Wasps are indispensable for the biological balance in nature. The agile insects can become a nuisance around people in the summer and make staying on the balcony and terrace unbearable. It is more difficult if the animals seek refuge in the rented apartment. Moving a wasp nest involves effort and hurdles. With the right preparation and a few tricks, people and insects can often live together easily.
Unwelcome neighbors
In order to effectively keep wasps away from the balcony and the apartment, you should first briefly look at the life cycle of the flying predators. Unlike honey bees and ants, for example, only the fertilized queen overwinters in a protected shelter. On warm days in March or April, the insect wakes up from its hibernation and a short time later is looking for a suitable location for the future wasp colony. In this initial phase, it is easy to stop the wasp's building instinct and scare it away using simple methods.
The food available on the balcony or terrace plays a minor role in the construction of the nest. The place must meet the following criteria:
- Be sheltered from the wind and weather.
- Dry
- Far away from other wasp nests.
It is not unusual for insects to spread in the roller shutter box of a rented apartment. Between June and August the wasp colony has reached full strength. The adult workers look after the queen and fly out to look for protein-rich food for the offspring. Sweet and carbohydrate-rich foods are only suitable for adult wasps. In natural gardens, flowers and honeydew serve as a rich source of food for aphids. If this offer is inadequate or missing, the wasps turn to alternatives.
The insects' dying phase begins between August and October. Now it is mainly only the future princesses and males who hatch from the eggs. The social structure of the wasp colony is falling apart. This change is not leaving us humans unscathed. You notice an increasing aggressiveness of the animals. While the focus was previously on caring for the colony, the wasps now no longer have a job and sometimes fly around uncontrollably. The dangerous phase begins, open foods and sweet drinks act like a magnet on the insects. Only as the temperature drops does the population of the winged pests begin to decline.
Tip:
Many wasp species are protected, and for this reason the legal removal of a wasp nest is only permitted in a few exceptional cases. It is worth consulting a specialist.
Repel wasps effectively
Even before the wasp queen chooses her balcony or rented apartment as the ideal location for her nest in spring, defensive measures can be taken. For example, the insects react to intense smells. You can take advantage of this fact to drive away wasps using mundane home remedies. For example, the cultivation of strong-smelling spice and vegetable plants in the immediate vicinity of the balcony and terrace is effective and sustainable. Tomatoes, garlic, basil and lavender effectively repel the insects before they can become dangerous to people. Other options include:
- Set up bowls with essential oils.
- Light scented candles.
- Burn coffee grounds or powder or make them smolder.
- Studde lemon halves with cloves.
- Smoke sage and incense.
Not everyone wants to hang a chain of garlic bulbs on their kitchen wall. To protect yourself from annoying insects in the house, you should install fly screens on the windows. With the lightweight material made of air- and translucent plastic, you can also seal patio and balcony doors against wasps. In return, it makes sense not to attract the wasps in the first place. Sweet drinks, such as lemonade and cola, should always be immediately closed with a lid.
The same applies to all kinds of food. During a barbecue with friends, it is difficult to immediately get all the food out of the insects' reach. Cover the food with a special hood. Never store open cans outside without being washed. This not only attracts wasps, but also other pests such as rats and mice. The smell of fruit has a similar effect to sweet human foods. Remove fallen fruit immediately, before the rotting process magically attracts the winged insects.
Simple but efficient: Take advantage of the fact that the yellow-black insects never build their nest in close proximity to other wasps. Lightly crumple a layer of brown baking paper and attach it to one corner of the balcony. There is a good chance that the wasp queen will be fooled by this dummy in the spring and will look for another place for her nursery.
Distract and implement
Annoying smells can keep a lot of wasps away. However, as often happens in the animal kingdom, not everything always works reliably. In this case, it makes sense to use other methods. The independent and unprofessional removal of a wasp nest is prohibited by law for almost all species. Only in exceptional cases can a specialist intervene and relocate the insects to another location that is safe for people and animals. This measure is particularly advisable if you or your family members are allergic to wasp stings. It is more difficult to remove a wasp nest in the false ceiling or roof.
In midsummer, the strength of the insect population can reach an immense size; the animals literally love to eat wood and other organic materials to build their own homes. Immense damage can occur to and in the house, making major and costly repairs necessary.
When moving or removing the wasp nest, you don't necessarily have to call a professional pest controller. A call to the local beekeeping association usually helps with such a problem. With their protective equipment, dedicated hobby beekeepers are able to quickly and carefully remove the stinging insects from the balcony.
Tip:
The blanket statement that the fire department is responsible for a wasp's nest is not true. If in doubt, ask.
Unauthorized work on a larger wasp nest can have unpleasant consequences. For example, if the entry hole is closed, the insects eat their way through somewhere else. In exceptional cases this led to the winged pests getting out inside the living quarters. Combating it with a vacuum cleaner can quickly backfire. Even an unsealed area is enough for the wasps to pounce on the attacker of the nest and become dangerous to him.
There is a ray of hope for those suffering: the nests on the balcony orin the rental apartment are “only” one year old. After the first frost occurs in autumn, the number of insects flying around drops dramatically. The following year, the young wasp queen does not settle in the old dwellings, but creates a completely new home for her court. It is not unusual that this nursery is located right next to the old wasp's nest.
Distraction
An efficient way to keep insects at bay is distraction feeding. For example, if you are planning an extensive barbecue party with your family and friends in midsummer, you should treat the wasps to a piece. The following components are suitable:
- Sliced watermelons
- Layered Apples
- Ripe, peeled bananas
- Meat leftovers
The distraction feeding should be placed at a sufficient distance.3 to 5 meters have proven to be effective. Most of the black and yellow insects concentrate on these ingredients and leave your food largely untouched. Remove the components at night. Nothing gets around faster in a wasp's nest than a new, rich source of food. And the stinging insects don't shy away from making extensive use of them in the following days. Applying a sugar solution or honey is not recommended. These materials attract bees and can contribute to the spread of disease.
Build a simple wasp trap
With a simple trick you can build a trap that effectively keeps wasps away from your living area.
- Cut the top third of a PET bottle.
- Place the top piece upside down on the bottle like a kind of funnel.
- Fix with adhesive tape.
- Pour beer mixed with detergent a few centimeters high.
- Set up or hang up at a safe distance.
The wasp trap in the PET bottle is a quick and inexpensive home remedy that you can use to combat the pests. Avoid using liquids that contain a lot of sugar in the trap. Thanks to the detergent and the funnel, there is no escape for the trapped insects. If necessary, the trap can be quickly emptied and reactivated.
Chemical pesticides
Wasps are useful and help to decimate other pests in the garden. It is not always possible to remove a wasp nest from the balcony or terrace in time. In such a case, it is tempting to resort to aggressive commercial products. Sales of insect spray and foam increase as the gardening season begins. However, such chemical clubs are not recommended. The application of the means is easy but controversial. Aside from the fact that many wasp species are strictly protected, the pesticides attack other beneficial insects, such as bees and butterflies.
Conclusion
Removing a wasp nest is difficult, but not impossible. With simple tricks you can prevent insect nests from being built on the balcony or in the rented apartment. At a later date, a potential wasp plague can be stopped using mundane means.
