For many people, getting stung by a wasp is the sure way to ruin a perfect summer day. While wasp stings are not typically dangerous – unless the person who is stung is allergic – they can be very painful. Despite the fact that wasps can be beneficial to crops and gardens, eating grubs, caterpillars, and weevils, and they also pollinate flowers (not quite as efficiently as bees), you probably don’t want to have a wasp nest on or near your home where someone could be stung.

Common Sites for Wasp Nests

It’s important to inspect your home for wasp nests regularly, as it is much easier to get rid of them before they become too large. Some of the most common areas that nests are built are:

• Under roof eaves and behind shutters

• In cracks or crevices in exterior walls

• Hanging from trees

• Fence posts and children’s outside playsets

• Stacked wood

Safety Precautions

Before attempting to get rid of the wasp nest, be sure that you are protected from being stung. Wear clothing that covers as much of your skin as possible, including gloves and a veil to cover your face and neck. Wear long pants that are tucked into your socks, and tuck your shirt into your pants. You don’t want any angry wasps to be able to get to any skin. The best time to destroy the nest is early in the morning or late at night when the wasps are at rest. If you have to use a flashlight, use red cellophane over the light because wasps are attracted to yellow light.

Destroying Nests

Nests that are built in structures or the eaves or walls of your home may be in cracks or openings. It may seem like a good idea to seal these openings. However, if you remove the only escape the wasps have, they may burrow in the opposite direction – the interior of your home.

You can use an insecticide to treat the nest, paying close attention to spraying the nest and not the wasps themselves. They do not die immediately and can become very aggressive and go down stinging. There are natural repellants that you can use as well, but they are not nearly as effective as insecticides.

Once the wasp activity has stopped, you can safely remove the nest from your home. It’s important to do so even if all of the wasps have gone because they will often return to an old nest site again and again.

If the wasp nest on or near your home is large, it is more dangerous, and it may be necessary to enlist the help of a professional pest control company to safely remove the wasps and nest from your property.

If you find wasps on your property have a professional remove the nests safely. Call Preventive Pest Control now for safe wasp control in Utah!