How To Keep Dangerous Wasps Away From Your Streator Yard

When a wasp comes into your yard, it isn't all that dangerous. In fact, wasps are actually beneficial insects. They help with the pollination of plants and flowers, and they're known to kill a spider or two. If you don't take a swing at a wasp, it is likely to leave you alone and continue providing a benefit to you and your family. The issues with wasps start with nest creation. This is when these beneficial insects can become dangerous. Let's examine the problem.

How Wasps Think

You can see random wasps all the time and never get stung. When wasps are away from their nest, they're focused on obtaining food or water. You're of no interest to them as long as you don't make erratic movements and make them feel threatened. If, however, you chance upon a wasps' nest, you'll have a very different experience. Wasps have a nest-protection instinct. If you make them nervous, they will emit a pheromone that excites the other drones. This will cause them to swarm and attack you. Your chances of happening upon a nest are much greater if wasps develop a nest in your yard.

Nest Locations

If you want to keep wasps from presenting a danger to you and your family, you need to be aware of the locations where wasps tend to build their nests. In Streator, we have two common wasp pests. They are the paper wasp and the yellow jacket.

Paper Wasps — These insects tend to build aerial nests in sheltered locations or on the sides of structures. The nests they create are made of a grey, paper-like material. This is why they're called paper wasps.

Yellow Jackets — These insects tend to build nests inside voids. They may create a ground nest, a stump nest, or a nest inside a structure. It is even possible to find a nest within stored furniture, inside a structure.

Nest Detection

In the spring, look for paper wasps' nests being created in sheltered locations on your property. If you find a starter nest that looks like an umbrella shape, you can knock it down during the day while the queen is off gathering materials. Just make sure she's not around. She won't take kindly to you destroying her handiwork.

In the spring, and also any time during the year, watch for yellow jacket activity. If you see wasps hanging out around an opening, there is likely to be a nest. Be sure to listen for them as well. Sometimes, the buzzing of drones inside a nest is the only warning sign.