  • Natural Insect Repellent – Another method for preventing wasps and other unwanted pests is to sprinkle garlic powder or spray a peppermint and water solution in areas where you want to deter them. 
  • Fake Nests – Wasps are territorial, meaning they will not build a nest if one already exists in the area.To build a fake wasp nest, take a paper bag and form it into a teardrop shape. Once done, hang one or two around the perimeter of your home to deter wasps from building a nest. 

When to Call the Professionals

Although some pest problems can be prevented at home, there are times when that will not be enough. If you are still dealing with an abundance of wasps and have tried everything to get rid of them, it is important to call a professional pest exterminator. Prolonging this issue increases your chances of being hurt and can cause property damage. At Pest Exit, we can help you eliminate unwanted pests in your backyard and home to ensure you can live safely and comfortably.