Of the pests that come into our properties and gardens, wasps have to be one of the most feared. At the very least, wasp stings hurt and at most, can lead to nasty medical conditions if you're allergic. Wasp season stretches from the beginning of May to late October. During this period, each colony passes through the lifecycle stages, before hibernating in the winter.
Typically, wasp nests pose the least threat early in the season. In the spring, the queen is just beginning to build her nest, so it is relatively small. So getting rid of wasps earlier in the season makes it easier to eliminate the problem before it gets out of hand.
So what’s the best way of getting rid of wasps? As with most pests you can either go down the ‘call in the professionals’ route or try and tackle the problem yourself, which may be difficult if you have a wasp’s nest.
Safeguard Pest Control has shared some sound advice if you're thinking of tackling the problem yourself. Wasps are attracted by food. This doesn’t have to be sweet food substances such as fruit - they also like meat.
External wasp problems
- Make sure your dustbin lid fits tightly to prevent the odours attracting wasps.
- Keep all refuse in dustbins.
- Clear away any fallen fruits, such as apples and pears.
- Wasps are territorial insects, as such you can deter them from making a nest in your garden or outdoor arrear by fooling them into thinking there’s already other wasps about. Simply scrunch up a brown paper bag and suspend it in a tree using garden twine.
- Block off underground nests by placing a plastic container over the entry hole. Make sure you push the container well into the ground.
- Try using soapy water via your hose to dowse down a hanging nest – make sure you stand well back and try and do this in the evening when the wasps as less lively. The washing-up liquid will form a film over the wasp’s wings; they fall to the ground and suffocate. The wasps that escape the dowsing will move off somewhere else.
- Try not to wear yellow or floral prints – you may look pretty but the wasps will think you’re something nice to eat and head straight for you!
- Likewise, don’t wear perfume with a floral base; again the wasps will think you’re a sweet smelling food source.
Internal wasp problems
- Keep all foods stored away to help prevent the wasps from being attracted into your home. Remember they also like meat, including dried pet food, so keep this out of the way too.
- Window and door screens will help keep them outside.
- If you like to have your door open try an age on trick that seems to work. Hang a clear plastic bag half filled with water and a penny in the bottom, in the entrance. For some reason wasps don’t like this and will think twice about flying past it.
- Getting rid of wasps’ nests in lofts really needs to be handled by professionals. Wasps can be very aggressive, specialist protective clothing and equipment will be required to ensure they don’t swarm and attack.
