GET RID OF WASPS UNDER THE ROOF SHINGLES LANGHORNE, PA
Wasps can be found on every continent except Antarctica, making wasp control a necessity in Langhorne and throughout the region. When you find what you think may be a nest, it's time to back away. Not only are wasp stings extremely painful, but one wasp can sting you multiple times. While it's true that many wasp nests are abandoned during the winter months, you can't always count on a nest being empty.
SHOULD A WASP NEST BE LEFT IN A ROOF?
No. Even though wasps generally abandon their nests as the days shorten and the weather cools, an empty wasp nest can become a haven for other insects. Ants and spiders find a refuge in the empty nest. If your roofing is not sound and areas of it remain damp, you may be creating a haven for carpenter ants.
Worse, wasps return and make a new nest under roof shingles near the old one. If you can completely get rid of the nest, you at least have a chance of getting them to relocate far from your home. Getting rid of the nest means getting rid of the queen.
If you notice wasps inside your home, chances are they are either under your roof shingles, on the outside of your home, or in your attic. Do not go into your attic during the summer months or even in the early fall. Wait until you've had a hard freeze and enter your attic during full daylight. Any cracks or crevices where wasps are getting in will be visible and you can seal them up at that time.
SHOULD YOU BOMB AN ATTIC TO KILL WASPS INSIDE?
Bug-bombing your attic may be overkill. Depending on the type of wasp you have in your attic or under your roof shingles, the toxin may not kill them. It may enrage them, meaning that your attic or your home could quickly become inundated with angry wasps.
A trained expert can help determine the type of wasp you're dealing with. They can confirm the best type of pest control treatment to get rid of them. They can also help isolate the nest so that any applied product acts on the wasps while keeping the household safe.
As you talk with your pest professional, make sure you find out any attractive features of your property that may be drawing in wasps. Getting rid of the wasp nest is an important first step, as is getting rid of the queen. However, features of your property that are friendly to wasps also need to be addressed.
DOES KILLING WASPS ATTRACT NEW ONES?
Once wasps have found a good site for a nest, they'll come back to the same area. Sealing up your house can be a good start to repelling them.
It's important to understand the life cycle of a wasp nest. Each nest is built anew every year. In the fall, the worker wasps abandon the nest and die while the queen moves to a more hospitable spot. If you've got a wasp nest under your roof shingles, there's a good chance that you've got a queen looking for a nice spot to spend the winter inside your home.
Once things warm up, the queen will pick a new spot to make a nest and the male drones that accompany her will build it. New eggs produce more drones and sterile females to do the work of collecting food.
If you find dead or dying wasps in your home in the fall, you are dealing with worker wasps. It's unlikely that you will find the queen wasp inside your home, but she is likely snuggled up in your attic. A skilled pest professional can help you effectively treat your home to get rid of the queen and repel wasps in the future.
HOW WASPS CAN AFFECT A HOUSE STRUCTURE
Most wasp nests look like paper and are a fibrous material made from digested wood. If you've got wasps in your house, under your roof shingles or under your eaves, that paper is likely coming from the wood inside your home.
While wasps are not as destructive as termites, they are feeding on your home. When finding a a crack or crevice, they will make themselves a home from structural supports inside your home. Worse, every time they leave they abandon a nest that becomes a home for other pesky and possibly dangerous insects.
SHOULD YOU REMOVE AN ABANDONED WASP NEST?
Yes, but be aware that there are concerns around that word "abandoned." In the dead of winter, it's likely there are no wasps in the nest. However, one wasp can sting you many times. Many wasps are aggressive, so if you attack their home, they may attack you.
It's also important to consider your plan of attack. One of the hazards of dealing with a colony of any sort of stinging pest is your position at the point of contact. Are you:
• On a ladder? • Crouched in your attic? • On top of your roof?
From any of these positions, dealing with just one wasp can make the situation extremely dangerous. Because there is no way to be absolutely certain that a nest has been abandoned, it's a good idea to leave wasp nest removal to the professionals.
DOES REMOVING A WASP NEST REQUIRE AN EXTERMINATOR?
Even an abandoned nest has a source. If you have an abandoned wasp nest under your roof shingles, you probably have a queen somewhere inside your house. Next year, she will do the work of providing you with a new wasp nest to deal with.
An experienced exterminator can help you determine what kind of wasp you're dealing with. They will know how to kill the queen and remove the source of the wasp nest.
DO OLD WASPS NESTS ATTRACT NEW WASPS?
Like any single season species, wasps are looking for the best environment to propagate. While the queen can live for more than one season, her nest needs to produce and feed worker wasps that only live for one summer.
If wasps find a comfortable spot inside your home, under your eaves or under your roof shingles, they will likely return. Abandoned structures, such as old barns or outbuildings, often become riddled with wasp nests over time. Wasps may even find a home inside metal fence poles or clothesline poles.
Once you have contacted a local Langhorne professional and the wasp nest attached to or built inside your home has been removed, it's time to take a look at any welcoming features of your property that may be attracting this pest. Managing the items that draw in wasps can reduce your risk of another infestation.
For example, you may have fruit trees. Wasps are pollinators, but they are happiest feeding on downed fruit. Unless you have the time to check for downed fruit on a regular basis, fruit trees are probably not a good investment. Wasps like to live where they feed, and your house is fair game.
Wasps are also drawn to standing water. If you have a bird bath and a few hummingbird feeders, keep an eye out for wasps. Try to install hummingbird feeders that wasps can't access.
Meat is also a big draw for wasps. While it's unlikely that you're going to leave raw meat out on your property, take care to bring in any dog treats or bones that may offer tiny scraps of meat.
Untreated wood is a great source for the fiber that wasps use to build their nest. If you're building an outdoor structure for storage or summer fun out of untreated wood, take the time to prime or seal it before you assemble the project.
Put your flower gardens far from your home. Bright flowers, particularly red blooms, will draw wasps. If you love bright red geraniums and have a wasp problem, consider switching to white flowers for a couple of years while the exterminator does his work. Once the wasps move on, you may be able to enjoy your favorite red flowers again.
Wasps will happily build their nest in any dark, enclosed space that offers a break from strong winds. If you have outbuildings, sheds or even an open carport, keep an eye on the corners of these structures. If a queen wasp decides that the roof or a corner of your garden shed would be a good home for her brood, next year she may choose to site her nest under your roof shingles or tiles.
HOW TO TREAT FOR WASPS
At Newtown Termite & Pest Control, we use a multi-faceted approach for treating hornets and wasps that have become problematic for area homes and businesses. Our methodology involves making use of the most appropriate detection, prevention, and treatments methods available. By combining these measures, we ensure that your home or business remains free of pests like wasps and hornets.
