You may not realize you have a wasp problem until one chases you around the yard. Fortunately, most wasp nests are easy to find if you know where to look. Under the eaves, attached to soffits or on exterior walls—all are likely locations for a wasp nest. However, many wasp nests often go undetected for weeks or months.
Many common wasps are not easy to find. They may be hidden within gaps in exterior render or cladding, in shrubbery, or even underground, in the case of yellow jackets. If you’ve been pestered by wasps, here’s how to track them back to their nest.
How Do You Find a Hidden Wasp Nest Around Your Home?
Springtime is typically when fertilized queen wasps re-emerge after overwintering, and it takes until about mid-summer for most nests to mature into colonies, containing thousands of workers. By summer, you’ll definitely notice any wasps in the area.
Once a wasp nest becomes fully established, you’ll typically see a steady stream of wasps hovering around the nest entrance.
The safest way to find a concealed wasp nest is to watch for wasp activity from a distance rather than searching by hand. Observe where they repeatedly fly to and from around your property. Their flight paths usually lead straight back to the nest.
Common Places Wasps Hide and Build Nests
If you know where to look, you can usually spot an active nest without much trouble. If you know you have wasps, take a look at these usual hotspots:
- Along building eaves
- Underneath windowsills
- Garden sheds or garages
- On or under playground equipment or lawn furniture
- Gaps in soffits, exterior fascia, or wooden decks
- Around electrical equipment or wiring, such as your utility box or swimming pool equipment
- Check trees near your garden if you’re being pestered during the day. Scout wasps often alert the nest to food sources commonly found in gardens.
Signs You Have a Wasp Nest on Your Property
The most obvious indicator of a wasp nest is increased wasp activity around your property. While seeing a single wasp is common during the summer, if you notice a constant procession of wasps toing and froing from a specific hole in a wall, a gap in the eaves, or a patch of dense shrubbery, this suggests that worker wasps are out foraging for food to bring back to the colony.
Another key sign is the colony’s audible sound. If you hear a distinct buzzing or low humming noise coming from behind plasterboard walls or ceilings, there could be a nest in your wall cavities or attic. This is particularly noticeable in the quiet of the morning or evening.
You might also see physical damage to wooden structures like garden fences or furniture. Many wasps, including paper wasps and yellowjackets, strip tiny slivers of wood to mix with their saliva to create the papery material used for nest building.
What To Do if You Find a Wasp Nest
While it may make sense to remove a wasp nest near high-traffic areas like front doors, porches, or garages for safety reasons, nests in out-of-the-way locations can be beneficial. Wasps are efficient predators that help manage other garden pests. Therefore, unless a nest is actively bothering you or poses a direct threat, consider leaving it where it is to take advantage of this natural pest control.
How to Remove a Nest
Small, free-hanging nests can usually be removed using retail sprays with minimal risk, although no wasp removal is completely without risk. Avoid knocking down a hanging wasp nest at all costs, and don’t attempt to remove it if there’s any chance a large number of wasps are close by.
For large nests, or those concealed within the fascia or in the ground, it is much safer and more cost-efficient to get professional help for wasp control.
At Florida Pest Control, we have decades of experience dealing with wasps and can safely destroy a dangerous nest. Contact us today to schedule a comprehensive inspection.
