Yes, covered docks are common spots for paper wasps to build their umbrella-shaped combs. They like doing this because docks provide lots of protected overhead surfaces where they can easily build such as eaves and boat lift canopies.
Wasps have plenty of good options when it comes to building nests on Northwest Wisconsin lakeside properties. Docks are some of the best of all. So if you go outside with the goal of spending a day on the water, but you run into wasps along the way, you are far from the only one.
Wasps like covered spaces because it helps them stay out of the rain. So when paper wasp queens scout for places to build in the spring, they often go for framing, joists, and rafter tails on covered docks. The same is true for the undersides of dock benches and storage boxes.
Nests are built every year, usually starting around May when few lake properties are in use. By the time lake season is in full swing around July, the colony has workers, and by August, it can hold dozens of wasps. No one was there in spring to catch the nest while it was small and knock it down with a broom handle.
Paper wasps, thankfully, are not aggressive by disposition. But when the nest is bumped or vibrated, they can become aggressive. The trouble is that docks vibrate with every footstep.
Every spring, it’s a good idea to check out your dock and boathouse with a flashlight. Look up at every overhead surface. At that point, nests are small gray discs and easy to remove. But if you don’t catch the nest until late season, call a professional. It’s hard, not to mention risky, to take it down on your own.
If wasps are nesting around your dock or lake home, Mosquito Squad of Northwest Wisconsin can help. Mosquito Squad locates and removes stinging insect nests and treats the spots where they build. This will help you protect the dock your family uses all summer.
