Wasps in Central Florida

Wasps contribute to your backyard ecosystem because they’re predators – killing small insects and anthropods and bringing them back to their nests to feed their young. A few wasps in your backyard every now and then is no reason to contact pest control, but if you notice a wasp nest forming under the eaves of your home, in your attic or crawl space you should call a local, central Florida pest control specialist right away so that the nest can be safely removed.

Common varieties of wasps in central Florida include the paper wasp, baldfaced hornet and the yellowjacket. Each of these insect varieties builds their home from wood fibers mixed with saliva. Though wasps prefer to build their nests in a quiet, protected location, increased urbanization in central Florida often means that the best place for people to build their home is also the best place for wasps to make their nests. This close proximity combined with the availability of wood pulp on or near houses means that it’s common for wasps to build their nests near people.

Yellowjacket nests are commonly built below ground in abandoned rodent burrows, rotten logs or other close-quartered subterranean cavities. If a space like this isn’t available they’ll look for a space in trees, shrubs, under the eaves of houses or outbuildings, inside a wall or in a warm attic. Baldfaced hornets prefer to build their nests in the open in trees but in a pinch they’ll find a space under the eaves of a house or outbuilding or along the side of a building, sheltered from the wind. Paper wasps aren’t as picky and will build their nest on nearly any horizontal surface strong enough to hold the weight.

If you’re lucky and don’t find a central Florida wasp nest by getting stung, the first step to identify the presence of a wasp nest comes via regular sightings. If you entertain or dine outside you’ll probably see wasps at your picnic table and in the presence of food they can become quite hostile. If you don’t see them while dining outdoors, you’ll likely catch sight of a number of them buzzing repeatedly around the area where they have a nest or where they’re starting to build one.

The best time to call pest control for wasp removal in central Florida is in June as this is when the queen has established her colony but before the colony has had time to grow substantially. But if you notice a wasp nest on or near your house before June don’t wait – call pest control immediately so that your family and your pets aren’t at risk of painful stings.