What to Know About Wasps

Why Are Wasps So Aggressive?

Like honeybees, many species of wasps are social insects. This means that they live in large communities with a strong urge to defend their homes. This is why they can be so aggressive when we encounter a hive. It takes a lot of work for the queen to build a colony in the spring, and once egg production gets going those growing larvae need a lot of protein to develop into strong adults. During the spring and summer, wasps are often hunting in your gardens and flower beds, picking off caterpillars and other insects and then returning to the hive to feed the hungry larvae. 

But once autumn rolls around, and the queen wasp lays her last eggs for the season, the workers don’t have as much responsibility and begin to harvest sweeter, more carbohydrate rich foods. In spring and summer this would include a wide array of flower nectar. By autumn, nectar can be scarce and wasps often turn to more easily available food sources. They visit our outdoor gatherings and cookouts, looking for a free meal.

Where Do Wasps Nest?

Unfortunately, wasps also often nest in areas nearby where we enjoy spending time outdoors in nice weather. They especially seek out sheltered areas, such as spaces behind shutters, behind siding, in corners of doors and windows, in soffits, in deck boxes, in grills, within patio umbrellas, and in deck railings. 

What Can I Do to Deter Wasps?

Below are some simple steps you can take to make your yard less inviting for wasps:

• Limit food that’s kept outdoors.
• Offer drinks in sealable containers.
• Quickly change full garbage cans.
• Promptly clean up dropped or rotting fruit from both edible and ornamental trees.
• Add autumn-flowering plants to your landscape to offer an alternative food source for wasps.

Sometimes though, the situation escalates and the wasps become a nuisance. To prevent wasps from taking up residence in high-traffic areas, it might be best to have the areas sprayed. 

Call In the Wasp Removal Experts

The best way to keep your outdoor entertainment zones free of wasps is to bring in a professional wasp exterminator like Cleveland Bee Removal. We responsibly apply the appropriate pesticides to correct the situation. If you think you have a wasp problem, contact Cleveland Bee Removal today!