Wasps are known to build nests on the underside of garden trees, on hollow parts of a tree or on a shaded part of the house exterior. They are very aggressive insects who react by stinging when provoked. This makes humans be uncomfortable with their presence in his garden as they pose danger to human as well as domestic animals. Their good side is that they form the natural balance of the farm as they help in the pollination and elimination of pests which destroy the crops or infest them with diseases.
The infestation process commences once the queen wasp has spotted a space in a protected place, usually away from the sun and wind. The queen will then produce workers who will then start the nest building process by ingesting wood and turning it to paper-like material before using it to construct the nest. This continues until the nest falls off, leaving the insects exposed and hence their demise. Once a nest has been occupied it cannot be used again by another swam.
Wasp infestation can be controlled by putting up preventive measures which include getting rid of any spaces near the fruit trees and feeling up anyhow located outside your farmhouse and good management of domestic waste to prevent them from attracting the insects.
Once the nests have been established, you can employ a number of ways in eliminating or reducing them. These include:
- In the case of a large nest, there is a need for one to consult an exterminator for advice on what measure should be taken to eradicate the menace.
- For small scale cases, you can decide to torch the nest. This is a natural way and has no counter effect except for the fact that fire has to be used with precaution otherwise it can turn out to be a bad servant.
- The third alternative is the use of pesticides and insecticides. If the nest is found to be in a hollow then pesticide can be put on the entrance to choke off the insects and if the nest is outside, then the drug can be sprayed from a safe distance the appropriate measures ought to be taken, otherwise the pesticide will be inhaled by farm animals and/or kids and these can cause health problems bearing in mind that the drug is poisonous.
Remember to always try preventive measures first as the use of chemicals may lead to an imbalance in the ecosystem.