17 Dec What To Do When You Find a Wasp Nest?
You’re enjoying a sunny day in the garden when you happen upon something that sends shivers down your spine. What is it? Is it a wasp nest? There are several different types of wasps, many of which build nests, so how do you know which species has taken up residence near your home? Here’s what to look for and what to do if you find one.
The wasps start building their nests in spring.
The wasps start building their nests in spring. The queen will lay eggs and the worker wasps will take care of them, bringing food for the larvae.
The queen’s hormones trigger nest building during this time. As temperatures begin to rise and flowers bloom, she releases a substance that encourages her workers (who are born sterile) to build a home for her offspring. The workers chew wood fibers into pulp and mix this with saliva to make paper-like material used to build cells within which new queens and males will be raised once they’ve emerged from the pupae stage as adults.
The queen wasp can lay fertilized eggs that develop into female workers.
You’ve probably already noticed the difference in size between the queen wasp and her workers. The queen is larger than her workers, and has a longer lifespan than them as well. She is also the only fertile female in the colony—she lays fertilized eggs that develop into female workers, while unfertilized eggs will become male drones.
What to do when you find a wasp nest?
- Don’t panic.
- Don’t try to kill the wasps. They will defend their nest, and you could get stung in the process.
- Don’t try to remove the nest yourself. It is not only dangerous, but it will also result in a very angry swarm of wasps that are out for blood – yours!
- Call a professional wasp removal company!
What does a wasp nest look like?
You may have heard about wasps and their nests, but you might not know what to look for. Here are some of the most common places where you might find a wasp nest:
- In trees
- Under eaves
- On the side of buildings or in window wells
Wasp nests can be made of paper and look like little gray balls with a black dot on them. They are usually dome shaped, but they can sometimes be flat on top or at an angle. Wasps build nests in clusters, so if you find one nest there may also be more nearby.
Not all types of wasps build visible nests. Some, such as the cicada killer, dig burrows and other, like the pollen wasp, make an open comb of cells.
The size and shape of a wasp nest depends on the type of wasp that built it. Some species, such as the cicada killer, dig burrows in the ground to make their nests. Others, like the pollen wasp, build an open comb of cells out of saliva and plant resin. Still others build paper nests which hang from eaves or other protected areas around your home.
The types of wasps that build them can vary widely in appearance—some resemble bees while others look more like yellow jackets or hornets. Their different sizes and colors mean that you’ll need to know what kind of nest you’re dealing with before attempting removal yourself (or letting someone else do so).
Wasps live in colonies; some have just a few members while others may have thousands! It’s important to remember this when removing them from your property because they defend their homes aggressively if they feel threatened (for example, if someone tries disturbing their nest).
Conclusion
The most important thing to do is not panic. Wasps can be a pain, but they’re also helpful creatures that eat insects and pollinate plants. Wasps are actually one of the few species that can help us keep our homes clear of pests. If you find a wasp nest in your garden or yard, consider yourself lucky! You may want to move it away from any areas where children or pets play so they don’t get stung by accident. Otherwise just leave them alone and let them do their job!
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