Have wasps invaded your garden this summer?

The recent good weather has resulted in wasp infestations on the rise in Wicklow. Wasps begin to appear in late April onwards, with their peak time being late summer early autumn. In the winter months in Ireland, the queen wasps will be in hibernation while the worker wasps will have died off. In spring, the queen will come out of hibernation and start forming new nests. Wasps will construct nests from chewed up bark and dried timber using their own saliva.

If a wasp’s nest is built near your property, it can cause nuisance to homeowners or passers-by. If a wasp’s nest is left untreated it can become the size of a football, with a colony as big as 25,000 wasps.

Pro tip!

Check for nests early in the year. Check the most likely spots for wasps to build their nests such as garages, sheds, lofts, under eaves, vents, on your balcony and even under your decking! These should all be checked in Spring while nests are still small – around the size of a golf ball. A nest the size of a golf ball is much easier to deal with than when it grows to the size of a football in the late summer.

We recommend avoiding DIY products for wasps nest removal.

As we know wasps can have an aggressive nature. If you try to DIY remove a wasps nest, it could result in thousands of very angry wasps. Whoever the unlucky people nearby this angered wasp nest are, are open to receiving major stings. We at Wicklow Pest Control would advise you to call the professionals, who have protective clothing to wear while removing a wasps nest and we will use professional insecticides that are not available to the public and are highly effective.

A pest controller will normally apply an insecticide near the entrance of the nest. The wasps will bring the chemical into the nest. After a couple of days the wasps will die from the dose of pesticide. If a wasps nest is treated correctly, it will start to die off within an hour. We advise customers to keep away from the area around the treated wasp nest until no wasp activity is seen. It may also be necessary to keep doors and windows shut near the nest after it has been treated.

‘Do wasps return to the same nest each year?’

No, all worker wasps die off each winter, with a few queens remaining. The queens will hibernate over the winter, and although this might be in an existing nest, the queen will build a new nest each spring. This may be close to an existing nest which is the reason it is not uncommon to find an active nest surrounded by a few older nests.

One of the most common places for queen to start her nest is at the shed, boiler house, dogs kennel even under a kid’s trampoline.

• Nests are light grey beige colour with papery appearance
• Once indoors, wasps will build nests in sheltered locations with easy access to outside such as lofts, garages and wall cavities
• Nests will also be found in roof spaces, airbricks, cavity walls, garden sheds, trees and flowerbeds if left undisturbed

Preventing Wasps and their nests

• Housekeeping – keep outdoor eating areas clean to minimize a food source for wasps. Regularly removing rubbish and keeping bins clean and closed is important.
• Seal Gaps and Cracks – in exterior walls, roofs, and foundations to prevent wasps from entering. Deny wasps access into your property by keeping doors shut
• Installing Mesh Screens – on windows, doors, and vents to keep wasps out while maintaining airflow.
• Removing Potential Nesting Sites – such as woodpiles and tall grass – through the summer check your BBQ!
• Eliminate Water Source – as wasps need water for their survival and will be attracted to birdbaths, pet water dishes or leaky faucets.

In Ireland there are mainly two types of Cockroaches that we deal with, German Cockroaches and Oriental Cockroaches. The most common one we deal with is the German Cockroach, formerly known as a ‘steam fly’ due to their preferred moist environmental conditions. These insects do not like the cold, so you are guaranteed they will make their way throughout the property or apartment complex. Cockroaches breed at an alarming rate meaning a cockroach infestation can expand very quickly. We would recommend that you contact a professional pest control provider with experience in dealing with these insects like Wicklow Pest Control to treat your issues before it gets out of hand.

Signs of a Cockroach Infestation

1. Visual – Cockroaches are nocturnal, meaning they are more active at night. If you are seeing Cockroaches during the day, it is highly possible you could have a heavy infestation.
2. Smell – Cockroaches leave a chemical trail in their excrement. This trail leads other Cockroaches to find their food source, water, drains and warm environments. Food may also be tainted with the smell of the Cockroach, this is produced by droppings, dead insects, and abdominal/salivary gland secretions.
3. Droppings – These will resemble black pepper and will mostly be found near a food source.

Where will I find cockroaches in my property?

Cockroaches can be found in any building, in the commercial or residential sectors. As Cockroaches are nocturnal, they hide away in dark places in your property during the day. These include, cracks, behind cupboards and cookers, sinks and drains.

How to prevent a Cockroach infestation:

• Maintain Good Housekeeping
• Prevent easy access to Food Source.
• Keep your property Well Ventilated as Cockroaches are attracted to warm environments.

Silverfish are the most common pest in the world. Although people are surprised they are classified as a pest, as they are not harmful to people’s health. Although they may not bite, sting or carry diseases, they will cause serious damage to your property. Silverfish will feed off almost anything meaning they will have no problem feeding through your furniture, household goods and building materials.

 As we know in pest control, prevention is better than cure. Wicklow Pest Control have some helpful tips to prevent Silverfish infestations both in your home and business:

• Housekeeping: although we have said previously that Silverfish are not solely linked to poor hygiene in the home, a clean home and business is essential for the prevention of all kinds of pests. Keeping good house keeping standards also helps you to spot an infestation signs such a droppings or skin moults.
• Seal: Silverfish will enter your home or business through small cracks and gaps around windows and doors. Sealing these will prevent entry of these pests and other pests too.
• Ventilation: As we now know, Silverfish need moisture to survive. Good ventilation in bathrooms and kitchens will make your property less appealing for Silverfish to get too comfortable.
• Food Source: open food containers or cereal boxes are creating easy food supply for Silverfish. Keep food in sealed containers and clean up crumbs on counters and food spills on floor to prevent infestation.

Many people think a sighting of a Silverfish in their home is a sign of an unclean home, however this is not the case. Silverfish are not attracted to dirty homes; they are attracted to moisture. They need moisture to survive and will establish themselves anywhere where moisture levels in your home are high. This is why a very common place for a Silverfish infestation to be is in the bathroom or kitchen of your home or business.

Did you know?

Silverfish are nocturnal. Hence why you may not know you have an infestation until you spot one in your bathroom at night. Whilst it isn’t uncommon to see the odd silverfish in your kitchen or bathrooms at night, they breed quickly, laying an average of 60 eggs per day. Keeping a close eye on silverfish activity in your home is important.

If you believe you have a Silverfish infestation and have called our team, we will firstly do a risk assessment survey to find where the source of your infestation is.