Wasps are rarely welcomed in Phoenix and Mesa yards, yet that doesn’t keep them from building nests in the most inopportune places. You don’t want your outdoor picnics to be sidelined by an angry swarm of wasps, stinging guests and possibly incurring allergic reactions. You can’t always stop wasps from building hives on your property, but you can take proactive steps to prevent them or get rid of them quickly.
The key is to call a wasp and hornet exterminator in Mesa and Phoenix at the first sign of activity.
Wasps in the Phoenix Area
There are more than 30,000 wasp species in the world, and hundreds just in the Phoenix area alone. Some of the most common include western yellowjackets, black-and-yellow mud daubers, and Navajo and Arizona paper wasps.
You’ll know yellowjackets by their bold black and yellow stripes. They build their nests underground to house their large colonies, but sometimes they build nests under your porch or in holes in your lawn.
Paper wasps are social beings that create ornate paper-like nests featuring hexagonal cells, and you’ll often spot them hanging from public areas. If you disturb their nests, they will aggressively attack.
Mud daubers, on the other hand, are solitary wasps ranging in color from dull to bright. They don’t tend to sting, but they do make large and unsightly nests around your home. Once they vacate an old nest, other less-friendly wasp species will move in.
Wasps like sweet foods and drinks, which is usually in large supply around an outdoor patio space or in a park. Unfortunately, any sudden movement can send aggressive wasps to deliver painful stings. And if you decide to swat or squish a social wasp, it will release a pheromone that calls for a coordinated defense strike from the rest of the colony. One wasp sting can trigger a red spot and swelling or even an allergic reaction. But if you get several stings, you could end up in the hospital.
Wasp Prevention Tips
Wasps usually feed on pollen in flowering plants, but they are also attracted by sweet and sugary foods as well as other insects. You can make a few changes in your Phoenix yard to prevent wasps from taking over.
- Don’t plant wasp-friendly foliage: Try not to plant flowering plants right near your house. Instead, try wasp-repelling plants such as basil, wormwood, mint, or marigolds – the scent of which drives wasps away.
- Reduce places for wasps to build nests: Fill holes in your yard that may harbor ground-nesting wasps. Seal cracks or holes in doors or windows, siding, and shed walls.
- Cut off readily-available food sources: Remove hummingbird feeders from the front porch. Tightly seal garbage and recycling bins and store them away from the house. Take in food from an outdoor meal immediately after eating.
- Reduce other insects in your home: Wasps are parasites that will feed insects to their larvae, so it makes sense that you should keep other insects away, particularly spiders, that are a source of nutrients for wasp larvae.
Wasp and Pest Control in Phoenix & Mesa
Got a wasp problem on your hands? Leave their removal to the pros and just call our experienced Phoenix pest control techs today at 602-338-9223.