Your Ultimate Plan To Get Rid of Wasps & Hornets In Charlotte

Things get trickier when differentiating wasps and hornets from each other. First, all hornets are wasps. If you see an actual hornet on your property, you're also looking at a wasp. But if you call a wasp a hornet, you're likely wrong. There is only one proper hornet in the United States. It is the Eastern European hornet or the brown hornet. A brown hornet is brown with yellowish and orange stripes. It has a dull appearance overall and a pale face. At full size, a brown hornet can reach 1 1/2 inches in length.

We also have another pest with the "hornet" name, but it is not a proper hornet. The common name for this species stuck because people used it when referencing them. It is the bald-faced hornet. While large, it isn't nearly as big as a brown hornet. Adults are between 5/8 and 3/4 of an inch. They are black with white or yellow stripes.

At the end of the day, it doesn't really matter how hornets are different from wasps. They both make aerial nests or protected nests inside voids, depending on the species, feed on nectar and protein, and both can be large insects. The cicada killer can be as large as a European wasp.

Now that you know a bit about stinging pests that come into your yard, let's zero in on what attracts wasps to your property. If you know why they're hanging out and why they might want to make a nest, you can take steps to keep them away.

What Attracts Hornets And Wasps?

Various things attract the different kinds of wasps in Charlotte. While there is no real difference between hornets and wasps, there are differences between species. The primary distinction between wasp species is whether or not they make aerial nests or hidden nests in voids:

• Wasps that create aerial nests require wood pulp. They get this material from logs, stumps, firewood, and other sources of wood.
• Wasps that create ground nests require holes. Most wasps are not diggers. They utilize holes that already exist.
• Wasps that build nests inside structural voids require an entry point. If your home has a drooping eave or a piece of buckling siding, these insects may take notice.
• All wasps eat nectar. They love that sweet food source because it gives them energy and tastes great. They'll also eat a sweet nutrient the larvae produce inside the nest. A property with lots of flowering weeds is attractive to wasps.
• Wasps collect bugs to bring back to the nest to feed the larvae. Any bug with protein is up for grabs—that means all of them. A property with lots of pests will draw wasps.
• Wasps eat human food, so they may show up at picnics and backyard cookouts. They'll also show up after you finish eating; a property with food left out after outdoor dining can attract wasps.
• Wasps aren't picky about what they eat. They'll feed from a trash receptacle, and the scent of trash attracts them. If you see a nest forming on your roofline above an exterior trash receptacle, the smell may have inspired them to create that nest up there.
• Wasps need moisture and will drink from puddles and other water sources. You may attract wasps if you have a clogged gutter or a moisture problem.
• Wasps love sweet liquids. Juice cups left out on the back porch or the liquid in a hummingbird feeder can make wasps want to live near, in, or on your home.

If your property has any of these attractants, you may invite a wasp problem. There are ways you can counteract these natural attractants. Let's look at practical ways to deter hornets and wasps by making a few changes.

Practical Ways To Deter Hornets And Wasps From Your Property

Wasps will choose any property for hardly any reason. They create nests underneath overhangs, on exterior walls, inside small structural cavities, and in the ground. But you can make your property less attractive than other properties. Doing so will repel wasps naturally. No self-respecting wasps wants to live in a place where food and moisture are limited. Therefore, these are the places to start with your wasp prevention:

• Reduce exterior light to reduce insect populations. Insects are attracted to light. You may also replace white light with yellow because insects can detect yellow light and are not attracted to it.
• Remove spider webs and crush spider egg sacs to reduce the number of spiders. Wasps feed on these bugs and have a preference for them.
• Rake leaves and remove other organic material to deter moisture pests. Many bugs hide underneath organic debris where it is moist.
• Trim vegetation, remove weeds, and keep your landscaping open and dry. Damp plants can become unhealthy plants, and unhealthy plants attract plant-damaging insects.
• Clean your gutter and repair downspouts. Your gutters collect the rainwater that runs down your roofs in torrents. If they're not working properly, your perimeter soil can get drenched and provide puddles for wasps and other pests to use as a drinking hole.
• Keep your trash in covered containers and avoid overfilling, which can prop lids open. Make sure to clean your receptacles if they smell a bit ripe. That scent is off-putting to you but attractive to wasps.
• Move trash receptacles away from your exterior. Doing this will prevent the smell from rising to your roofline.
• Pick up wood and store it in a covered bin. When you protect wood, you keep wasps from using it to make their paper-like nests.
  Clean up around cookout areas and outdoor dining spaces. This one is self-explanatory.
• Fill in ground holes with dirt or pea stones. Wasps aren't going to dig a hole themselves unless they're cicada killer wasps. But cicada killer wasps are a different pest problem. They are considered lawn pests because of their ability to excavate soil and damage grass. They present less of a stinging hazard because they are solitary wasps.
• Avoid putting down too much mulch so pests don't dig in it and create protected voids for yellow jackets. It doesn't take much of a cavity for yellow jackets (or bumble bees) to make nests.
• Remove anything in your yard that has a sweet aroma. If it smells like a flower, it can attract stinging pests.

Simple steps like this can make wasps turn up their noses at your property—if they had noses. Now that you know how to repel wasps, let's turn our attention to wasp nest detection and removal. These are the bread and butter of wasp control.