Houston Area Wasp Prevention Tips
Paper wasps are somewhat beneficial insects. When they visit your property, they locate and eliminate caterpillars and some other pests that can harm your turfgrass and ornamental plants in your landscaping. It is nice to get visits from wasps. What isn't so nice is when wasps create a nest. Paper wasps have a nest-protection instinct. If they create their gray paper nests on the ceiling of an open porch, under a window sill, or under some other overhang, it can present a stinging hazard. Today, we're talking about what wasps do in the fall that can lead to a nest on your property in the spring, and what you can do to prevent this.
Fall Wasp Behavior
During late fall, wasps become a nuisance because they start hovering around the upper parts of man-made structures, which may make you think you have a nest inside your home. But this is not the case. The random wasps you see exploring the upper parts of your home at the end of fall are just male and female wasps looking for a mate. Male wasps migrate to taller structures and release pheromones to attract females. Once they mate, the females tuck themselves away in high places to overwinter. You don't need to be too concerned about being stung by those fall wasps. They are strongly focused on their task of mating and overwintering. But it is important to seal your home to prevent female wasps from using your home as a location to overwinter. An overwintering wasp is likely to create a nest on, or inside, your property.
How To Keep Fall Wasps Out
Make sure all your window and door seals are in good working order.
Make sure your window and door screens are free of holes or tears.
Inspect the weatherstripping and door sweeps on your exterior doors. Make sure there are no tiny gaps or holes for a tiny wasp to slip in through.
Inspect your window and door screens for gaps around the frames. Seal any gaps you find.
Refrain from leaving unscreened doors and windows open. If there is no working screen, wasps will buzz right in.
Make sure your chimney has a cap or you have a working damper to keep insects out.
Check your roofline and the seals around roof penetrations. When squirrels, roof rats, and other wildlife get onto your roof, they chew and scratch entry points that other pests can use to get into your home. Sealing these entry points will do far more than keep wasps and other pests out; it will protect your home from the wood rot and mold issues that can arise from moisture damage.
Protect Your Houston Area Home From Wasps
At Modern Pest Control, we offer exclusion services. This is a specialized process that will require one of our licensed pest professionals to do an inspection of your home and offer a quote. But it is well worth the investment. The end of fall is when many pests try to get into Houston homes. Insects get in because it starts to get a little cold outside and pests that eat insects get in because that's where the food is. If wasps get in, they can create a nest in your attic spaces or they can emerge in spring to create a nest on the outside of your home. The best way to prevent this from happening is to invest in quality exclusion service. We're happy to help you with this. Reach out to us today to schedule an inspection. It's free. So what do you have to lose? Our experienced pest control technicians are standing by to assist you.