Seeing a few wasps hovering around your backyard when the weather is nice is unavoidable, but most of the time they'll come and go quickly and in small numbers. Sometimes, however, you'll find wasps hanging around your garden persistently, increasing in number as time goes by. This nerve-wracking wasp activity can be even more irritating when you notice that your neighbours' yards seem to be free of wasps altogether. What is it about your backyard that's attracting so many wasps?
Generally, wasps linger and multiply in one area for one of three main reasons. Take a look at this guide to work out what is responsible for your wasp problem. And remember—if you do have an infestation on your hands, the only safe and guaranteed way to clear them out is to call in a professional wasp exterminator like those at Stewarts Pest Control.
Are You Growing Plants Wasps Love?
While bees are the buzzing, stinging bug most people associate with pollination, they're not the only one. Wasps are also great pollinators, which means they're attracted to flowers they can drink the nectar from. Wasps are particularly attracted to bright, sweet-scented flowers and plants. This includes plants with bold flowers like yarrow, herbs like sweet fennel and many other varieties of foliage. If your garden is blooming with sweet and colourful flowers, that could be the source of your wasp problem. If you're up for re-landscaping, consider replanting your yard with less fragrant plants that don't stand out so much.
Are You Leaving Food Outside?
If you like to enjoy the occasional breakfast, lunch or dinner out on your patio, always remember to bring in your waste straight away. If you tend to leave half-eaten scraps, half-empty glasses or even food packaging outside, that could be what's encouraging your wasp problem. Make sure you take your waste back inside, wipe down your tables, and don't leave bin bags outside for days.
Many people make the mistake of thinking that they only need to keep on top of throwing away sweet foods. However, in the spring and early summer, it's actually protein that attracts wasps. This means everything from breakfast bacon to barbecued burgers could bring more wasps into your yard. The same also goes for pet food. If you leave your dog's kibble outside, wasps are more likely to invade your yard.
Do You Have Standing Water Lying Around?
Wasps are known to spend a lot of time hovering over water. Like all animals, they need water to survive and retain their energy, so water sources will always attract them. Do you have any buckets or plant pots in your yard that have collected rainwater? Does your garden include a pond or other still water feature? These could be the root of your wasp problem. Make sure you turn all bucket-like objects upside down or empty them regularly, and use aerators to keep water features moving. Moving water is less attractive to wasps because they can't land on it.
When the cold days of winter start to strike, you may be lulled into thinking that pests go into hibernation at this time of year. However, I can assure you that this is not the case. In fact, if anything, you are more likely to see pests in your home during winter because they are looking for somewhere warm to hide. My blog is all about pest control. I share my thoughts on topics like how to spot if you have a pest problem, and how to stop pests getting inside. If you are looking for some pest control tips and tricks, then check out my blog posts.