Have you been seeing wasp nests around your home? Late Summer and Fall are when wasps are most active, so you may start noticing some established nests around your decks, porches, and eaves. When it comes to wasps, it helps to know what kind you’re dealing with. Luckily, nests vary by species and can be used to help differentiate between different types of wasps.
Wasp Season is Here
While wasps and hornets are an issue for humans all summer, they become the biggest concern from August through October. By then, a colony can contain thousands of wasps or hornets that will aggressively defend their nest from intruders. Their large populations also scavenge for human food at barbecues, campsites, fairs, and other outdoor activities this time of year.
The best time to treat a nest is early in the year when the colony has fewer numbers and the wasps are less aggressive. However, Modern Pest can still disable a nest on your property in late summer and early fall when the colonies are at their peak. Around this time, the last brood of wasps is born. It contains male wasps and next year’s queens. The colony is very protective of them and becomes more aggressive towards anyone who threatens the nest.
Below are some of the most common nests you may see around your home this Summer:
Paper Wasps
You may have seen paper wasp nests around your house under eaves or other sheltered areas. Paper wasps chew wood into a pulp and mix it with their saliva to create the papery material that their nests are made of. They build large, open nests where the combs are clearly visible. They resemble an inverted umbrella. Paper wasps are generally not aggressive and will only attack if they feel threatened.
Paper wasps are between 1/2inch-3/4 inch long insects with brown and yellow or orange markings, narrow waist, and elongated abdomen (bottom).
Yellow Jacket
Yellowjackets build papery-looking, covered nests. They’re usually found in enclosed spaces like wall voids or holes in the ground. Yellowjackets are legendarily defensive of their nest and have been known to chase “threats” for over a mile. They have an unfortunate tendency to nest close to people’s homes, which can result in some painful encounters. These tiny terrors are a force to be reckoned with and removing a yellowjacket colony is best left to the professionals.
Yellowjackets are approximately half an inch long with black and bright yellow stripes on their abdomen. They are often confused with paper wasps, but can be differentiated by their slightly stockier physique.
Bald Faced Hornet
Bald-faced hornets nests also make their nests out of chewed wood and saliva. The combs in which they raise their eggs and larvae are hidden within several layers of paper to create a rounded structure with a visible entrance. It is not uncommon for nests to be larger than a basketball with 700 workers. Bald-faced hornets prefer to nest higher up in trees and shrubs (think 10-12 feet), but the eaves of your home will do just fine! They can be aggressive if they feel threatened and have been known to attack in large numbers.
Bald-faced hornets are closely related to yellow jackets and share the same stocky build. The have a predominantly black body with white or very pale-yellow markings on the lower abdomen and face.
European Hornet
European hornet nests are structurally similar to bald faced hornets, in that they consist of combs protected by a thick outer layer of paper. European hornets, however, prefer their nests to keep a lower profile. Rather than hanging open and exposed, European hornets nest in hollow areas of tall trees or even in wall voids.
European Hornets themselves are about an inch long with a red and yellow head, red and brown thorax (middle), and a yellow and brown abdomen.
Mud Daubers
Mud dauber nests can be seen plastered to the siding of houses, fences, attics, and garages. Mud dauber makes tubular nests out of mud. The female wasp stings spiders to paralyze them, drags them into the nest, and stock-piles them for her larvae to eat. Daubers are not aggressive toward humans and will control spider populations on your property if left to their business.
Mud daubers are 3/4inch to 1inch long wasps with an elongated, thread-like waist that can range in colors from blue-black to yellow and black depending on the species.
The Modern Solution
Whatever the species, Modern is there to help! With our effective, thorough, and and professional treatments. We target the source of the issue, eliminate the problem, and keep you and your family safe from stings. With our Homecare Green Program, we can protect your home against 55+ pest species, including wasps! Don’t risk tackling a wasp nest on your own. Protect yourself and your family from painful and dangerous wasp stings and call Modern today at 1-800-323-7378 or contact us here for a free quote