While the idea of moving a wasps nest to rid yourself of an infestation may sound like the right solution for the problem, this in fact is not the case. Counter-intuitively, removing a wasps nest can actually cause you more problems in the long run.
In this article, we’re going to go through all of the likely scenarios you might come across when dealing with wasps nests on your property.
Should I remove a wasp nest or leave it?
Well, there are a number of things a person should take into consideration. For one, the location is pretty important. If it’s small, somewhere out of the way with very little foot traffic, then chances are that you can get away with leaving the nest until winter, when they will likely die off themselves, from the cold.
Likewise, if it’s up a tree in a place where it isn’t bothering anyone, then there isn’t much of a problem. You can leave the nest and chances are the negative side effects are minimal.
As well as this, you want to take into account whether or not you have vulnerable people or animals who might suffer from being stung. If you do, and you think they’ll be spending lots of time near it, then maybe it’s time to consider some sort of treatment or removal.
Can I ignore a wasp nest?
Well, the answer to this question totally depends on the degree to which you have an issue with the wasps. Wasp stings are painful, cause welts and in those most vulnerable can actually cause serious reactions, especially if a person or animal is stung multiple times in the same incident.
Older people, small animals like dogs or cats, and children can all potentially have an adverse reaction in this sort of incident.
However, if you’re stung by a wasp a single time, in general, this isn’t a serious problem – of course depending on the variety of wasp in question and the presence of allergies.
If it’s the case that there doesn’t appear to be any serious risk with the presence of the wasp’s nest, and they aren’t intruding on your day to day life too much (invading the home and so on), then there is no reason to take any radical action to remove them.
What happens if you leave a wasp nest?
Actually, by ignoring the wasp’s nest, you’re not simply tolerating something *bad* that’s on your property, but you’re also increasing the biodiversity in your garden. And this isn’t arbitrary either, they really do contribute to the ecology of your garden!
Wasps provide natural and useful pest control in that they regulate the presence of other insects such as weevils, grubs, and caterpillars, which may cause damage to cultivar crops.
As well as this, it is said that the presence of wasps can also play a role in the pollination of your flowers and other plants. While they aren’t as effective or prolific as bees, every little amount is helpful!
Usually, at the end of the warm season, the nest will clear out and be abandoned. The queen will hibernate elsewhere and emerge again once it’s warm enough to set up a new nest.
Old nests will never be re-used, so feel free to take the nest and throw it away, or keep it as a souvenir in the house – the wasps won’t try to return to the same nest so do what you like with it once it has been abandoned.
Why should I remove a wasp nest?
Wasps nests are generally constructed in the earlier part of the year and work continues on them until the end of the summer. During the end of the summertime is when they may start becoming more aggressive and protecting their space.
This is because next year’s queens are being nurtured at this stage. If the issue arises that they are becoming a pest or danger to pets or younger family members, then perhaps you might want to consider removal.
However, this is something which ideally should be done by a professional, as there are specific treatments that are used to prevent the nest from being rebuilt.
Simply removing a wasps nest doesn’t only put you at risk of being stung, but also in many cases is ineffective, as as we previously mentioned, the nest may simply be rebuilt.
As well as this, amateur attempts to remove nests that are attached to buildings and structures may actually cause them to burrow deeper inside the structure, causing more damage and likely making removal even more of an issue.
How do you destroy a wasps nest?
Well, as you can imagine having read the rest of this article, destroying a wasps nest by itself isn’t the best option as it may simply be rebuilt, and at the very least you’re going to end up with a very angry group of wasps flying around.
If you want to destroy the nest after it has been vacated, well take your pick of methods – you could burn it, crush it or throw it in the bin if you like!
How do you keep wasps from bothering you in the garden?
Wasps are attracted to certain colours and foods. So if you want to keep them away, don’t wear yellow, don’t eat lots of sugary foods and don’t wear lots of strong-smelling perfumes and aftershaves. Another option is to wear red clothes, as they aren’t attracted to things that are red.
If there are fruit trees in the garden make sure to remove any fallen fruits, whose sugary scent will attract them into your garden.
What smell do wasps hate?
There are a number of smells that you can put around your garden if you’re worried that they are going to be bothering you in late summer. Eucalyptus and wormwood are said to be good options.
Likewise, lemongrass, cloves and anything that has a menthol element in it such as peppermint or spearmint, should be effective for warding off wasps.
