Wasps are attracted to food and sweet drinks, water sources, sheltered nesting sites and the deck itself, since paper wasps strip weathered wood fibers to pulp for nest-building. These four reasons are why decks are unusually good places for wasps to build nests.
There are only so many warm summer days in New Hampshire. You don’t want to lose them to the wasps. So you might wonder why on earth they seem to take over your deck every year.
It’s hard to find a better place for wasps to call home than a deck. Food is the primary reason. Early in the summer, wasps look for protein. That means every time you grill, it’s a major event for them and they can go wild on grill grates and open trash. By late season, the colony wants sugar. This is why they seem to come out with way too much interest when lemonade, fruit salad, and soda make their way to the table. Yellowjackets are particularly bold in September, to say nothing of cranky, and they’re not shy about climbing into drinks and then stinging people in the mouth. This is why it’s always a good idea to cover drinks, clean spills and grills, and keep a tight lid on trash.
Water is another necessity for wasps. They drink it every day, so it’s a good idea to dump the dog’s bowl, birdbath, or kiddie pool when not in use.
The underside of the deck is a textbook place for wasps to build nests. It is shaded and protected from rain. The underside is full of railings, joists, and stairs where nests can be built. The deck is also made of wood which paper wasps are a fan of. They can chew the pulp of weathered, unsealed deck boards and then build with it.
Prevention is the best thing to do when it comes to wasps. Look for golf-ball-sized starter nests and remove them early when you can. By the time it’s late summer and the nests are big, it’s dangerous to do this on your own. You need to call an expert.
If your deck has been taken over by the wasps, Mosquito Squad of Central New Hampshire can help. Mosquito Squad removes nests and treats the sites wasps favor. This can help you protect the deck for the people it was built for.
