Tired of wasp season? Here are a few ways to keep them at bay

It is wasp season. Here to help us spot them and keep them away is Orkin Canada.

It’s wasp season, which means the pesky predators are at their most aggressive.

Jason Costantini, of Orkin Canada Pest & Wildlife Control Services, joined CTV Morning Live to share a few tips and tricks to help spot the insects and keep them at bay.

“So, it’s never going to be complete elimination, but we want to reduce,” Costantini said Thursday morning.

Costantini recommends taking steps to make properties less welcoming for wasps to settle in and create their nests.

“Importantly, they’re very adaptable,” he said.

Wasps create aerial and ground nests, and they often seek out small areas where they can create their homes.

“You’re going to want to declutter as much as you can,” he said. “Leaf piles, wood piles, you’re going to try to reduce that as much as you can.”

Longer term, property owners can consider reorganizing their flowerbeds.

“There’s certain types of plants, like geraniums and so-on,” Costantini said. “Again, an internet search will give you a variety of plants that they’re less attracted to, and this is kind of thinking long-term.”

If you discover a nest, Costantini recommends removing it before it gets too large. You can do this either on your own or with the help of a professional.

For immediate relief, Costantini suggests bait traps, either purchased or homemade, to help reduce the overall population in an area.

He also says hanging “fake nests” can sometimes help to keep wasps from settling in an area, given the insect’s territorial nature.

“There’s fake nests as well you can buy because they’re territorial and they kind of represent maybe a hornet, because a hornet is a natural enemy,” he said.

“Short term if you’re on the patios and so on, then there’s essential oils and stuff you can use. Another internet search there can help you with keeping them at bay now.”

Costantini says wasps are particularly aggressive this time of year, and it’s all related to their life cycle.

“What happens is the workers are out. So, they’re gathering all these proteins, but that’s very specific. They don’t eat them themselves; they’re bringing it back to the nest and it’s the larva that eat the proteins,” he said.

The proteins help the larvae develop, and in return the larvae secrete a sugary carbohydrate solution, which the grown wasps eat.

“It’s like a working relationship within the nest,” he said.

“So, what’s happening this time of year is the nest has come to its peak, so it’s a very large population of workers — but the queen, her behaviour is starting to change.”

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In preparation for winter, when the nest will die off, the queen is laying fewer eggs and creating fewer larvae. That leaves less sugar for the wasps to feed on.

“So now we’ve got hungry wasps, and hungry wasps are very aggressive wasps,” he said.

“So, they’re supplementing their diets with what’s readily available and apparently we provide very easy treats.”

But, Costantini says the pesky insects aren’t all bad.

“These guys, they do pollinate but not to the extent that a honeybee would,” he said.

“The important part is that they’re scavengers and they’re actually a natural pest control, so it will be taking care of things like spiders and aphids and so on in the yard, so this is very important.”

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