If there are wasps flying around your home you’re probably wondering why.

Determining the reasons a wasp is flying around your home is time-consuming. You can spend days inspecting your home if you don’t know what to look for. 

Don’t worry I’m here to help. In this post, I’ll go over 8 things that can attract wasps and what you should look for when you’re inspecting your home. 

Let’s get started. 

1. Potential Nesting Locations

One of the most common reasons that wasps might be flying around your home is scouting for a new place to build their nest. 

During spring, female wasps will emerge from their winter hiding spots and scout for nesting locations. 

If you witness a single wasp or a few wasps flying around, they are likely scouting for a new nesting location. You will likely see female “queen” wasps scouring your home during early spring or hot winter days. 

Wasps typically return to the same nesting locations as previous years. If you had wasps last summer, they will likely return. 

If you see a wasp flying around your home during summer or mid-summer, they are not scouting a new nesting location. 

As winter starts to end, you can take steps to make your home less desirable for wasps. You can do this by taking a few steps: 

• Apply chemical insecticide to the exterior of your home 
• Limit nesting materials such as trash or rotting wood 
• Reduce bright flowers and fruit trees near your home
• Apply mesh protection to the eaves, overhangs, and ceiling of your home. This will make it harder for wasps to build a nest. 
• Use fake wasps nests. 
• Cover holes in the ground 
• Keep your yard well-maintained

2. An abundance of Insects around your home

Wasps are more likely to build a nest near your home if there is a food source nearby. Most people don’t know that wasps eat other insects.

If you have lots of insects or pests outside your home, this will attract wasps towards your home.

Wasps are predators. While they do feed on fruit and nectar, they tend to eat insects.

Typical wasp food includes spiders, aphids, caterpillars, and beetles. They tend to target smaller insects that live within gardens, plants, or trees.

If you have large populations of small insects outside your home, you should take action to reduce them.

An easy way to remove insects from your yard is to treat them with a chemical insecticide. A natural alternative to chemical insecticides is using a DE slurry.

Mix DE with water and apply it to the outside of your home using a pressurized sprayer. DE is only effective when dry. Once it dries, any insects that come in contact with the DE will die over within the next 3-4 days.

3. Sweet Foods

Similar to bees, wasps are attracted to sweet food. If you leave empty soda cans or empty cups around your home with surgery drinks, this will attract wasps.

Fruits tend to attract wasps due to their high sugar content. Wasps won’t penetrate your ripe fruit and destroy it. They will feed on any rotting or damaged fruit.

If you have a party, you must make sure you remove all cans and cups to avoid attracting wasps to your home.

Likewise, if you have fruit trees in your yards, make sure you pick up any rotting fruit on the floor. You should also pick all fruit off the tree once it’s ripe.

If the fruits get bruised or are exposed while on the tree, this will also attract wasps.

4. Flowers or Plants Around Your Home

Another key food source for wasps is nectar. Wasp, like bees, gets nectar from flowers and the pollen of fruit trees and other flowers. 

If you have large flower beds, gardens, or trees around your home, these will attract wasps to your home. 

Wasps are especially attracted to colorful or brightly colored flowers. To make the flowers less attractive, you can take several steps. 

• Apply Chemical Insecticide 
• Use DE slurry on the surface of your plants (alternative to chemical insecticides) 
• Use plants that repel wasps around your home 

Plants with strong aromas have shown to be effective at repelling both wasps and bees. You can consider planting some of the following plants in your yard. 

• Basil 
• Eucalyptus 
• Mint 
• Germaniums 

5. Decaying or Damaged Wood

Wasps use wood to build their nests. To do this, wasps scrape wood fiber from weathered or decaying wood and mix it with their saliva to create paper pulp.

Wasps can continue looking for wood even after their nest is built.

This means that you should make sure you store all your wood correctly. This is especially true if you have rotting or weathered wood lying around.

Be sure you store any unused wood inside garages, sheds, or covered with a tarp to prevent wasps from accessing it.

You should apply chemical insecticide to repel wasps for your property for wood that you may have around your homes, such as fences, chairs, or benches.

One excellent option to protect the wood around your home is using borate. Borate is best applied to unfinished wood surfaces. Unfinished wood surfaces can absorb the borate and protect your wood.

As an alternative, if you have unfinished wood, you can apply chemical insecticide to your wood surfaces for additional protection.

6. Water Sources

Water is crucial to the wasp’s survival. They are highly attracted to water.

Wasps need water to survive. It acts as hydration and a source of energy.

Wasps either drink the water themselves or bring the water to their nest for their other nestmates.

If you have water sources around your home, such as pools, fountains, or puddles, it will attract wasps.

You must make sure your plumbing and gutters are working correctly.

You should also make sure that you have no puddles forming. Properly grade your home or add a drain to prevent this from happening.

If you do have sitting water such as pools or water fountains, you can use a water disrupter to keep wasps away.

When water is moving, wasps will avoid approaching the water. They prefer calm water with no movement.

7. Dry or Barren Soil

If you have barren, dry soil around your home, this will attract wasps.

Wasps are typically attracted to these areas when they are building nests.

While most people believe that wasps only build nests on structures or in the air, this is not the case.

Wasps also build nests in holes in the ground. Wasps can dig their holes to create a space for their nest. They are more likely to do this when the soil is dry and sandy.

To avoid this, plant grass over dry or barren dirty. You can also consider using rock gravel or mulch to prevent wasps from digging and creating their nests.

You can also apply chemical insecticide to the soil to kill any wasps that attempt to build a nest.

8. Garbage

Wasps are highly attracted to garbage for two reasons.

• Food source 
• Nesting materials 

First, it typically provides them with a food source. They can rummage through the garbage and find meat, sugars, and starches that they can survive off of. 

The other reason is that it provides them with potential nesting materials. Wasps can use the paper, cardboard, and wood they find in garbage t build their nest. 

It’s always important that you close your garbage bings or make sure they have a cover. Don’t leave trash exposed or on the outside of the garbage bin. This will attract wasps and other rodents and insects as well. 

9. Raw or Cooked Meat

Yes, wasps are attracted to raw and cooked meat. If your BBQing during summer wasps may try to join the party and enjoy some of your food. 

If you are preparing your meat keep it in a sealed container until you are ready to drop in on the grill. 

This will keep wasps away for much longer. Wasps are not necessarily attracted to the grill since they don’t like smoke or fire. 

After your done cooking you should place cooked meat in a sealed container. Don’t leave your food exposed because the scent can attract wasps. 

If you are going to leave your food exposed consider taking it inside directly rather than letting it sit on the grill or on a nearby table. 

10. Preexisting Holes

Wasps can also build their nest in their ground. They usually target dry or sandy soil that they can easily dig through. 

If there are pre-existing holes in the ground they are more likely to create nests inside well-maintained gardens and laws.

One of the most common reasons for pre-existing holes inside grass or dirt is rodent burrows and tunnels.

Rodents such as squirrels, moles, voles, and gophers create burrows and tunnels inside the grounds.

Abandoned or active rodent tunnels are prime targets for wasps. Since all the hard work is done, all the wasp need to do is construct the nest around the hole.

Other common holes include old post holes or sprinkler holes.

If you do have holes in your yard, cover them up with fresh soil. This will deter wasps from creating nests.

If you do have an active nest, the good thing is that ground nests are much easier to treat than those in high locations.

With a single treatment of an insecticide drench, you can eliminate an entire wasp colony, including the queen.

How To Get Rid of Wasps

If you already have a wasps nest around your home you need to be careful when you are trying to get rid of them. 

On the other hand, if you haven’t spotted a nest but continue seeing wasps flying around your home or pool then this is a sign that they are attracted to something around your home.

This situation is easier to deal with because it typically means that their nest may be in a different location. To eliminate wasps in this situation you need to eliminate the item that is attracting them. 

1. Remove the Wasp Nest

If you have a wasps nest on your property the natural solution is to remove it. The easiest way is to spray the nest and allow the insecticide to work. 

I recommend doing this removal at night because this is when the wasps are less active. They are mostly inside the nest.

Remember to wear the proper attire such as face and hand protection as well as long sleeves and pants. 

This will give you protection in the event that any wasp tries to sting you. 

If the wasp’s nests are in a high location avoid using a ladder. These can leave you in a vulnerable position. 

Rather than using a ladder purchase an extension arm that allows you to spray insecticide from a distance. 

2. Use Wasp Traps

Wasp traps are quite simple to make but are very effective.

These bags are available for purchase, but you can DIY. All you need is a 2-liter bottle. Cut the top off of the bottle, so what remains in your hand looks like a funnel.

Place this funnel on top of the trap so that it functions as a funnel.

Next, place a liquid inside that will attract wasps.

In some cases, water is sufficient, but the more attractive the liquid is, the more effective the trap will be.

One popular choice to use to attract wasps is diesel fuel.
Wasps are highly attracted to diesel fuel.

And once they enter the trap and fall inside the diesel, they are guaranteed to die.

3. Create An Alternative Water Source

Another great way to keep wasp away from your pool is to create an alternative water source.

Wasp, like most living things, need water to survive. So they might just leave your pool alone if you install a separate watersource close by. These alternative watersource can be an elaborate bird bath or a simple bucket.

If it’s possible, get the alternate water source installed before opening your pool. This way the wasp can get used to the source first.

I also recommend placing an alternate water-source near the wasp’s nest. You can use your old pool water to attract the wasps faster.

4. Repel Wasps Using Essential Oils

Essential oils are an effective repellent for wasps. The most effective oils against wasps tend to be citrus essential oil. Orange oil and peppermint oil, in particular, are highly effective against wasps.

In a study a combination of clove, geranium, and lemon grass repelled 100% of wasps. 

You can use essential oils as a spray around your home where asp activity is high. Or you can place it in small bowls around your home. This will allow the fumes to fill the air around your home. 

You can leave your essential oil outside for several days, and it will still remain effective.

Another effective essential oil against wasp is a combination of lemongrass, clove, and geranium.

5. Call A Professional

Dealing with wasps is not easy. They are dangerous especially if you have children or if you’re allergic. 

If this sounds like you, you should contact a pest control professional to help you get rid of the wasps around your home. 

I highly recommend calling a professional if the wasps nest you’re dealing with is aggressive. Aggressive nests can attack swarm you and cause serious damage if you try to treat them. 

The average cost for a professional wasps removal can be as low as $100 and as high as $500.

But the price varies on the location and visibility of the nest. The harder it is to get rid of the wasps, the more expensive the removal will become.

6. Insecticides

If you don’t have a nest on your property but wasp activity is still high, you can use an insecticide to drive wasps away. 

You can apply chemical insecticides to the surfaces where wasp activity is high. Common areas to apply insecticide include plants, flowers, trees, gardens, grass, outdoor furniture, the exterior of the home, and around water sources such as pools and fountains.

I recommend using a chemical that kills wasp on contact, or that has a residual effect.

You can use pyrethrin’s, which are the most common chemical used against wasps. While it doesn’t provide the benefit of a residual effect, pyrethrin has a quick knockdown effect on wasps.

Another great alternative is to use a residual insecticide.

One of them is microencapsulated. These insecticides tend to last longer and withstand harsher conditions.

This is ideal since it might be a long period before wasp land on a surface that is protected by the residual insecticide.