7 Ways Wasps Got Into Your House (And How To Get Them Out)
Wasps are unfortunately, no joke. So there’s no doubt you don’t want a family of wasps living in your house. If you have wasps in your home, you may be wondering just how in the word wasps got into your house?
Wasps are attracted to anything sweet, including fruit trees and get into your house through various locations, including:
- Attics
- Basements
- Open Doors and Windows
- Bathroom or Laundry Exhaust Vents
- Chimney
- Garage
- Hitchhikers
- Infrequently Used Spaces
The best way to get wasps out of your house is to tackle the issue the moment it arises. The longer you let wasps invade your home, the bigger the problem will become! This article will go over the many ways wasps got into your house and how to get them out – let’s get to it!
How Did Wasps Get Into Your House?
Wasps are on the quest for a place to nest, and your home offers many places to do just that. The queen is always hunting for a place to lay her eggs and thinks your house is a great option.
In addition, wasps seek shelter to find food and protection from the weather. Your house is a stellar option for both.
While wasps serve some wonderful purposes for the environment, we still don’t want them inside. For example, wasps help control the number of insects around our house and help keep those pesky pests out of your garden.Â
Wasps are pretty disliked by most of the population, in particular, compared to bees. I mean, bees are pretty exceptional. So, while we want to remove wasps from our house, we can give them some credit for keeping certain insects from eating our prize tomatoes.
You may have wasp nests in your home and not even realize it until they start flying around. Some wasps hide from the cold winters by hibernating in dark, hidden places. If you notice they are only around in the evening, you may wonder where wasps go during the day.
It’s crucial to understand how wasps get into your house so you can avoid any future problems. So, let’s dive right in.
If you’d like, you can also read more in-depth about the specific reasons why bees and wasps go into your house here.
1. Attics Are Optimal Housing For Wasps
Attics are an excellent place for wasps to go in the winter. The dark spot in your house is hardly used and offers a safe area for wasps to go.
If you have wasps in your attic, you may start seeing them come in from your light fixtures. The crawl space in your house allows the wasps to roam freely.
Paper wasps are common in attics and will nest in beams and supports. Unfortunately, paper wasp nests are small, so you may not notice them initially.
The wasps can come and go as they please without your knowledge if they have an entry point. In addition, a single paper wasp is only about half an inch to an inch long, so they can easily fit through any holes or gaps in your ceiling or walls.
Since paper wasps eat spiders and insects primarily, your attic can almost serve as a buffet for them. Unless, of course, you are constantly dusting up there, but who does that?
Finally, a paper wasp colony will only last for one year. However, the queen can hibernate and survive the winter. Therefore, you want to ensure you rid your attic of any signs of wasps.
So, if you find a nest with no activity, don’t assume it’s empty. The queen may hibernate until warmer weather.
2. Wasps May Live in Basements
Basements are another secure place for wasps to hide out in. There are plenty of dark areas downstairs for a wasp to build a nest.
Unfortunately, you may not frequent your basement enough to notice your unwanted house guests.
You want to look around the exterior door frame for any gaps the wasps may have gotten in through. In addition, any windows in your basement may have brought the wasps in.
If you have an unfinished basement, there’s a good chance you do not frequent it often. This allows the perfect opportunity for wasps to move in.
3. Open Doors Or Windows Let Wasps Fly Right In
One of the most basic ways wasps enter your home is through open doors and windows. While a nice day might bring a cool breeze in, it could also bring wasps looking for a place to nest.
Since wasps are most active when the weather becomes nicer, you want to ensure you are not leaving doors and windows open. If you must, ensure you monitor the entryway to prevent a wasp from flying in.
Honey bees can also fly into your house this way on accident, but you should really try to avoid doing any harm to them! You can learn how to identify the differences between honey bees and wasps here.
4. Bathroom Or Laundry Room Exhaust
Exhaust vents in bathrooms and laundry rooms lead directly outside, so any hole is an open invitation for wasps.
If you have noticed wasps flying around in your bathroom, there’s a good chance their entry point is somewhere in the vents.
You want to ensure the exterior part of your vent is clear of any wasps and that the seal is completely covering the vent.
Most vents will have some sort of flap covering them, but it can break off, allowing an open entryway into your home. Also, sometimes debris gets in the way, preventing it from closing correctly.
Finally, wasps can also enter your home through oven vents in your kitchen. Like bathroom and laundry vents, the area exits to the outside, and if not well protected, it is an open entryway to wasps.
5. Chimneys Don’t Just Let Smoke Out
If you forget to close your flue after using your chimney, you are giving an open invitation for wasps to enter your home.
Even if you close your flue, ensure it closes completely to prevent gaps. The slightest gap is large enough for wasps to make their way inside.
In addition, older chimneys may have cracks or holes on the exterior, allowing pests to enter quickly.
A chimney provides a warm, dark place for wasps to nest. Unfortunately, you probably won’t know you have a problem until the nest has a full-blown colony.
However, if you often start a fire during the winter, you’ll likely scare off any queens looking to hibernate for the season.
6. Wasps Will Take Up Residence In Garages
Your garage is another susceptible place to attract wasps. If you often leave your garage door open, you are risking wasps flying in and building a nest.
Garages are another dark place wasps find appealing when finding a spot to build a nest. Your garage is a fantastic place for a queen to hibernate.
If your garage has windows, ensure you close them completely to prevent a wasp from making its way inside.
7. Wasps Can Come Inside On Clothing Or Food
Finally, you may have unintentionally brought the wasps in yourself. Wasps can become hitchhikers and come in on your clothing or a piece of food.
If you recently went to the market and bought your favorite produce, a wasp may have landed on it, thinking they found their next meal.
The excellent news about hitchhikers is there usually is only one wasp, making it easier to rid yourself of the uninvited guest. However, you will not know for sure until you treat the problem.
While it’s not super common, bringing in a hitchhiking wasp can happen. You may also get a hitchhiker if you have a nest on your porch or deck. A single wasp may inadvertently fly into your house while you are entering.
How To Get Wasps Out Of Your House
Now onto the fun part. How do you get the wasps out of your house? For starters, you want to be careful, so you do not get stung. Wasps can give a pretty good bite, so it’s best not to agitate them while you are trying to eliminate them.
If the situation seems out of your control, you never should hesitate to call a pest professional. Sometimes pest problems are too big for a homeowner to handle, and they need to rely on the expertise of a professional.
A professional can help rid your house of wasps, and they can also help set up preventative measures so the insects don’t come back.
If you’d like a more in-depth guide, you can read our step-by-step on the 6 things to do if you find bees and wasps in your house.
1. Assess The Situation
It’s important to find where the wasps are coming in from. While you want to eliminate the problem quickly, figuring out their exact entry points is crucial.
Even if you suspect you have a single wasp in your home, you still want to ensure you know how they got in. If one got in, then there could be more on the way.
A solitary wasp should be easy to remove, but if a colony has moved in and built a nest, you will need to treat the situation.
Solitary wasps only build a nest for themselves and their young. However, you still do not want their family taking up residence with yours.
Remember, a large infestation may be best treated by a professional. It’s not wise to tackle a large swarm by yourself.
2. Use Pesticides To Remove Wasps
If you only have one or two wasps inside your home, spraying a pesticide on the wasp is an easy and quick solution.
If you know there is a nest in your house, you always want to wait until the evening when they are calmer.
Using a spray like Sprectacide Wasp Aerosol will help get rid of a few wasps flying around your house (you can read more about how wasp spray works here). You want to ensure you remove any food in the area and do not spray where people are present.
Finally, there are scents wasps hate if you prefer to stay away from pesticides. Scents include peppermint oil, scented herbs, and clove to name a few!
3. Use Caution When Dealing With Wasps
Regardless of whether you have one wasp or an entire colony, you do not want to agitate the wasps. Always ensure you attempt to eliminate the nest when it’s calmest at night, and do not spray a nest while wasps are flying around.
Wasps usually will not come after you unless you bother them, so do your best to leave them alone until the timing is right.
As an extra tip, wear light-colored clothing when you approach the nest. Wasps are attracted to bright colors, so you want to take extra steps to avoid garnering attention to yourself. Also, avoid wearing any perfumes or sweet-smelling colognes.
4. Remove The Nest
Even if you have eliminated all the wasps from the inside, you still want to remove the nest from your house.
Just to clear something up, the overwhelming majority of wasps don’t make honey. So, you’re not getting rid of a honey bee productive nest here.
You want to wait a few days before removal to ensure no wasps are left. Once you are wasp-free, remove the nest from your house and toss it in the garbage.
If you suspect there might be a nest outside causing the problem, consider putting up some RocksOnly Wasp Traps to catch any stragglers. These traps can be recharged with their solar cell, allowing it to emit blue light at night to attract pests.
Preventing Wasps From Coming Back Into Your House
While you might pat yourself on the back for eliminating your current wasp problem, you want to ensure they do not come back for additional visits.
Prevention is vital in keeping any pest out of your house. While it may seem like a lot of work now, you’ll thank yourself later.
In addition, checking your house for signs of wasps will also help you prevent other insects or pests from making their way inside.
There are several ways to help prevent wasps from coming back into your house. Following the appropriate steps will let the wasps know they are not welcome in your home.
1. Keep Windows And Doors Closed
One of the easiest ways to keep wasps out is to keep your windows and doors closed. While this may seem simple enough, it’s crucial to remember on those perfect weather days.
If you want to open the windows on a nice day, ensure there are no holes in your screen and always keep the screen closed to prevent any wasps from flying in.
If you don’t have a screen door you can slide shut, consider getting the Augo Magnetic Screen Door. It easily attaches to your door frame and does an excellent job at keeping insects out, but freely allows you to go in and out.
Finally, make sure your window screens correctly fit the window frame. If your screen is slightly small, it will leave access points for wasps to come in.
2. Cover Holes In The Ground
Since wasps can build nests underground, you want to ensure there are no random holes in your ground to entice them in.
If you have a dog who loves to dig, it’s vital to check around for spots wasps could use as nesting sites. They may create a home for future wasps. Thanks, Fido.
Wasps will also use former rodent holes as their new nest. Underground nests are typically found towards the end of summer and sometimes are tough to find. Unfortunately, you may not spot one until you run over it with your lawnmower.
To eliminate an underground wasp nest, you want to use a product like Delta Dust Pest and wait until the evening when the wasps are not as active. This product targets multiple pests and comes in a bellow hand duster to spread it.
3. Fill All Holes In Your Foundation
Wasps that made their way into your home could have quickly done so through cracks in your foundation.
Holes in your foundation can attract various insects, so it’s best to fill any gaps you see before they potentially grow.
Ensure you thoroughly inspect the entire exterior of your home so you don’t miss any spots.
Finally, checking holes in your foundation is something you should do regularly. Even if your foundation looks good now, a gap could form later on.
4. Keep Trash Covered
If you keep your trash cans outside, ensure you cover them fully. Any uncovered trash is like an open invitation for wasps to enjoy a buffet.
Wasps have an excellent sense of smell, so if they suspect food is around, they will seek it out. This is one of the most likely places that you’re likely to hear wasp sounds and noises as well.
In addition, sweet fragrances attract wasps, so make sure you do not leave any appealing foods outside.
That’s A Wrap!
If you suspect wasps have entered your home, you want to ensure you take all precautions to eliminate the pest immediately. Left alone, wasps can begin building nests in your home and cause a full-on invasion.
A wasp has a powerful sting, so you want to eliminate the problem as soon as possible. Even a single wasp can become a nuisance in your home.
This overview has discussed how to remove wasps from your house and ensure they do not return. With patience and a few deterrents, you can safely remove wasps from your home.
References
O’Neill, Kevin M., and Kevin M. O’Neill. Solitary wasps. Cornell university press, 2019.
Sachdev, A., et al. “Wasp sting induced neurological manifestations.” Neurology India 50.3 (2002): 319.
Steen, Christopher J., et al. “Insect sting reactions to bees, wasps, and ants.” International journal of dermatology 44.2 (2005): 91-94.
Sumner, Seirian, Georgia Law, and Alessandro Cini. “Why we love bees and hate wasps.” Ecological Entomology 43.6 (2018): 836-845.
Zack is a Nature & Wildlife specialist based in Upstate, NY, and is the founder of his Tree Journey and Pest Pointers brands. He has a vast experience with nature while living and growing up on 50+ acres of fields, woodlands, and a freshwater bass pond. Zack has encountered many pest situations over the years and has spent his time maintaining and planting over 35 species of trees since his youth with his family on their property.
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