The Key To Keeping Your Bay Area Yard Wasp-Free

How much do you know about wasps and hornets? Do you know that all hornets are wasps but not all wasps are hornets? Do you know that some wasps are social insects that aggressively protect their nests, while solitary wasps have no nest-protection instinct? Do you know that some wasps nest in the ground and some create aerial nests? If you're looking to keep your Bay Area yard wasp-free and prevent stings, there are important facts to know. Follow along with us as we discuss how to detect wasps in your yard and uncover a wasp infestation. We'll look at when wasps are dangerous and when they aren't. We'll give you five eco-friendly wasp prevention tips, and we'll tell you the secret weapon for total wasp control. How does that sound? Of course, if you need wasp nest removal in the Bay Area or wasp prevention services, we can help with that as well. The service team here at Bay Pest provides industry-leading pest control in Bay Area. With that said, let's look at what you can do about wasp control.

How To Tell If You Are Dealing With A Wasp Infestation

The worst way to discover a wasp infestation is to get stung. Yet this is how they're often discovered. You don't have to wait until you're stung to tell that you're dealing with a wasp problem in your yard or inside your home. Here are some tips to help you catch wasps early.

• Nests. Some wasps create noticeable nests. These nests are called aerial nests. They are made of paper-like material and are typically established in sheltered locations. Look under roof overhangs, under decks, on tree branches, in bushes, and on the roofs of exterior porches. These are the common places wasps make their nests. The end of winter and early spring is when they're most likely to start their nests.
• Check ground holes. Some wasps establish nests in the ground. If you have a ground nest, you may see the wasps hovering over the hole, or hovering around plants in your landscaping. Yellow jackets commonly do this. Unfortunately, yellow jackets are tiny and often hard to see unless you have good eyes.
• Check exterior wall gaps and holes. Sometimes wasps make a nest inside a wall void. If they're in a wall, you may see activity around the outside. If you only see one wasp, it is likely a female queen looking for a suitable nesting site. Watch for several wasps going in and out of a gap or hole. That is the evidence you need.  
• Buzzing. Wasps can't help but buzz. If you have wasps hiding in a hole, living under a wood source in your yard, or nesting in a structural void, you may hear them. Move slowly around your home and near your landscaping and listen closely. If you hear buzzing, move away slowly and contact a licensed professional. Fast movements agitate social wasps and will activate their nest-protection instinct.

Is it bad when wasps come into your yard? No. They are beneficial insects. They help with pollination and give you some assistance with your pest control. They hunt spiders and certain other pests that enter Bay Area homes. While certainly not as dedicated as a human pest control service technician, their assistance is appreciated. Problems begin when they nest. Let's explore this more fully.  

How Dangerous Is It To Have Wasps In My Yard?

When a wasp is away from its nests and searching for nectar, it isn't looking for a fight. You can approach a social wasp on a flower, and it isn't likely to sting you if you don't make quick movements. Solitary wasps are even less of a threat. They are far too busy with life to pay attention to humans—unless we sit on them. But both social and solitary wasps only need to sting once to present a serious threat to individuals with a stinging insect allergy. If you, or someone you love, has a stinging insect allergy, keep an EpiPen close at hand. Epinephrine auto-injectors save lives.

In most cases, wasps aren't a danger. They're just painful pests that can come out of nowhere and sting you multiple times. They may tag you while you're working in your garden or landscaping. They may tag you while you're playing with your kids in the yard. They may get you while you're mowing the lawn—in fact, the vibration of a mower agitates yellow jackets, and it is common for them to sting people while they're mowing. 

You can prevent wasp stings by deterring wasps from establishing nests on your property. It requires some hard work and dedicated attention, but there are eco-friendly solutions that are effective.  

Five Eco-Friendly Wasp And Hornet Prevention Tips For Your Yard

If you don't mind rolling your sleeves up, there are ways to deter wasps without using control materials. The secret is to remove attractants and block access to potential nesting locations. Here are our five best eco-friendly wasp and hornet prevention tips. Use these for DIY wasp control in the Bay Area. 

1. Catch Nests Early And Remove Them

When a wasp or hornet tries to create a nest in your yard, knock it down. A wasp nest will start out as a small, grey paper blob. Inspect the blob and the surrounding area during the day while the queen is out collecting materials. Use a broom and sweep the nest down. It is as easy as that. But you have to routinely check for these nests to catch them before they have wasps inside. 

2. Get Rid Of Flowering Weeds

Wasps are drawn to yards that have lots of flowers. While you can't do much about the flowers you want to keep in your yard, you can address flowering weeds you don't want to keep. An effective weed control program will remove weeds from your yard, beautify your lawn, and deter pests. Wasps and bees aren't the only insects attracted to nectar. Mosquitoes, ants, and many other pests will enter your yard to feed on plentiful sources of nectar. It is best to get rid of weeds early.

3. Address Moisture Problems

A wasp will drink water from a puddle or container, and water is a building block of life. Address moisture problems, such as clogged or broken gutters, damaged water hoses, leaking spigots, dense vegetation, and yard clutter that captures rainwater. 

4. Seal Openings That Lead To Interior Voids

Inspect your exterior and look for rotted wood holes, gaps between wood members, and other entry points that may lead to an interior void. The last thing you need is for a wasp to enter your home and establish a nest. The materials for sealing gaps and holes is expanding foam or silicone caulk. Use expanding foam when you don't mind a messy fix. Use caulk to match the color of building materials and to get a nicer end product.  

5. Protect Your Trash

It is not commonly understood, but yellow jackets and paper wasps are attracted to the scent of garbage. If you have an open trash receptacle or a receptacle that has developed an odor, you could attract a wasp problem. They're also drawn to carrion, dirty grills, and bugs. That last one is big. The more bugs you have, the more attractive your property will be to wasps. A high-quality pest control program can reduce pest activity around your home and deter wasps.

How effective are these eco-friendly wasp prevention tips? Surprisingly effective if you can focus on doing them. But life does have the tendency to get busy, and wasp control can get pushed to the back burner. Typically, this is why it fails. Once wasps establish a nest, it is too late to deal with them without the possibility of injury. At best, you'll get stung. But there are worse outcomes of dealing with a wasp nest than getting stung. We have heard tragic stories of people falling from ladders or off roofs attempting to address wasp issues. We also hear the unfortunate results of misapplied wasp pest control products.  

The Secret To Total Wasp Control For Your Yard

You are on the frontline when it comes to preventing wasps from moving into your yard. But you don't have to be. You can have a highly trained and experienced service technician handle wasp management for you. Year-round pest control service from Bay Pest comes with routine pest inspections. We check for aerial and ground nests and apply appropriate measures to address wasps before they catch you by surprise in your yard. We also handle complicated tasks, such as addressing a nest inside an exterior wall void. When you want the best wasp removal and control possible, and a yard that is wasp-free, we can help. Give us a call or connect with us on our contact page. The service team at Bay Pest looks forward to assisting you!