It becomes particularly problematic when:
- there is an acute danger from being close to wasps (e.g. due to insect venom allergy or small children in the household)
- the function of the roller shutter is impaired by the nest in the box
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Once a wasp colony has settled in the attic, in the garden shed (7.70 € on Amazon *) or in the roller shutter box, it is difficult to get rid of it. In order not to expose yourself and the animals to unnecessary stress, it is usually best to simply tolerate the wasp state. After all, wasps only have a short life, so after half a year the ghost is over anyway.
So that you don't even have to spend a summer with wasps, it is advisable to prevent the nest building in good time. First of all, it is important to know which places in and around the house are particularly popular with the social, state-building and problematic wasp species. German and common wasps or hornets, in contrast to most of the other, lesser-known wasp species, do seek proximity to humans. For example, they like to build their nests
- In roof trusses
- In roller shutter boxes
- In the garden shed
- In cavities between the walls and the outer cladding
In such places, the animals look for corners and niches at the top, where it is dark and protected. Here's what you can do to make the wasps as uninviting as possible:
- Minimize access
- Set up odor barriers
Minimize access
In the case of roof trusses and roller shutter boxes, the main thing is to block or reduce access. Check the roof of your house for any gaps and openings that may arise, for example, from porous insulation material or irregular roof tiles. Such weak spots offer wasps easy access to suitable nesting sites.
You should check window frames and external cladding of roller shutter boxes for cracks in the external plaster and seal them.
In the case of cavities between the facade and the foundation wall, unfortunately, not everything can be closed, because a ventilation duct is usually required here.
Put off by smells
You can also rely on the wasps' fine sense of smell to prevent nest building. They can't stand some smells at all and they won't settle where they stink. What they do not like at all, for example, are ethereal-herbaceous smells. It is recommended, for example, to rub the entablature in the attic with lavender, clove or basil oil. Laid out garlic cloves are also effective. For example, a strong-smelling incense plant can be hung in the hanging basket on the window and the outer facade.
Old wasp nests should also be removed in autumn and the area cleaned thoroughly - the familiar scent of the conspecifics can invite other young queens to settle in the following year.
