Most people are not fans of stinging insects. As a Prince Frederick rental property owner, having wasps around present a very serious safety concern. Although wasps have a somewhat exaggerated reputation for aggressiveness, a single wasp sting can lead to hazards that range from allergic reactions to being attacked by an entire swarm. This could also happen if you disturb a wasp nest on purpose or by accident. If there seems to be a potential wasp problem on your rental property, you should immediately deal with it. Here are some options for dealing with wasps. Choose one that seems proportionate to how big your wasp problem is.
First and foremost, you should keep wasps away from your rental property. You can begin by identifying areas that wasps nest in and take steps to keep them at bay. Secure protected nooks and crannies around your rental property, like under the eaves, in a shed, or inside a wall because these are where wasps usually like to make their nests. Remember that wasps also nest in trees as well as in the ground.
You can also use wasp repellents on your property’s exterior surfaces to keep wasps away from your property. Studies show that some essential oils are effective at keeping wasps at bay. In particular, a mixture of clove, geranium, and lemongrass essential oils sprayed around eaves, ledges, and crevices can keep wasps away.
Keep your property free from wasps by sealing off trash bins and cracks around windows and doors. Like most creatures, wasps stay near abundant food sources. Exposed trash and compost mounds are some of these sources. Ask your tenants to keep your rental property clean by closing all garbage bins and avoiding composting. Doing so will help bring down the wasp population. You can also keep wasps out of interior spaces by regularly checking for and sealing up cracks, holes, or other entry points in the exterior.
You should also check for wasps that may already be inside your rental home. This can be done as you are sealing up possible entry points. Should you notice wasps buzzing around, try tracing them back to the source. If there is a nearby nest, killing individual wasps won’t do any good. In case you manage to locate a small wasp nest, you should deal with it right away. You will continue having a wasp problem if you just leave the nest alone. One proven technique is to mix dish soap and water together and spray this on the nest and the wasps. The soap makes it hard for the wasps to breathe, thus eliminating them from your property. There are also available sprays designed for killing individual wasps. Another option is to draw them away from the house with a baited trap set up some distance away.
These techniques are generally effective for small numbers of wasps, but large nests are a different matter. Do not try to remove a large nest by yourself. Never hit or knock down a wasp nest. It doesn’t matter if you think there aren’t any wasps inside. Don’t spray it with water nor burn it either. Either option would cause more trouble. Disturbing a wasp nest will result in an angry swarm of stinging insects that will attack you and anyone else nearby. If your tenants report a large nest on the property, have them stay away from it and contact a professional right away. Even if wasps are usually not aggressive if left alone, they can cause serious injury or even death when they are provoked. With these risks, it is best to call on a professional to remove wasps safely.
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