Wasps in winter

Many people mistakenly believe that wasps die during the winter, but this is only half the truth.  In fact, what actually happens is that during the late fall the drones in a colony die off, but fertilized females actually survive the harsh winter temperatures.

The next question people ask about wasps in winter is; how do they survive?  I’ll give the answer by asking a question.  How many of us have seen a ladybug in the winter time?  My guess is that most everyone has.  Well wasps in the winter survive much the same as ladybugs, flies and a entire host of other insects do.  They something called overwintering.

The process of over wintering actually starts in the waning days of late fall as the evening temperatures start to dip into the low 40’s and 50’s.  What wasps and other insects do is find cracks and crevices around our homes and hide deep inside.  While they’re there very little if any movement goes on except for sunny days.  Again, we’ve all had some type of insect in our home in the winter.  Many of these insects are more prevalent on the sunny side of the structure.  That’s because the warmer temperatures that we sometimes get on a winter day combined with the warming heat of the sun trick the insect into thinking it’s time to emerge.  Unfortunately, this emergence is many times ill timed and they die at the hands of a trusty fly swatter or a rolled up magazine.

So, how do we stop wasps in the winter? First, it’s important to note that unless the “bee” is a honeybee there’s no colony in the house and the likelihood of having hundreds of wasps come into your home is slim. Second, pesticides will be of little help as there isn’t a nest or colony to treat.

The treatment for wasps in the winter actually takes place in the fall.  The following are the best practices to prevent winter time visitors:

  • Caulk cracks and crevices around windows and doors
  • Remove large wasps nests or any nests that are already in wall cavities
  • Treat as many cracks and crevices at the roof line, window frames, chimney frames and other egress points into the home with an approved insecticide

Some unscrupulous pest exterminators may try to sell you a treatment for wasps in the winter, but as I said unless it’s a honeybee colony you’r just wasting your money.

If you have a pest control problem and need help, call Envirocare Pest Control.  We can be reached at 1-888-879-6481