Paper Wasps Around your Home

Paper wasps are considered beneficial pests. The adult wasp is a pollinator, and the workers will feed beetle larvae, caterpillars and other potentially harmful garden pests to their larvae. The problem arises however when their nest is built in or near your home and can pose a threat to people and pets. Most paper wasps are not aggressive but when they feel threatened, will attack and if you are one of the people with serious allergic reactions to its stinging venom, paper wasp nests near high traffic areas of your home should be located and treated. With the warmer weather here, hibernating wasp nests from last year can produce multiple queens capable of creating their own nests compounding the pest issue.

A paper wasp nest can be easily identified by its upside-down umbrella shaped structure. The paper wasp nest has a very thin, gray or brownish appearance. There is an open-cell design housing with one wasp larvae per cell along with the larval food deposited by the workers. A single larvae will remain in the cell and feed off the deposited larval food until it reaches maturity.

If paper wasps are far enough away from your home and family, you can leave them alone to continue their beneficial purpose in our ecosystem.

Common areas where paper wasp nests might pose a threat to people and pets can include:

• Near door frames or window overhangs
• Under lawn furniture or even underneath grill covers
• Inside mailboxes
• Around eaves of the home
• Soffit areas
• Attics

To deter wasps from entering your home, do general perimeter maintenance sealing of accessible entryways. Repair or replace worn or broken window screens. Seal entry points, cracks and crevices around windows and door frames. Check and repair loose siding.

If left unchecked, paper wasp nests can grow quite large by the end of the season, reaching its peak around August and even later in areas with extended warmer climates. If you are needing to have the paper wasps removed for family safety reasons, earlier in the season is recommended when the colony is smaller and less aggressive.

If disturbed, wasps can sting repeatedly when defending their nests so it’s better to contact a pest professional. Identification is important to determine if you actually have a paper wasp issue or if this is an abandoned paper wasp nest that has been recycled and is now inhabited by other pests as has been known to happen. If you think you may have paper wasps or other wasp issues on or around your home, contact  Bio-Tech Pest Control today at 281-296-6022.