Use these helpful tips to keep wasps away for good this summer!
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Wasps are pesky pests that like to spoil picnics and dinners on the patio. They like to eat the food off your plate and sting if you get too close. Stings are not only painful but also dangerous – many people are allergic to wasps and require medical attention. Therefore, it is advisable to protect your property against wasps as much as possible. The following tips will help you make the most of your outdoor space this summer season.
1. Hire an exterminator
Professional Pest Control Service In addition to providing wasp removal services for you, providers can apply preventative treatments that will keep the pests away for weeks. The pesticides used are much more effective than those commercially available. Thanks to their training, exterminators can apply them optimally. Professionals can also identify the species you are dealing with and offer you other pest control strategies.
2. Keep food away
The most important thing wasps brings into the garden is food. Wasps have a good sense of smell and when foraging for food they fly several hundred meters from their nests. Wasps are particularly protein-hungry in spring. In summer and fall, they look for foods that contain sugars. Keep this in mind when enjoying a sweet drink or a social gathering in the garden.
Always tidy up after an outdoor meal and bring your dishes inside as soon as you have finished eating. If you have a grill, clean and cover it after each use to keep pests out. Also use tightly closed garbage cans and store them in the garage or in a shed until the day of collection. The same applies to recycling bins. Wash these every few months to remove the odor from food. Avoid leaving animal feed outdoors and remove hummingbird feeders from the deck.
3. Set traps and baits
Wasp traps are effective at preventing wasps from building nests. You can buy traps online, at hardware stores, or from your local exterminator. Alternatively, you can make them yourself. Just cut a large soda bottle in half and pour sugar water or fruit juice into the bottom. Add a dash of vinegar to the mixture so you don't trap bees. Remove the bottle cap, then turn the top half of the bottle over and insert it into the bottom. Put one or two of these near the areas you want to keep wasp-free.
Decoys look like wasp nests and can be bought in the same places you would find traps. Wasps that come looking for a nesting site will see the bait and go elsewhere. Although less effective than traps, you can hang a decoy where a nest might previously have been. Try hanging one on the edge of the roof or under a gazebo.
4. Plant herbs and flowers that wasps don't like
There's some evidence that wasps don't like it the smell of certain plants. Try planting geraniums and marigolds in the garden to deter wasps. These produce beautiful flowers and keep wasps and other bugs at bay. Citronella, pennyroyal, mint, basil, wormwood, and thyme are also known to work well against wasps.
5. Use essential oils
Like herbs and flowers, wasps do not like the smell of some essential oils. Mix a few drops of clove, geranium and citronella oils together in a spray bottle. Add 2 or 3 cups of water and a drop of dish soap to the mixture. Shake well, then spray the solution into areas of wasp activity. Spray the edges of the roof and deck to prevent nests from forming. Likewise, you can use citronella candles, which can be found in most hardware stores during the summer. This method of using essential oils is best used in combination with the rest of the tips.
6. Seal cracks and crevices
Wasps usually build their nests in spring and expand them over the course of summer. Most species build them upside down from overhangs such as soffits and branches. You can help prevent this from happening on your property by letting you Seal any gaps you find on the outside of the house. Seal any cracks you find in your window frames, door frames, and siding with a silicone sealant. Be sure to fill in any gaps between the soffits and walls of the house. You can also block out any drainage holes with stainless steel covers. Replace any broken insect screens you have and mend any holes you can find along the edges of the roof.
