Wasp season is on the way – what you need to know.
If we asked you one specific question, we bet we could immediately guess your answer.
Do you like wasps?
“Hell no.” “Uh-uh.” “No way.” “Ergh.” “Awful things.” “What’s the point of them?” “Absolutely not.”
Do those responses seem familiar?
If we asked one of our wasp removal experts that same question – we’d get a very different answer!
“Of course.” “Why wouldn’t I love them?” “They are such helpful little things”
We like to educate our clients about why we love pests and insects so much. It may seem odd to you that we specialise in exterminating the insects we profess to love so much. But don’t worry, we’re not Daleks; our ‘exterminate’ comes with a lot more care and consideration!
This month, we’re turning our attention to the humble wasp- a surprisingly helpful little insect that belongs to the order Hymenoptera.
We know that the last thing you want is a wasp nest on your premises – it’s a fail-safe way to get your guests running away as quickly as possible. So, we’re going to tell you some interesting facts about wasps (at least, we think they are interesting anyway!), how to deter wasps and what to do if you think you’ve spotted a wasp nest nearby.
Wasps are incredibly diverse.
Here’s a fun fact for you, there are over 100,000 species of wasps described – that we know of! We promise we’re not trying to give you nightmares!
Wasps can range from tiny little parasitoid wasps to big bugs such as hornets. In fact, the largest wasp is the Asian giant hornet, which can grow up to a whopping 5cm long!
We often joke that wasps are like people – some prefer to live alone (such as mud dauber wasps and parasitoid wasps) while others are social creatures and live in colonies. Those colonies might be a few dozen to several thousand wasps– again, we promise, we’re not trying to feed your fear!
Designed to be the ultimate predator
If we were to use our imagination to design a predator, there would be a heck of a lot of features from a wasp that we would use for inspiration.
First, there are the two pairs of wings – the forewings and the hindwings. When a wasp is flying, those wings hook together for maximum flight impact (you have to admit, that’s pretty cool).
Secondly, the mandibles (the jaws) work in a sideways manner. They can bite, cut, carry prey, build nests and use their bites for defence. Here’s another fun fact for you – social species of wasps will literally chop up their prey and carry pieces back to the nest.
Thirdly, female wasps can repurpose their ovipositor (which is the organ that lays eggs) into a sting which can be used for defence or to immobilise their prey. Now, that’s definitely a cool body feature!
Finally, the stinger is used to capture prey and protect their nests. Unlike bees, a wasp can sting more than once (trust us, we’ve learned that the hard way!)
Wasps live fast, die young and Queens rule the nest
The life cycle of a wasp is short and (not so) sweet. It might take between 28-48 days for the egg to grow into an adult wasp, but surprisingly, the average lifespan of each insect is between just 12 and 22 days! It’s weird to think that it takes longer for a wasp to form than it will live!
Typically, wasps will die off in the autumn as they are extremely sensitive to cool temperatures.
As pest control experts, we know everything there is to know about the lifecycle of a wasp from egg to adult.
To simplify matters, here’s a quick lowdown of what happens.
- The Queen lays her egg. In just 5-8 days, that egg will hatch and turn into larvae.
- During the larvae stage (usually 12-25 days), each larva will spin a silken cap over the cell. Once this has happened five times, it transitions into the pupation stage.
- The pupae will take just 3-5 days to transition into an adult wasp.
As you can expect, the Queen is the most important wasp of all – that’s why they typically have longer lifespans.
The role of the Queen is to build the initial nest structure (that doesn’t surprise us as every Queen wants to have total control of her Palace) and lay the eggs. The worker wasps (usually the male drones) are responsible for foraging and maintaining the nest. See – we told you wasps were like people!
Wasps are as beneficial as bees – they just have bad branding
We all know how amazing bees are, but fewer of us realise that wasps are just as important for pollinating. They are not as efficient as bees (they are more accidental pollinators) but they are a true gardeners’ friend. We like to think of them as beneficial as bees – just with a bad rep.
You might not realise that the wasp in your garden is there to hunt out caterpillars, greenflies, and more. Without wasps being helpful, our gardens could be overrun with insects and spiders. Perhaps we should be thanking wasps rather than running away screaming!
We don’t want to freak you out, but studies have shown wasps can remember people….
Here’s a frankly terrifying fact…wasps may have facial recognition. That’s right – if you p**s them off once, there’s a strong chance if that wasp sees you again, it’s going to remember!
We promise this is genuinely true.
In fact, wasps can even recognise other wasps.
That’s some seriously clever entomology right there!
What’s more, wasps are highly sensitive to pheromones and can sense your fear. So, if you remember your mum saying as a child, “Keep still otherwise they’ll know that you are scared and they’ll be more likely to sting you” – that was the truth.
Why are wasps a problem for your business?
While it is tempting to leave wasps alone, we understand that they can cause huge problems for your business. Therefore, you need to have a plan in place to facilitate effective wasp removal.
It’s not just the health and safety risks of your guests being stung (let’s not forget, multiple wasp stings can cause severe allergies including anaphylaxis.) For those of us who grew up in the 1980s, watching Macaulay Culkin die from an allergic reaction to bee stings in the classic 1991 film My Girl is a childhood trauma that’s hard to get over.
Visible wasp activity in a hospitality setting can cause major reputational damage along with disruption to operations. No customer (or employee) is going to want to sit near an active wasp nest and that could cause you loss of income and reduced footfall.
We don’t want you to have to deal with this on your own – that’s why we recommend that you get in touch with us and we can remove wasps for you, quickly and safely.
What can you do to deter wasps?
As commercial wasp pest control specialists, we know everything there is to know about how to deter wasps from your business premises.
You might be tempted to google some homespun remedies, but in reality, using essential oils and installing fake wasp nests (yes that’s a real thing) isn’t going to do an awful lot.
Planting wasp-repellent plants such as spearmint, marigold, basil thyme, fennel, lavender and lemongrass might help to discourage wasps from setting up home. If not, at least your kitchens will welcome the easy access to fresh herbs!
But realistically, we recommend that your best deterrent for wasps is to focus on removing food sources and trimming back trees and bushes. That way, they are less likely to build a nest nearby.
How to get rid of a wasp nest in your garden
Honestly, the best advice we can offer is to say strongly, and repeatedly, “Do not attempt to do it yourself.”
Effective wasp removal treatments require planning, extensive safety measures and the use of insecticides.
Our wasp removal experts know what they are doing. We know how to minimise the risk of any wasp stings and that removing the nest is only one small part of the removal process.
- We begin the process by identifying what type of wasp you are dealing with. Knowing whether it’s a yellow jacket, paper wasp or hornet will impact what type of insecticide we use.
- Then, it’s time to locate the nest. Wasps will typically build their nests in wall cavities, roof spaces, trees and bushes. Some may be underground, others may be above ground.
- Our wasp removal team have all the gear they need to protect themselves from stings. Our thick clothing is designed to fit snuggly so wasps can’t get inside. It’s essential to keep every part of the body covered – if a wasp senses that they are under threat, they will immediately try to sting as a defence mechanism.
- Our knowledge of different types of wasps means that we know what type of insecticide to use. In our experience, dust insecticides are better for ground nests and confined spaces, while foam insecticides are used in cavities and trees. If the nest is exposed, then we might use a spray.
As these are extremely toxic chemicals, they aren’t available to the general public. Our insecticides are designed to zap the entire lifecycle of the wasp, whether it is an egg, a larva, a pupa or an adult wasp.
- The wasp nests themselves should never be removed until a few days after the treatment. That’s because it needs time for the chemicals to work, and for us to be confident that all wasps have been killed. The wasp nest needs to be removed carefully, and with full protective gear on – after all, it’s covered in chemicals and needs to be disposed of correctly. When it’s gone, we can become the clean-up crew, making sure that all chemical remnants are cleaned up properly.
As you can see, removing a wasp nest from your business needs to be handled by the pros.
With our help, we’ll chat about your options, share the latest buzz on wasp deterrents (pun fully intended) and set up a sting operation that those pesky blighters won’t see coming.
All you’ve got to do is pick up the phone and tell us what your problem is.
