Wasps

Wasps; should we hope for a wet summer?
Every summer, wasps are causing nuisance.  
Summers can be quite annoying, specifically for the terrace and barbecue lovers among us. 
Wasp stings are usually very painful, and in some cases even (life) threatening. 

However, wasps are not only unpleasant, they are also very useful. 
A nest of 6,000 wasps can catch half a million flies and about 130,000 mosquitoes in one week. Also carcasses of small mammals, amphibians and birds are bitten into small pieces and fed to the larvae. 

Trouble with wasps partly depends on how the spring has been. If the weather was cold, with periods of frost, there will be fewer wasps in summer. If spring was relatively warm with less rain, usually there will be more wasps during summer. 

After the winter period, a queen will start building a nest in spring. She makes a start, after which the workers take over. During this period, wasps do not show up much. How different is this as from the end of July, when the nests are usually ready and the workers start looking for food. In August and September, food becomes more scarce and wasps can be more aggresive and stinging.  Wasp nests can be found in many places such as attics, barns or cavity walls. 

Tips

• Avoid sweet drinks on the table, or cover the glasses with a beer mat for example.
• Avoid wearing bright colours and intense perfumes. Wasps may react aggressively to these. 
• Pay attention when you kill a wasp. It will release a specific pheromone that makes other wasps react more aggressive. 
• For catching or reppling wasps, we offer some very effective solutions. 

Catching wasps
Our Knock Pest Wespenval comes including wasp bait and catches wasps effectively and efficiently. The trap can be used both suspended as in upright position. 

If you already own a trap, you can just easily add the Knock Pest Wasp Bait.

Repel wasps
To repel wasps, the Knock Pest Wasp Protector is ideal. By imitating a hostile wasp's nest, the Wasp Protector keeps most wasp species out of reacht of the protected area in an effective and environmentally friendly manner, keeping them away. 

For outdoor areas up to 100 m^{2 ,} we recommend the TaonX. Also ideal to use in barns, golf courses and parks. 

Fighting wasps
The Knock Pest Freeze It is very effective, a non-toxic freeze spray against insects. Intended for treating cracks, seems and other places where wasps can hide. Ideal to fight hanging nests. 

Should you decide to remove a wasp nest yourself, wait for nightfall, or wait until the weather conditions are a bit worse, to reduce the chance of stings. We offer protective clothing, such as pants and gloves, For wasp nests in hard to reach areas or large nests, we recommend contacting a pest controller. 

Prevention
Prevent wasps from using your cavity wall to build a nest and preventively place weep holes and  cavity safes. Very easy and quick to place. 

After all, prevention is better than cure. 

Should you be stung despite all precautions:

• If possible, such the poison out of the bite. Do this with a suitable pump and immediately after the sting, because after 2 minutes, the poison already enters the blood stream. 
• Immediately start cooling to reduce swelling, pain and itching. 
• Try not to scratch. 
• Contact a doctor if you are stung in your throat, nose or mouth, if you are allergic or when the swelling is increasing. 

Sources

• Natuurpunt.be
• Naturetoday.com