Living in communities such as, Waters edge and Chandlers Landing that are near the lake, you may find yourself experiencing an abundance of wasps. You might be saying “I don’t live by the lake. I live in Timber Creek Estates or in Fontanna Ranch and I still have wasps swarming.” Unfortunately, wasps are everywhere and Texas has its fair share of them.

With over 30,000 species of wasps around the world, Texas has over 125 of them. The most common ones found in Texas are: Paper wasps, Yellowjackets, Cicada Killers and Mud Daubers.

While wasps have the same basic anatomy, each one has its own personal distinction and characteristics. Each wasp is divided into 3 sections. Head, thorax, and abdomen. The head has its compound and simple eyes and its antennae. On the thorax are the strong wings that are capable of carrying their prey back to their nest and its 6 spindly legs. The abdomen consists of the wasps’ organs and only on the female does it have a deadly stinger.

To distinguish the type of wasp, you need to look at the coloring or patterns and characteristics of each wasp.

Paper wasp’s vs Yellowjackets

Often mistaken for each other, the one distinguishing factor is the paper wasp dangles its legs while flying. Yellowjackets draw them up. Both have brown to black bodies with orange/red markings. Both create paper nests. Yellowjacket nests are shaped like a bee hive with the opening at the bottom while paper wasp nests are an open comb nest that hangs down by a stem from the structure it’s attached to.

Cicada Killers

Cicada killer wasps are one of the larger wasps in Texas. They are what’s called a digger wasp. This means they dig under the soil and build their nest. Their nest is designed with several chambers or tubes and tunnels leading to each one. This type of wasp hunts cicadas and takes it back to her nest to deposit her eggs on. Once the eggs hatch, the larvae will feed on the cicada. These black and yellow striped red heads are non-aggressive and only sting when handled.

Mud Daubers

Mud dauber wasps are a natural pest control for spiders. These black and yellow wasps are beneficial to your home. They hunt and kill spiders and other annoying insects. Their nests are made of (you guessed it) mud. You can see these wasps flying around water puddles collecting mud to build a nest that resembles a clay pot. They are not aggressive unless repeatedly provoked.

Wasps are very active in late summer and early fall before temperatures drop below 55 degrees. They are seeking food to feed their larvae. This means, insects that typically rummage through your garden, flowerbed or lawn, wasps are killing them and taking them back to their nest.

But no one wants to be annoyed by wasps while enjoying their outdoor activities. Therefore, it’s important to follow a few simple tips to keep wasps away.

  1. Keep trash tightly sealed
  2. Tightly seal food
  3. Cover drinks while outside
  4. Keep patios and lawn clean and free of debris
  5. Clean up any spills
  6. Seal crack and crevices
  7. Fix any leaks and remove unnecessary standing water
  8. Hire a professional

Hiring a professional will help eliminate other insects that wasps would normally seek out for a food source. So whether you live in Rockwall, Heath, Fate or anywhere in between, here at Safe Earth Pest Control, can help you with that. Contact us today. We have a plan that fits all your pest control needs. 214-321-2847