It can generally go without saying that nobody really likes wasps. Wasps have no real beneficial purpose on your property, unlike bees, and they can be actively harmful to your health.
This is one of the many reasons why people hire exterminators to get rid of wasp nests as soon as they are spotted. Unfortunately, there are some cases when the wasps come back and try to rebuild their home in your home.
While you might feel frustrated and at a loss as to what you can do, it is important to know that there are plenty of ways that you can keep the wasps from coming back to your house, no matter how many times you have called the exterminator.
Some people find that making sure that there is nothing the wasps are attracted to helps, whereas other people will actively set traps to deter the wasps.
Both of these methods are equally valid, and if you want to do everything you can to get the wasps to go away, then you might even want to employ both methods.
What Can You Do to Deter the Wasps?
There are four main methods that you can employ to make sure that the wasps aren’t taking anymore interest in your home after you have called the exterminator.
First things first, you can make sure that there is nothing that attracts the wasps to your house. This includes covering up trash cans and making sure that there isn’t any unwanted food just sitting around outside.
Additionally, you will want to make sure that the structure of your house is in good condition. Many types of wasps prefer to nest in the nooks and crannies of a broken-down home, so while it might cost a lot at first, it will be well worth it to make sure that there aren’t any potential wasp homes in your house.
Thankfully, you can walk around your house on your own and don’t always need to contact an expert for this part.
Another way that you can deter the wasps is by using traps and decoys. While this part will include a fair bit of DIY and purchasing products that you can place around your property, it will be a worthy investment to make when you find that wasps don’t want to settle down in your home anymore and that they won’t be coming back for a long, long time.
Making Sure Your Property Isn’t Inviting to Wasps
The first thing you should always do after you have had a wasp extermination is make sure that your home doesn’t look inviting for the wasps to come back to. There are a couple ways that you can do this. The first method is going to be to secure and cover your trash cans.
Wasps are going to be attracted to sweet smells and tastes, which can include perfumes and lotions that could be thrown out. There are many different kinds of covers that you can purchase for garbage cans of various sizes, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to find what you need.
Next, you are going to want to make sure that there isn’t any unwanted food sitting around on your property. Whether the wind blew food trash out of the trash can, you have a compost pile, or you regularly have picnics in your own backyard, you will always want to be on the lookout for food trash in your backyard.
These are major attractors for wasps, meaning that if you want the wasps to stay away, you need to keep your property as clean as possible. Keep in mind that wasps are also attracted to nectar and bird food, so you will want to keep any bird-feeding areas far away from your actual house.
The next thing you are going to want to do is a thorough inspection of the structure of your house. Many types of wasps enjoy being able to nest and burrow in the nooks and crannies of broken-down structures.
This is one of the reasons why they tend to build nests in the corners and walls of run-down homes. Any broken panels in the siding, gaps in the soffits, and other crevices can become appealing potential homes to a group of wasps.
Additionally, you will want to make sure that the ground is in good condition as well. There are some varieties of wasps that prefer to burrow in the ground, rather than build a nest.
Yards that have rodent problems are also probably going to have wasp problems as well, and this is something that any homeowner is going to need to keep in mind.
Deterring the Wasps from Building a New Home
Now that you have made sure that your property is as unappealing to a curious wasp as you possibly can, you will probably want to make sure that you go the extra mile.
What this means is that you are going to want to deter the wasps in as many ways as you can. This includes using decoys and traps to show them that you are not going to tolerate their presence on your property.
Wasp decoys (link to Amazon) are an excellent way to make your property look all the more unappealing to wasps. These decoys essentially mimic the appearance of a wasp nest and you can place them just about anywhere on your property.
Because wasps are naturally territorial creatures, they are not going to want to build a nest anywhere near another nest, even if it’s a fake one. When using decoy nests, you will generally want to put a couple decoys on each side of the house for the best chances of not having any wasps moving into your home.
Likewise, you can also think about setting up traps for them so that you can reduce the number of wasps that are living and buzzing around. These traps are relatively easy to make, although you can always purchase your own at just about any garden or home improvement store.
The main materials you are going to need are a two-liter bottle, a sweet liquid of sorts, and some duct tape. There are many different guides out there that you can check out, with some guides even focusing on getting rid of specific wasps.
By following these steps to make sure that your property is as unappealing to wasps as possible, you can rest assured knowing that you can live in peace. No wasp will ever want to get close to your property when you have a combination of decoys, traps, and a generally wasp-unappealing property.
I have a bachelor’s degree in construction engineering. When I’m not constructing or remodeling X-Ray Rooms, Cardiovascular Labs, and Pharmacies…I’m at home with my wife, two daughters and a dog. Outside of family, I love grilling and barbequing on my Big Green Egg and working on projects around the house.