Of all the pests you might come across in your New Jersey yard, few are as menacing-looking as wasps. Perhaps it’s their angry little faces, how they buzz around, or the long stingers hanging off of their backsides. Whatever the reasons may be, wasps are never a welcome sight on New Jersey properties.
Unfortunately, wasps are just scary-looking; they can be dangerous, too. Therefore, you need to know the steps you can take to make your New Jersey property less attractive to wasps. This includes understanding the factors that attract wasps to a yard in the first place and knowing how to limit said factors. You also need to know the effective wasp control solutions you can count on should your property become overrun with these stinging pests. After all, the safety of your family might depend on it.
Identifying Common Area Wasps
There are thousands of wasp species around the world. Here in New Jersey, however, we only need to worry about a few of them. Some of the most common wasps in the area include yellow jackets, paper wasps, and bald-faced hornets. Yellow jackets, as their name might suggest, have yellow markings on their otherwise black bodies. They are social insects that build large nests with many members. Paper wasps are often confused with yellow jackets because they have yellow markings on their bodies, as well. However, they tend to be brown and yellow as opposed to black and yellow. Paper wasps get their name from the paper-like nests that they build. Bald-faced hornets are black with white markings, including their faces which is from where they get their name. Bald-faced hornets are solitary insects unlike paper wasps and yellow jackets.
No matter which species of wasp you are dealing with, they can all be dangerous. That’s because wasps have large stingers which they can use to inflict painful stings. Moreover, unlike bees, wasps can sting more than one time, and, usually, they will sting several times in quick succession. Not only is this painful, but it can be dangerous, as well. Wasp stings are especially dangerous for those with allergies. However, even people without allergies can face severe effects if they are stung many times.
Factors That Attract Wasps To Yards
Several factors might attract wasps to your yard. For instance, wasps are attracted to sweet substances. Therefore, if you have any outdoor dining or sitting areas where food debris or spills might exist, you could be attracting wasps. Furthermore, things like hummingbird feeders and certain plants can also attract wasps to a property. Wasp-attracting plants include sweet fennel, Queen Anne’s lace, yarrow, and spearmint.
Ways To Limit Wasp-Attracting Factors
To keep wasps away from your property, you need to limit factors that attract them and try to remove any harborage places where wasps might build their nests. To achieve this, you should:
- Keep outdoor dining areas free of food debris and spills.
- Remove any hummingbird feeders from your yard.
- Store trash in bins with tight-fitting lids.
- Avoid planting wasp-attracting plants.
- Cultivate plants that deter wasps such as marigolds, eucalyptus, citronella, wormwood, ferns, and mosses.
- Fill in holes in the ground in which wasps might build nests.
Effective Wasp Control For Your New Jersey Property
If you come across a wasp or wasp nest somewhere on your property, do not attempt to get rid of it on your own as this can be quite dangerous. Instead, contact the professionals here at Heritage Pest Control and let us take care of the problem for you. Not only will we effectively eliminate any wasp infestation with which you are dealing, but if you opt for one of our ongoing pest control plans, we will ensure your New Jersey property remains pest-free all year long. Don’t let wasps keep you from enjoying your yard.