Wasp Extermination In The Beaches

There’s nothing more annoying about the summer months than unwanted bugs, insects, and critters. This is especially true when they sting, buzz around loudly, or seem to wait at your door, lingering around until you try to get out, making it impossible for you to even get into your car. Yes, we’re talking about the undesirable wasp invasion that we all dread. It’s best to arm yourself with the knowledge you’ll need to tackle this issue in case you find yourself in an unlucky position of having a wasp nest on your property.

What To Know About Wasps

Let’s start with some basic information on these sneaky, flying invaders that have recently taken up residence near your home.

Types of Wasps

While you may use the term wasps freely to refer to any flying, stinging bug other than bees, it is important to know that there are different types, each with their own specific behaviours and habits.

Yellow jacket wasps, identifiable by their characteristic bright yellow colour, are a more aggressive type of wasp and build a nest that looks like a deformed sphere. It is covered in a paper-like casing, containing a single opening which the wasps use to enter and exit as well as to bring food to the queens and to bring in more material, should they need to make the nest larger.

Contrast this to paper wasps, which have a nest that looks like a beehive with combs. The paper wasps are named as such due to the paper-like look of the nest and these are the variety that typically build their home hanging from trees or branches.

Finally, let’s not forget about hornets. These narrow-bodied bugs have a characteristic buzzing sound and they are the ones that usually build nests that are contained under roof tops or eaves. This variety is smaller in size than some of their wasp counterparts and are a type that consistently hangs out around garbage bins, as they are attracted to sweet smelling food and drink.

What Wasps Eat

Speaking of food, understanding a wasp invasion is about more than just understanding what types of foods they are attracted to in your garbage can. Wasps are most active during the day, making use of the natural daylight hours to search for food, feed their young, tend to the queen, and tend to their nest. Wasps live off bugs and larvae found in plants and crops, and may also even eat some dead plant matter. Parent wasps will find larvae on the plants and bring it back to the hive to feed the young, while yellow jackets will feed on dead insects.

The attraction to sweet-smelling foods comes from the fact that the wasps also like to find sweet nectar to suck on. They will do this from plants, but of course, your melted popsicle or leftover orange juice will also work just as well!

While it is important to understand the types of wasps and the food they eat, perhaps even more important is recognizing where they live. Wasps live in nests, and each type of wasp builds their own characteristic nest. The nest houses the wasp colony as well as the queen wasp and is crucial for their survival. If you have a wasp problem, chances are you have a wasp nest and the first thing to do in eliminating the problem is to eliminate the nest.

Getting Rid Of A Wasp Nest

Now that you recognize the role of the nest and how fundamental it is in the continuation of your wasp invasion, you need to tackle the nest removal. If you are only dealing with a small nest or a small invasion and you are eager to try a DIY route, here is a basic breakdown of how to remove the wasp nest. Before you begin, double check to make sure you aren’t dealing with yellow jacket wasps or a particularly large wasp nest, and then complete the following:

Get Prepared

Start by obtaining proper wasp nest removal pesticide, found at your local hardware store. There are several options available, depending on the type of wasps you are dealing with and how you are going to carry out the procedure. From there, invest in your special no-exposed-skin-outfit! In order to ensure you are adequately protected during the procedure you should be sure to have protective goggles, as well as a hat or hood to cover your head. Wear long pants, a long sleeve turtleneck, and closed toed shoes, and wrap a scarf around any other areas of your face that are exposed. Don’t forget to wear gloves to protect your hands while you get to work.

Make a Plan

Schedule a night to carry out the procedure. Wasp nest removal should be done in the dark, at night, not necessarily because the wasps will be asleep, but because they are less active at night. It is more likely that all the wasps will have gone home for the night, so if you do it in the evening, you will have a greater chance at eliminating the whole crew. When night falls, don your protective gear, making sure you have long sleeves, long pants, and adequate covering for your face, head, and neck. Remove children and pets from the area and avoid using light if you can, as this will awaken the wasps.

Get It Done

When you have everything in place and are ready to proceed, stand off to one side and spray the insecticide on the nest. The insecticide acts to make the wasps suffocate, so you should start to see them drop out of the nest if the process has been successful. Once done, leave the nest there for a few days, checking to make sure you don’t see any more activity, and then knock the nest off and dispose of it.

If the nest is large, you can’t find it, or it is in a place that is subject to a lot of foot traffic, children playing, or is very close to your house, chances are it is not the best idea to take down the nest by yourself. In this case, it is time to call in the professionals.