Calgary exterminator warns against DIY wasp nest removal: ‘They’re everywhere’

Business is abuzz for Calgary-area exterminators as wasps have been one of the most popular pests to complain about.

“I would say we’re probably twice as busy as we were last year at this point,” William Martin, owner of Martin’s Pest Control, told Global News. “In fact, we were joking around that we should change the name to Martin’s Wasp Control for a while because it was so busy.”

Martin said despite early summer rains, increasing heat and dryness throughout the year have driven more wasp calls.

“They’re everywhere. They’re in the ground, they’re in the trees, they’re under the deck. They’re in the barbecue,” he said, noting some condominium complexes have had dozens of nests.

“Wasps are predators. They eat bugs off of trees and plants and landscapes. So the more that there are bugs, the more that there’s food for them,” he said, noting the warmer weather draws out more bugs for the wasps to feast on. “The faster they can get food, the faster their nest can grow and the bigger they get.”

Martin advised leaving nest removal to professionals to avoid injury from wasps.

“Don’t try to do something that you don’t know what you’re doing. For example, don’t go out in the middle of the night and seal up the hole that the wasp are in — especially if the hole is in your house,” he said. “You could wake up the next morning with a huge surprise in your garage or your living room.”

1:45 Hot, dry summer ideal breeding condition for wasps, says entomologist

Commercial products are available, and Martin advises people closely follow the instructions.

City officials advise against trying to destroy a wasp nest by burning or flooding, “as wasps will respond with aggression.”

The pest control expert said there are prevention measures that can be used around homes before the hottest months of the year, like water-filled wasp bags or insect treatments for trees.

“Those fake paper nests don’t do anything, unfortunately.”