Why Are There So Many Wasps Around Right Now?

Wasp activity starts up in the spring

Every creature has a life cycle. Most wasps start their life cycle in spring and end it in winter. In the spring, female wasps emerge from hiding and create nests. These nests are made by a few females working together, with one becoming the dominant wasp of the nest, otherwise known as the queen. During the spring and summer, wasps stay busy growing their colonies and foraging for food. By the time August arrives, wasps have had the entire summer to build their populations, resulting in nests at full capacity.

Population growth & dietary changes result in more wasps around later on

As mentioned above, a wasp nest reaches peak population by the end of the summer. That means there are more mouths to feed. On top of that, their dietary needs have shifted to less protein and more carbohydrates. The natural food sources wasps rely on to feed their nests start to become scarcer at the same time.

Unfortunately, the situation described above leads to more encounters with wasps in the late summer and early fall months, as more wasps are buzzing about and are hungry.

But why are they more aggressive?

Here’s the thing: on a good day, red wasps are aggressive. When they’re hungry and competing for depleting food sources, their level of aggression increases. Like Betty White in that Snickers commercial, wasps get a little “hangry,” too, and they don’t let much get in the way. In fact, they have no problem stinging anyone who stands between them and a sugary drink or tasty morsel from a BBQ.

Do they only sting because they’re hungry?

It’s not just hunger that drives wasps to sting. Here are a few other reasons:

• Self-defense
  If you get too close to a wasp, there’s a good chance they’ll consider you a threat and likely sting.
• Nest protection
  Social wasps protect their nests. If people or animals get too close, whether by accident or on purpose, there’s a good chance a swarm of wasps will attack.
• Colony decline
  When the queen stops laying eggs, worker wasps lose their purpose. They’re no longer responsible for the care and keeping of larvae; this can make them aimless and irritable, which increases the likelihood of stinging.

How do I prevent wasp stings in the fall?

The greatest tool in your wasp sting prevention arsenal is situational awareness. It would be best to see the danger before the wasps see you. Keep an eye out for wasp nests, starting in the spring, ideally. When the nests are small and within reach, you can knock them down. As they grow larger and there are more wasps around, it becomes riskier, and we’d advise against it.

If you haven't already, implement the prevention tips noted above at the end of summer and the start of fall to avoid stinging encounters.

If you detect wasp activity, contact a licensed pest control provider, like Anti-Pest. Once nests are fully developed or maxed out, it can be tricky to address them.

Sign up for a home pest control plan, and let us take care of the wasps!

To avoid wasp problems in and around your home, we recommend signing up for our home pest control plan. This year-round service targets wasps and also covers ants, cockroaches, beetles, spiders, mice, and other house-infesting pests.

Check out the plan features below or give us a shout!