You probably try to avoid stinging insects, such as wasps. However, that doesn’t mean these bugs are trying to stay out of your way, though. In fact, you may even be attracting them without even realizing it. All it takes is a single wasp scoping out your home or yard to get the ball rolling. After all, where there’s one wasp, there are usually more.
But how do wasps get in the house in the first place? Learn what can make wasps decide to set up camp in or around your home. Then find out what to do if you have a wasp infestation.
What are Wasps Attracted To?
When it comes to your home, there are more or less two things wasps are after: food and shelter.
1. Food
Many adult wasps feed primarily on sugars, such as nectar or ripe fruit. Though not as effective as bees, wasps are pollinators. That means they could be drawn to flowers bordering your home.
2. Shelter
Wasps build their nests within voids and other protective sites, including:
- Attics and crawl spaces
- The corners of sheds or other outdoor structures
- Tree branches
- Soffits and eaves
- Porch ceilings
- Window corners
- The undersides of porches and decks
- The insides of grills or hose reels
Ways to Help Prevent a Wasp Infestation
There’s no surefire way to keep a colony of wasps from building a nest in your attic or in the corner of your porch. However, there are some things you can do to try to make your home a little less appealing to wasps:
- When barbecuing or eating outside, keep sugary foods and drinks covered.
- Pick up fallen or rotting fruit from your yard.
- Plant flower gardens a good distance away from your home or other structures.
- Make sure the screens on your doors and windows are free of holes and tears.
- Seal potential entry points — like holes in soffits, attic vent screens and underneath shingles — to help prevent colonies of wasps from building nests in places inside your home, such as attics.
Removing Wasps in the House
Regardless of whether or not you’re allergic to stinging insects, you should never try to control a wasp infestation on your own. Wasps will likely sting you if they think you’re threatening their queen. Additionally, trying to remove a nest can put you in the path of dozens of wasps, each of which is capable of dishing out multiple stings. This isn’t a situation you should put yourself into.
Therefore, if you’ve noticed several wasps in the house or have spotted a nest in your tree or on the outside of your home that you would like removed, your best bet is to call a pest control expert, like Terminix®. That way, an experienced technician can inspect your home and determine the safest means of removing the wasps.
And when you do suspect a wasp infestation, don’t wait to call for help. The sooner you contact a pest control professional, the easier it will be to get rid of the nest.
