You’re in the middle of a summer barbeque, when suddenly an unwanted visitor shows up. Who is this party crasher? There are likely thousands of them around your neighborhood this summer, and they’re living all around you. Wasps can be annoying and sometimes dangerous. How can you control them?

Remove Nesting Opportunities

One of the best ways to stop wasps is to remove nesting opportunities. Wasps seek out your home because it is both a source of food and a source of shelter. Wasps like to nest in tree branches, in covered areas under your eaves, in clogged gutters and other places where debris accumulates, and indoors in attics and other enclosed areas. As wasp season approaches, check for entrances into your home, add gutter protection to prevent debris from accumulating, and clean up areas that provide shelter for wasps.

Remove Wasp Attractants

Wasps are predators that love sweet and meaty foods. Removing these food sources means that you’re not an attractive place for wasps to visit. If you have old pet food cans in your recycling or forget to clean the barbecue, this can attract wasps. As the summer wasp season approaches, be vigilant with your yard care. Leave garbage and recycling indoors if possible, to avoid attracting wasps to your home.

Add Wasp Repellents

Wasps really dislike the smell of certain plants. Wormwood, eucalyptus, mint and citronella all smell disgusting to wasps. Grow these plants around the places where you eat and play or in places where wasps have nested in the past.

Deter Wasps From Nesting

Wasps are territorial creatures. This means that they do not really want to nest in an area that is already inhabited by other wasps. You can purchase fake nests, some of which look like a paper lantern. Hang these nests in an area that has been used in the past or in a place that might be attractive to wasps.

Removing a Wasp Nest

If you have a nest in your yard, you can spray it with soapy water or run soapy water into an underground nest to kill the wasps. This is best done at night when the wasps are less active. However, this activity still comes with a high risk of stings. If you have an active nest, it’s better to call in a well-equipped professional to remove it, then replace it with a fake nest or block off the entrance areas to reduce the temptation for future generations of wasps.

When you’re looking for garden solutions, contact Lednor Home Solutions. Our innovative gutter covers reduce landscaping time and remove one of the key wasp attractants in your yard.

Written by Del Thebaud