Why You’re Seeing More Wasps in Middle Tennessee This Time of Year
If you’ve been noticing more wasps around your home this time of year, it’s completely normal. Every year, Middle Tennessee experiences more wasp activity when the weather starts warming up. They take the hot and humid weather as a sign to start building their colonies. From paper wasps to yellow jackets, stinging insects are becoming more than a nuisance.
For many homeowners across the state of Tennessee, this time of year creates the perfect environment for wasps to build nests, search for food and water, and multiply quickly. This is why educating yourself on where they love to surround themselves will help you stay ahead of infestations in the future.
Our company is committed to helping Tennessee homeowners identify the pest, create a plan that actually works, and prevent the pests from coming back.
The Reason Wasps are Becoming More and More Active This Time of Year
If you don’t already know, wasps follow a seasonal life cycle this time of year. Spring through the early months of Fall is their busiest time of year. Thankfully, most winter ants die off in the winter but the queen wasps build nests in attics, wood piles, wall voids, or other hidden areas around your house. Once the warmer weather arrives, the queens break out of their hiding spots and start creating new colonies.
Spring weather allows the queen wasps to become active earlier than they’re expected to. By late spring and summer, colonies begin growing at a fast pace as worker wasps begin hatching and expanding the colony.
But that’s not all. If you’re seeing wasps buzzing around your backyard right now, they’re likely searching for nesting locations, gathering food for developing larvae, expanding active colonies, or protecting their nests. The unfortunate news is that your home provides every method of survival for them.
Why Wasps Absolutely Adore Tennessee Homes
Your home offers warmth, shelter, moisture protection, and plenty of hidden nesting spots. Wasps are attracted to quiet, protected areas where nests can grow undisturbed. Some of the most common nesting areas in Middle Tennessee include decks, garages, sheds, attics, wall voids, and even grills.
Paper wasps, especially, are very common around homes because of their ability to build umbrella-shaped nests under overhangs and any covered structure. But yellowjackets are a different story. They often build their nests underground or inside wall voids, which makes them harder to detect until activity increases.
Common Wasps Found in Middle Tennessee
Several types of wasps are common throughout Tennessee and they all have different behaviors. Let’s talk more about them.
Paper Wasps
First, we have the paper wasps. They are the most frequent wasps to be seen around your home, especially during this time of year. A few ways to identify them are by their slender bodies, long dangling legs while they fly, and their ability to build small paper nests.
Paper wasps are typically known to be less aggressive, but they will sting if they feel like they’re being threatened. Pay close attention to these areas: deck railings, porch ceilings, gutters, and outdoor lights.
Yellow Jackets
Now, yellow jackets are far more aggressive by becoming a major threat to humans when their colonies reach their peak size. This typically happens later in the summer. They are NOT something to take lightly, especially because of how defensive they are.
They frequently make their nests underground, inside retaining walls, wall voids, or around the foundation of your home. Unfortunately, yellow jackets are experts at hiding their nests, which can make yard work dangerous for homeowners.
Hornets
Okay, it might not seem like hornets are a type of wasp, but they are. They’re capable of building large gray football-shaped nests in trees, shrubs, or along the upper part of your home. Anything that is out of sight is the perfect spot for them.
Please keep in mind that these insects are extremely territorial and will aggressively defend their colony if they need to. They are not something to play around with while you’re outside enjoying the beautiful weather.
Don’t Be Alarmed When You Suddenly Start Seeing More Wasps Around Your Home
Okay guys. If you start seeing more wasps around your home, don’t panic. It’s completely normal and one of the biggest worries of the summer. Early in the spring, nests are super small and are much easier to remove from surfaces. This is why it’s important to inspect your home early on before a major problem occurs later in the summer.
As the season goes on, colonies rapidly expand. By late summer and early fall, many homeowners will start seeing nests full of hundreds or thousands of wasps. Warm weather also increases their food intake, which keeps their colonies on their toes. That means your next outdoor cookout will have them buzzing around you in just a few seconds.
Are Wasps a Dangerous Threat to Human-Beings?
If you’ve been contemplating if wasps are a dangerous threat to humans, they certainly can be. It’s not just the sting that makes them a dangerous threat. They can also become dangerous when their nests are disturbed, multiple stings occur, a severe allergic reaction takes place around them, or colonies are found near areas with several people. So, if you’re seeing more wasp activity in a place with lots of humans, it’s your sign to call the professionals.
Unlike bees, wasps can sting you more than once. And the worst part about insects like yellow jackets is the fact that they can attack in groups if they feel threatened. At the end of the day, professional treatments are always the better option when it comes to safely removing wasp nests around the foundation of your home.
Signs You Might Have a Nest Near You
Here’s the thing. You aren’t always going to see a nest right away. In most cases, homeowners notice increased wasp activity before even thinking about where they keep coming from.
The next time you see a group of wasps swarming around you, don’t think it’s a coincidence. There’s a good chance a nest is closer than you think.
How to Reduce Wasp Activity Around Your Home
While we know professional services are the best option for wasp removal, it’s also a good idea to take the following steps to prevent wasps before we arrive.
- Keep trash cans sealed at all times.
- Clean up outdoor spills immediately.
- Avoid leaving sugary drinks outside.
- Seal cracks and gaps around the foundation.
- Inspect eaves and decks regularly.
- Trim overgrown shrubs and trees.
- Clean up debris around your yard.
As you can see, early prevention is the best method of protection when it comes to these insects.
Don’t Let an Increase in Wasp Activity Ruin Your Summer Fun
Wasps are a normal part of summer. However, it doesn’t mean you should ignore their presence. What starts as just a few wasps can quickly turn into a larger problem you didn’t see coming.
Our team at U.S. Pest will inspect your property, identify nesting areas, and do Whatever It Takes to protect you and your loved ones from these flying insects all season long. No one wants to spend their summer worrying about a painful sting, so get ahead of them now with a free inspection.
