Wasps can be extremely aggravating when they buzz around your outdoor gatherings and build nests on the outside of your home. Late summer and early fall are the most common times for wasp problems. To avoid these frustrations, you need to get an early jump on wasp control during the spring. The control that you achieve during the spring months will carry over and help you have a pleasant, wasp-free fall.
Understanding the life cycle of a wasp can help you understand why the spring months are so critical for wasp control. During the fall, queen wasps mate and find a place to overwinter. The rest of the colony will die off during the colder weather. (This is true of the majority of wasps, but along the Sunshine Coast, some species may survive the winter because of our warmer climate.) Overwintering wasps enter a state similar to hibernation that is called diapause. Essentially, their development is paused until warmer weather arrives.
At the start of spring, the mated female emerges and searches for a place to build a nest and lay her eggs. If you see a female wasp during this time, a simple fly swatter will often do the trick. Killing the female wasp at this stage will prevent a future nest full of wasps. Pest control treatments are also extremely effective during this time, not only for individual queens, but also for queens who have built small nests. It is much easier for a pest specialist to dispose of a small nest with limited wasps than a massive nest several months later.
Here are a few ways you can help control wasps around your property this spring.
- Caulk all cracks, gaps, and openings around the exterior of your home and/or sheds
- Fill in any rodent burrows that wasps may use for a nest
- Ensure that your windows have intact screens
- Use a mesh wire screen to seal off access to the under parts of porches or decks
- Hire a Sunshine Coast pest control company to perform regular treatments
If you are in need of wasp control in Buderim, Nambour, Bli Bli, and surrounding areas, contact Radar Pest Control today.