A Good Year For Wasps In Nanaimo

Wasps, Hornets, Yellow Jackets
Can Spoil A Salmon Barbeque

Whether it is the hot dry spell we have been having, or the long cold winter, or perhaps the stars are aligned just right. Whatever the reason, there seems to be a bumper crop of flying, stinging things this summer.

Wasps are great scavengers and hunters of other insects and certainly have their place in the overall scheme of things. However, when they nest too close to your house they can certainly become a nuisance.

For some people they are simply a nuisance to be tolerated, for others a single sting can cause a serious reaction. For young children playing outside who accidentally stir up a hornets or wasps nest, it can also be very serious.

Whether it would do any good now is doubtful, but you can buy imitation wasps nests to hang about your property. The theory is, that wasps are territorial and if they see another nest will move into another area.

It is a good idea to walk around your property looking for nests; early in the morning is a good time and keep your eyes open for flying insect activity near your home.

They could be coming and going around the soffits of your house, into small holes near your eves or even along the ground, as some will build a nest in the ground. Others may have built a nest in your trees or bushes, anyplace that would offer some shelter from the wind and rain seems to be their first choice.

Dealing with the little critters is a matter strictly controlled by your own comfort level in getting near them. For some people, phoning one of the local pest control companies is the ONLY way to handle even the smallest of nests.

For the more adventuresome, there are some things you can do on your own that can be effective. If the nest is still small enough, just getting started or about the size of a small ball, simply knocking it down may be all you have to do. I have knocked several of the small ones down in the early construction phase and while they might try to rebuild again, if you are persistent, sooner or later they will look for another place.

Any of the larger nests should be approached with more caution, as nothing can ruin your day like a mess of mad hornets chasing after you!

The evening is the best time to deal with the larger nests, after everyone is home and snug in bed. If you can safely get at the nest, you can put a container under it and cut it free so that it falls into your container. You should of course have a tight fitting lid for the container and work quickly, so the entire nest winds up in the container in one quick motion. A shot or two of insecticide into the container, and then sealing it tightly, should kill the occupants of the nest. However, don't even think about opening it for several days, and even then use caution.

There are several commercial spray cans of wasp killer on the market which can be used from quite a distance. Again, in the evening after all activity has stopped is the only time to take this approach. Follow the instructions on the product, which usually involves spraying the nest around and into the opening, and then spraying directly into the nest. Any of these sprays I have used are quite effective, but once again, caution and common sense are the order of the day.

Wasps and hornets all have their place in the natural order of things, however, I have decided that my salmon barbeque is not part of their natural order. They are a most unwelcome and discomforting quest.