Tips for finding a wasps nest on your property.
Weather you are a tea towel flapper or someone who tries to trap them with a container, from the moment we see their yellow and black striped jackets they have an ability to send us into a fluster.
As soon as you discover a wasp is present, we are desperate to get rid of it; but what happens if you start to discover more than three or four within a short space of time?
Chances are you have a nest nearby……AHHH
How to find a wasps nest?
To find a wasps nest, the best thing to do is to take some time out to watch them. Yes you might be inclined to swot them into Timbuctoo but in order to benefit from a long term solution you’ll be better off taking a step back and watching their activity.
If you’re struggling to follow them, you could leave out a bait as once wasps have detected an appropriate food source they will continue to return until it is diminished.
Tips: It’s said that white fish is the perfect enticement for wasps as it is light-weight and strong smelling.
How big are wasps nests?
The size of a wasp nest will largely vary on when it is discovered in the season. Late spring/early summer the queen will be making herself busy building her nest and producing her first generation of worker wasps. At this point it is likely to be the size of a ping pong ball.
As the summer continues the queen wasp focuses her attention on reproduction and the worker wasps are sent out to continue the construction of her nest. This is when the size of the nest can grow to about a diameter of a football.
Top 10 places to find wasps in the home and garden
The bad news is that wasps can build a nest pretty much anywhere which doesn’t exactly help narrow your scope down. However, they prefer to nest in dry, dark and undisturbed places with easy access to dead wood (to build their wasp nest) and a constant food supply to feed their growing population. Bear in mind also that their nests don’t always take a spherical form, they will fill whatever space they have selected with the most suitable shape.
To make your wasp search a little easier please find my top 10 places to find wasps in your home.
- Roof Eaves
- Garden Sheds
- Garages
- Wall cavities
- Roof spaces (attic, loft or whatever you call it)
- Compost piles
- Dog Kennels
- Log Storage
- Trees and bushes
- Garden Decking
What is a wasps nest made from?
A wasp nest is made from wood pulp. The wasps strip untreated dead wood from places such as fence panels, garden furniture, and wood piles and then mix it with their saliva to create a sort of paste. If you’ve ever held a wasps nest you’ll know how light and delicate it is – the construction is pretty darn impressive!
How many wasps can live in a nest?
At the height of summer, there can be between 3-6,000 wasps taking up home in the nest. The number mostly depends on the availability of food supply, not the temperature as many people think. Although a cold shock after a warm start to the summer could kill off a small population all together.
Do wasps go back to old nests?
In short no, wasps will not go back to the same nest and re-use it.
Wasps are a seasonal insect species which emerge from hibernation in the springtime enjoying their life in the summer before raising new queens and dying off in the autumn.
Do wasp nests die?
As mentioned above, a wasps nest will only be used once. They are vacated in the early autumn as the temperature starts to drop, however they will not disappear. In the winter months you may come across the empty nest shells when you go up to the loft to bring down the Christmas decorations. At this point it is usually quite safe to dispose of them with a simple bag as there are no wasps to get agitated and sting you.
If however you are still feeling nervous, we are more than happy to pop out and remove it for you.
In Summary
It can be easy to get in a flap when you discover a wasp near by, especially if you have children. It is even more alarming when it starts happening on a more frequent basis. If you think you have a wasp problem, the best solution is to find the source of the problem – THE NEST.
The best way to find the nest is to quite simply watch how they behave and follow them back to the nest. Be aware though the problem might not always be located on your property. It’s just that you have an attractive food or nest source to raid!
Want to get rid of wasps, but not feeling confident about tracking it yourself then give us a call to arrange their extermination.
They may seem on an individual basis but remember if you anger that nest, the whole swarm could be on you within seconds. BE CAREFUL with what you take on yourself.
