The Trick To Keeping Wasps & Hornets Out Of Your Huntsville Yard
July 15, 2021
Do you know why wasps and hornets come into your yard? Some reasons are fairly obvious. Others are not quite so obvious. The trick to keeping Huntsville wasps and hornets away is understanding what makes them tick.
A Matter Of Definition
The first thing you should understand is that all hornets are wasps. The differences between a hornet and a wasp have no bearing on this discussion. The following attractants will lure both.
1. Nectar
This is probably the most obvious reason wasps will come into your yard. If you have lots of flowers, or flowering plants, you're going to attract wasps. This is okay as long as the wasps you attract don't get the idea that living on your property is a great idea.
2. Honeydew
This is another sweet food source that can attract wasps. If you have aphids producing honeydew on your plants, you're likely to notice wasp activity. You can resist wasps by keeping your plants strong and healthy and by getting rid of aphids when you see them. A spray of water can get them off your plants.
3. Bugs
Wasps eat sources of protein. They get this protein mostly from bugs, both alive and dead. Some wasps target specific insects, such as Cicada killer wasps preying almost exclusively on Cicadas. But most wasps aren't that picky. If you have fewer insects near your Huntsville home, you'll have fewer troubles with wasps establishing nests on your property. Check out some of our blog articles on bug and insect prevention, or request ongoing pest control service for your Huntsville home.
4. Trash Management
Wasps can find sweets and meats inside a pile of trash. Make sure all trash is bagged and stored in covered containers. As an added protection, make sure your trash receptacles are free of strong odors. The smell of garbage can attract wasps from a great distance.
5. Water
Do you know that wasps can drink water? Yup. They need a drink of water more than they need food. Some wasps will also use water to create paper or mud nests. They will prefer to establish a nest on your property if you have sources of standing water or containers that are capturing rainwater.
6. Holes
This is an odd one. There are some wasps that create nests in ground holes. Yellow jackets are an example of this type of wasp. If you have holes in your yard, it is best to fill them in before any yellow jackets get the wrong idea. A wasps' nest inside a hole can be a unique threat in that the nest can be disturbed by the vibrations of children running on the ground or by the use of a lawnmower.
7. Voids
If wasps can get into a man-made structure, it is likely that they will. They get into sheds, barns, outbuildings, storage lockers, and also homes. Do a detailed inspection of the structures on your property and use a caulking gun to seal any entry points that wasps might use to get inside.
8. Stored Items
This last one is more for your information than for prevention. If a wasp gets into a shed, attic space, or some other location where items are stored, it can make a nest inside furniture, boxes, and other objects that have voids within them. Keep this in mind. If you hear buzzing in a storage space, it is definitely time to contact a licensed pest professional.
The Best Protection
If you take the steps given above, you can reduce the threat of wasps to well below your threshold. But, if you have a very low threshold for wasps, the best solution is to have routine pest inspections performed by a licensed pest professional. For assistance with establishing a pest control plan for your Huntsville home, contact Custom Pest Control. We'll guide you in finding the right service for your specific needs. Connect with us today.