Your porch is probably one of your favorite places to spend time during spring and summer. You can use a porch to host barbecues with family and friends, or just to hang out on your own, enjoying the fresh air and sunlight. However, you might think twice about stepping onto your porch at all if there’s a wasp nest hanging over it.
Unfortunately, wasps love to nest on porches, whether on the underside, railings, or an overhanging roof eave. Many wasp species in Alabama, especially yellowjackets, can be very aggressive toward anyone who comes near their nest. If you don’t want to worry about getting stung every time you step out your door, follow these tips to prevent wasp nests on your porch.
Tip 1: Remove Nests Early
In Alabama, wasps start building nests in early spring, usually in March and April. The best time to safely remove a wasp nest is in the early stage when it’s still under construction. In early spring, up through May, inspect your porch weekly for wasp nests being built. While nesting location varies slightly by species, wasps often construct nests in sheltered areas like roof eaves, under porch railings, and behind light fixtures.
If you find a small starter nest that’s about the size of a golf ball, there are probably only a queen and a few workers. At this stage, it’s much safer and easier to remove than when the nest is fully formed and there are dozens of wasps living in it. Spray the newly built nest with a wasp-killing aerosol in the evening or early morning when wasps are dormant. After spraying, wait 24 hours to make sure the spray has fully taken effect before knocking the nest down.
Tip 2: Block Ideal Nesting Sites
If you know what places wasps like to nest on and near your porch, you can block off these ideal nesting sites to make your porch less appealing. Wasps love small, enclosed areas that offer protection from the elements. Gaps in siding and soffits tend to be popular nesting spots for some wasp species in Alabama, such as yellowjackets. Using caulk or expanding foam, you can seal holes around your porch that wasps like to use as nests.
Other areas around your porch where wasps are likely to nest include attic vents, soffit vents, and gaps around light fixtures. It’s a good idea to cover these spaces with fine stainless steel mesh to prevent wasps from using them for nest building.
Tip 3: Get Rid of Wasp Attractants
Wasps are drawn to food, water, and shelter. Keeping your porch clean and free of these attractants is key to wasp prevention. If you eat meals out on your porch, clean up immediately afterwards. Wasps love sugary drinks, meat, and sweet sauces; all common items at barbecues on the porch. It’s also best practice to keep trash cans away from your porch and tightly lidded so that wasps don’t swarm around them.
Aside from the food you eat, wasps are also attracted to sweet-smelling flowers in hanging baskets or planters on the porch. Either move wasp-attracting flowers off the porch or plant wasp-repelling herbs like mint, thyme or eucalyptus nearby.
Wasps can also be attracted to your porch by any sources of standing water, which they need to cool the nest and feed larvae. Regularly empty any planters or saucers where water collects to keep wasps from being drawn to it. If you have a birdbath on your porch, consider moving it elsewhere.
Tip 4: Rely on Professional Wasp Prevention
Following the above tips can keep wasps away but sometimes, do-it-yourself efforts just aren’t enough. The most effective way to keep wasps away from your porch is by working with a licensed and insured wasp control company in Alabama. Professional wasp exclusion measures can keep your porch free of these stinging insects year-round.
Contact SafeSpray Pest Control today if you’re interested in wasp prevention or removal services in Alabama! Our wasp control company serves clients in the Huntsville, Auburn, and Daphne areas.
