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The vibrant return of spring is something we all look forward to, but it is often spoiled by the return of various pests. None is quite so unwelcome as the wasp. While they are often mistakenly grouped in with beneficial bees, wasps (including yellow jackets and hornets) are notorious for their aggressive nature and painful sting. A sudden influx of wasps in the spring can make routine gardening tasks, outdoor dining, or even playing in the yard super stressful. And while some wasps are actually harmless, others should be killed. So to give yourself better odds of having a peaceful spring next year, tidy up your garden now.
Wasps are driven by both defense and hunger. In the spring, newly awakened queen wasps begin searching for food plus materials to build their nests. Having early access to resources (like wood scraps, clean water, and fallen fruit) makes it easier to quickly build a nest, rapidly expand their workforce, and become highly defensive of their territory… which, problematically, is also yours. They usually build nests in inconvenient places like sheds, trees, door frames, shrubs, or under eaves.
Furthermore, not only are wasps unpleasant to have near your outdoor lounge areas, they can quickly become a nuisance to your soft fruit crops later in the season. You don’t want to spend all your time looking for ways to get rid of wasps. By being proactive now and cleaning up your garden, you’ll disrupt the start of their life cycle and reduce the resources available for queens to use, which leads to a far more peaceful and sting-free spring season.
Essential autumn cleanup strategies to deter wasps
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As it grows colder, your garden inevitably accumulates a layer of organic debris, which is exactly where your cleanup should start. First, thoroughly rake your whole yard. Fallen leaves and plant debris make excellent cover and insulation for insects, including solitary queen wasps in diapause (the wasp version of hibernation). Completely removing this insulating blanket of material exposes them to harsher elements or forces them to look elsewhere, making it more difficult for wasp queens to emerge in your yard with the energy needed to found a new colony.
Beyond raking, eliminate other potential spots and materials that queen wasps might decide are good for nesting. Store away empty pots, unused irrigation equipment, wood scraps, and unused pet and bird houses. Plugging up cracks or holes in your home’s exterior can also help. Also, while light pruning of dead wood is technically okay in autumn to help reduce material for wasps, do avoid major, late-season cuts, as it will increase those plants’ susceptibility to cold damage.
Finally, it is just as important to get rid of all dropped fruit, one of the main things that attracts wasps to your garden. Apples, pears, berries, and anything else fallen from trees or shrubs won’t take long to start fermenting, creating sugary pockets that are an irresistible food source for late-season wasps. Be diligent in picking up and trashing their last meal opportunity before hibernation. By tidying up your garden now, you can be the one enjoying your yard in spring, not those pesky wasps.
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