If you have never encountered a wasp nest consider yourself lucky. Many of the Tampa residents that do encounter one, attempt to knock down the nest, only to incur the wrath of a very swarm. Most times this doesn’t end well. Wasps are not usually aggressive and only attack when they perceive a threat to their nest. Provoked or not, their sting or stings are unpleasant. Bold Servicing is ready to assist you in the nest removal.
What Is A Mud Dauber?
The mud dauber is a wasp named for its nest built out of mud, but under the umbrella of that name, there are several varieties. The organ-pipe mud dauber, black and yellow mud dauber, and the blue mud dauber. You will see these nests under eaves, stuck to concrete walls, and an apartment complex breezeways. Basically, any place where they can be out of the harsh elements but still outdoors. These nests will last years if undisturbed. The nests themselves vary in size and shape. They are distinctive, and the way you know which wasp group you are playing host to. The mud dauber is usually only aggressive when threatened.
Mud Dauber Behavior
Mud daubers are solitary, meaning one parent wasp per nest, but there can be several nests in the same area. Many factors will attract wasps to your property. The problem is, most of the things that attract them are enjoyed by humans also, so eliminating those factors isn’t so easy. Below are some examples:
Flowers: Wasps like flowers. They are attracted to sweet nectar as a food source, but also they enjoy the smell. Maybe they are just taking time to smell the roses, but whatever the reason, humans that enjoy their flower gardens aren’t likely to give them up to reduce the wasp population.
Meat: Wasps need protein, so the meat is a natural attraction for them. Have you ever been to a BBQ and had wasps try to help themselves to your steak? They are a terrible nuisance at backyard outings.
Fruit Trees: Dropped rotting fruit is another attractor. You should definitely keep it picked up.
Insects: As we said earlier, wasps need protein. This includes insects. Mud dauber wasps will even eat black widow spiders.
Of course, the behaviors of a wild creature are never completely predictable. There is also a chance of unprovoked mud dauber attacks, but for the most part, if you are careful to employ these tips, you should be okay.
Prevention Tips
There are several DIY tips for keeping wasps away, here are the top four.
1. Remove any food source, this includes garbage cans, empty soda cans, dropped fruit from trees, and other insects.
2. Check for sources of stagnant water. Removing these water sources will help with many insect issues.
3. Grow plants that naturally repel wasps such as mint, thyme, or lemongrass.
4. Since spiders are the main source of food for a mud dauber's young, taking steps to eliminate spiders from your property should be at the top of the list.
These four simple tips will serve you well in preventing mud daubers from settling on your property.
Safest Nest Removal
As we said earlier the mud dauber is not highly aggressive, so it is easy to overlook their presence until they are flying into your home or frightening your children. However, homeowners can be in for a surprise when a mud dauber nest is taken over by more aggressive wasp species, and all of a sudden attacks are more frequent. Either way, stinging insect nests should be removed from the house by a professional. This is the safest and most effective way to handle the situation. Tampa can have some pretty brutal wasp and hornets seasons. Don’t wait until it gets out of control. Call Bold Servicing for a wasp removal estimate today.