As summer gets increasingly hotter, more bugs are coming out to enjoy the sun! Unfortunately, you’ll have to battle for space in your backyard with many stinging insects like bees and wasps. It’s no fun swatting away at insects all day!
There are many types of wasp nests you may see on your property– some in secluded locations. If you’re not careful, you could accidentally stumble upon an unground wasp colony!
In this article, we’ll discuss the types of wasp nests you could see this summer and how to stay safe if wasps start buzzing around.
Types of Wasp Nests that You’ll See Aboveground
When you think of the typical insect hive, you’ll probably picture a large oval-like object hanging from a tree.
Bald-faced hornets and European hornets typically construct the familiar dome-shaped object around areas on your property. You may find them built on hollow trees, wall eaves, roof beams, or porches. They may even take up shop under a deck!
These types of wasp nests are typically bigger, and some can grow to the size of a volleyball or basketball. A European hornet’s nest can grow even larger and less uniform than the typical cylindrical shape.
A paper wasp nest is slightly smaller and can expand significantly if left untreated. A paper wasp nest may look similar to a bald-faced hornet or Europen hornet nest, but these hives typically hang downwards in an umbrella shape, showing off the honeycomb-like cells inside.
Different wasp species use similar materials when constructing their nests, but their appearance typically differs. While creating the hive, a queen wasp will shave off wood fibers from trees, fences, chairs, decks, or houses and bind the materials together with her saliva.
She uses the subsequent pulpy substance to craft the beginnings of her hive. After laying eggs, the queen ceases production in anticipation of the worker wasps taking over following maturation. Throughout the life-cycle of the colony, workers will continue to construct areas of the hive.
In this video, you can see the inside of a wasp nest. Look at all of those egg cells!
Underground Hives to Watch Out For
Not every wasp builds aboveground nests. Yellowjackets, a highly aggressive wasp, primarily create underground hives.
While some yellowjackets may create aboveground nests, most species prefer to dwell beneath the surface. These types of wasp nests are particularly dangerous during the summer as many homeowners are unaware of the stinging insects lurking under their feet.
After mating, a yellowjacket queen will hibernate in brush piles, limbs, hollow trees, or even within the ground. As the weather warms up, she exits her hiding spot and creates the underground hive.
Like other wasps, the yellowjacket queen will build out the inner chambers of the hive until she lays eggs. After hatching, the workers build while the queen produces more young.
Yellowjackets fiercely protect their nest, and accidentally finding their home could result in painful stings from these aggressive pests. Unlike honey bees, wasps don’t discard their stingers after attacking and can sting multiple times.
While it’s often difficult to spot a yellowjacket hive, there are some signs you can look for to avoid painful stings. Visible holes in the ground can indicate the presence of another yard pest like voles, but wasps could still inhabit these underground areas.
If you’ve already noticed yellowjackets around your backyard, look where the wasps fly back to after foraging. Yellowjackets won’t stray far from their hive, typically only venturing out around ¾ of a mile to search for food, according to Cornell University.
From a safe distance, track the yellowjackets back to their hive. If you see these pests disappearing into the ground, you’ve probably found an opening to their underground haven.
However, don’t try to approach the hive for a DIY pest removal! All types of wasp nests are dangerous to handle, but yellowjackets are notoriously aggressive creatures. Because you don’t know the size of the underground hive, you don’t know how many angry insects will exit to protect the colony.
Can I Remove a Wasp Nest Alone?
While tempting, it’s not always a great idea to tackle wasps alone. Squashing one stray insect that sneaks into your home is easy enough, but contending with a large hive isn’t a manageable task.
Besides the difficulty of reaching underground nests, removing a wasp hive can be an arduous task. These pests will exit their hive in droves to attack predators at the first sign of danger, so you’ll have company if you attempt to take out a nest.
What Types of Wasp Nests Can I Remove Safely?
We advise against DIY pest control options. It’s always safer to rely on a quality pest control service like proof. pest control. We can safely find the root of your wasp problem and extract the hive, no matter the types of wasp nests you may have!
Yellowjacket hives aren’t easy to find or treat. Because these pests may have different exit points in the ground, they could come and attack you from a nearby hole.
You can approach small paper wasp nests during the night and eliminate the pests with an aerosol pesticide from a safe distance away. Never try to deal with wasps during their active hours in the day.
When you notice small mud dauber nests along your doorway, porch, or patio, you can easily knock these mud casings down with a broom. Because mud daubers aren’t social wasps, there shouldn’t be more than one egg and wasp hiding within.
Never attempt to remove a large wasp nest on your own. Because of the increased population of pests, the stinging insects could seriously injure you as they exit the hive to attack.
For any DIY pest control method, we highly recommend that you utilize proper protective gear to prevent stings, stay far away from the nest as you spray, and have an exit strategy if the wasps become irritated.
However, relying on a pest control company can take the mess and stress out of handling dangerous insects like wasps!
Contact proof. Pest Control for Wasp Removal!
Instead of trying to eliminate wasps alone, contact proof. pest control for all of your wasp problems.
Just interested in a one-time treatment? We can inspect and treat your home with a one-time treatment to remove all the wasp nests on your property. For a more long-standing option, consider our Pest Free Guarantee™ service.
Our technicians will visit your home through seasonal visits to inspect for burgeoning insect infestations and remove any existing pests. Contact us today to schedule your treatment!
