If wasps are swarming on your property, you almost certainly have a nest nearby and there is likely food drawing them in. Wasps tend to be at their worst in late summer as colony resources go into decline.
Wasp problems have a tendency to escalate quickly in the late summer. If you’re finding a whole bunch of them swarming all at once, it’s only reasonable to wonder why this is happening in the first place.
The first thing to do, in this case, is to figure out where the nest is. If you see steady two-way traffic in and out of one spot, you’ve probably found it. Wasps entering and leaving the same hole in the ground is one example. If you find them going in and out of siding or soffits, that’s another clear example. Yellowjackets tend to nest in the ground and in wall voids. Bald-faced hornets are the ones that tend to build gray paper nests in trees and on structures. Paper wasps will build their small open comb nests under eaves, railings, and grill lids.
If you see a scattering of wasps in an area, that usually points toward food. Late in the season, colonies stop producing larvae. The larvae stop producing a secretion that feeds adults. That means all of a sudden, you have thousands of workers who are hungry and who need to find carbs and protein elsewhere. So they do that by going after your trash cans, grill, pet food, or patio table. This is worst starting in August and lasts until the fall.
If you find yourself with far more wasps than you’re prepared to handle, what you can do is first start by removing food sources. Put lids on trash and start covering drinks and food. Clean up immediately after you’re done eating outside. If you have wasp traps, move them to the yard edge because you don’t want them too close to seating areas. Whatever you do: don’t try to seal an active entry hole on a wasp nest. They’ll find another way out and then they’ll go after you.
If wasps have taken over your yard, Mosquito Squad of New Haven & Fairfield County can help. Mosquito Squad locates and removes stinging insect nests and treats the spots where they build. This will help you protect your yard through the end of the season.
