Most people are not fans of stinging insects. As a Grandville rental property owner, having wasps around presents a very serious safety concern. Although wasps have a somewhat exaggerated reputation for aggressiveness, a single wasp sting can lead to hazards that range from allergic reactions to being attacked by an entire swarm. This could also happen if you disturb a wasp nest on purpose or by accident. Should your rental property have a potential wasp problem, you must immediately act on it. To address your wasp issue, here are some options. Depending on how big your wasp problem is, you can choose among the following tips.
Above anything else, you should keep wasps away from your rental property. Take steps to identify where wasps nests are likely to be so you can do something to keep them away. Protected nooks and crannies around your rental property, like under the eaves, in a shed, or inside a wall, are usually where wasps make their nests. Remember that wasps also nest in trees as well as in the ground.
Keep your property wasp-free by using wasp repellents on your property’s exterior surfaces. Studies show that some essential oils are effective at keeping wasps at bay. In particular, a mixture of clove, geranium, and lemongrass essential oils sprayed around eaves, ledges, and crevices can keep wasps away.
Wasps are attracted to trash bins and cracks around windows and doors. Sealing these off could help prevent wasps from swarming around your property. Like most creatures, wasps stay near abundant food sources. Exposed trash and compost mounds are some of these sources. When you encourage your tenants to keep their garbage bins closed and to avoid composting, you should notice a significant reduction in the number of wasps around your rental property. You can also keep wasps out of interior spaces by regularly checking for and sealing up cracks, holes, or other entry points in the exterior.
As you are sealing up possible entry points, you must also check for wasps that might already be inside. Trace any buzzing wasps back to the source. As long as their nests are still there, killing individual wasps won’t do you any good. In case you manage to locate a small wasp nest, you should deal with it right away. As long as the nest is there, your wasp problem will only get bigger. One tried and tested method is to spray the nest and the wasps with dish soap and water. The soap makes breathing impossible for the wasps, causing them to suffocate and quickly eliminating them from your property. There are also available sprays designed for killing individual wasps. Another option is to draw them away from the house with a baited trap set up some distance away.
Bear in mind that these methods are generally effective for a small number of wasps. You need a different approach for dealing with large nests. Do not try to remove a large nest by yourself. Never hit nor knock down a wasp nest, regardless of whether you think there aren’t any wasps inside or not. Don’t spray it with water nor burn it either. Either option would cause more trouble. Disturbing a wasp nest will result in an angry swarm of stinging insects that will attack you and anyone else nearby. If your tenants report a large nest on the property, have them stay away from it and contact a professional right away. Wasps are usually not aggressive when left alone. When provoked, however, they can inflict serious injury or even death. Knowing these risks, calling a professional would be the safest way to get rid of wasps.
Have you found the perfect investment home but need the perfect property management company? Reach out to Real Property Management Investment Solutions. Contact us online or give us a call at 616-419-4578.
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