How To Keep Wasps Away From Your Washington D.C. Yard
08/23/2021
Stinging insects are extremely dangerous pests here in Washington D.C. For aggressive varieties such as wasps, home and business owners find themse...
READ MORE >
Stinging insects can show up in the strangest of places and, when they do, it is hard not to be completely focused on their presence. All it takes is one wasp, hornet, or bee to bring everything to a halt, especially if you're indoors. No one can be comfortable until the invading insect is dealt with.
It is a little different when we're outside. We might put up with a wasp or bee buzzing around us while we're enjoying a cookout or spending some time in the garden. But, one stinging pest can turn into dozens or even hundreds in a short period of time. Here is a quick guide to limit stinging insects in your yard this summer and some tips to avoid being stung.
How To Limit Stinging Pests
If you have fewer stinging pests in your yard, there will be less chance of being stung. The best way to do this is to have a pest management professional perform routine inspections and do a routine removal of nests on your property. But there are some things you as a homeowner can do to limit stinging pests.
- Open trash is a food source for many stinging pests. Make sure all of your exterior trash is in sealed containers. This will keep smells in that attract stinging pests, and it will keep those insects from finding a bite to eat.
- Flowers are an obvious attractant for any insect that helps with pollination. If you're willing to reduce flowers and flowering plants in your yard, you can make your yard less interesting to wasps, bees, and hornets.
- Make sure all your window and door screens are in good working condition to prevent stinging pests from getting into the home.
- Stinging pests, wasps, in particular, feed on bugs. The more bugs you have in your yard, the more stinging pests you'll have zipping around in your yard. We'll cover this in the next section.
Reduce Bugs To Reduce Stinging Insects
Here are some ways you can reduce the bugs that stinging insects eat.
- Trim trees, bushes, and other vegetation to allow the sun to dry moist areas around your home. Moisture is an attracted for a wide range of pests.
- Make sure your gutters and downspouts are not broken or obstructed. It is important that all rainwater from your roof is channeled away from your home.
- Remove organic debris. Sticks, leaves, grass, and other organic debris are a haven for bugs.
- Remove lawn clutter. Have you ever moved an object in your yard and found bugs crawling around underneath? Any object that can block the sunlight will create shaded and moist locations for bugs to hide.
How to Avoid Being Stung
Whether you are in your yard, or out somewhere in nature, there are some things you can do to avoid being stung.
- If you smell like a flower, you'll lure stinging pests to you. When you go outside, consider refraining from using perfumes, scented cosmetics, lotions, aftershave, hairspray, and other sweet-smelling things.
- Since stinging pests are always on the lookout for flowers, they are drawn to fabrics that have a floral print. This may be clothing, a tablecloth, or a covering for a picnic basket. Try using single colors rather than something with a mix of colors.
- When you eat outside, be sure to keep food in sealed containers when you're not eating. And drink liquids out of sealed containers as well. Stinging pests are attracted to sweets and meats.
Know where stinging pests establish their nests. You may find them high in a tree or in a hole. You may see them under eaves, overhangs, and other rooflines. If you see a few stinging pests buzzing around a hole, gap, or crevice, be cautious. - Wear shoes when walking around in the grass. You could step on an insect that is feeding on a tiny flower or you could step on a tiny hole that has a whole nest of yellow jackets in it.
If stinging insects show up, refrain from waving your hands or swinging at them. This could agitate an entire nest and make things much worse. Keep your arms at your sides and move briskly away from the location.
You have an ecosystem around your home. The best way to address all the pests in that ecosystem is to partner with a pest management professional. Your PMP will remove nests and reduce stinging pests, inspect and treat for the bugs those pests eat, and guide you in practical measures you can take to make your yard and your family less inviting to pests. For more information, or to establish a pest control plan for your property, give us a call today to get started.
