If you have noticed that Ensign wasps have dominated your home, you want to eliminate them using natural remedies. These wasps resemble flies, only that the color of their abdomen is different from that of the scavenger flying insect. You may have many doubts about the wasps, and it is time to solve them and eliminate them from the house.
Find out precisely what ensign wasps are if they create nests and what their life cycle is in general. Know what ensign wasps eat, if they sting or bite and why you have to take care of the infestation.
In this article, you will have some tips on how to get rid of Ensign wasps and how you can prevent their infestation.
Let’s start now!
What are Ensign Wasps?
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Ensign wasps physically look like scavenger flies that you may have in your home. This flying insect is black and has a triangular abdomen with a distinctive flag shape. The wasp’s abdomen moves up and down, making it look like a flag sign, hence its name.
These wasps are from the Evanilda family, which corresponds to a strict diet of nectar and honey.
They are usually tiny wasps; males are usually ¾ inch long while females are larger.
Do ensign wasps create nests?
Ensign wasps do not usually create nests because they look for a recipient insect with their eggs. These wasps look for the egg boxes left by the cockroaches to lay eggs that will be larvae soon. The growth process of wasp eggs is faster than that in cockroach ootheca.
The larvae of the ensign wasps that have grown inside the ootheca will eat the roach eggs. Therefore, the larvae can help you remove the roach infestation that you may have at home.
The life cycle of the ensign wasp
Ensign wasps have a fairly complicated life cycle like other wasps, such as the yellow jackets. This flying insect begins its life as an egg deposited in the ootheca. After three weeks, they become nymphs.
In the larval stage, wasps can feed and slowly develop into adult wasps. The life cycle of wasps ends in winter when they are killed by raindrops or by a predator. Ensign wasps usually live for six months after reproducing and laying their eggs to create the new generation.
What do ensign wasps eat?
These wasps have a diet based on the nectar of flowers and the spray of honey from other wasps. Therefore, these ensign wasps are very active when it comes to food.
The ensign wasps can destroy a garden very quickly. And they are destructive wasps that you should avoid in your home for the well-being of your plants.
Do ensign wasps sting or bite?
There is no indication that ensign wasps bite or sting because they are very peaceful flying insects. You can annoy the wasps, and all they will do is run away from danger to preserve their species. You will not have an attack from the wasps even if you try to kill them with repellents or with your hands.
Also Read: How Long Do Wasps Live?
How to Get Rid of Ensign Wasps in Your Home Naturally
If you want to get rid of ensign wasps, you can use some natural remedies in your home, such as:
Vinegar with water
You can make a DIY based on vinegar with water, put it in a spray bottle, and spray it on the wasps. This natural repellent can scare away flying insects so they don’t create an infestation in your home.
You should use enough neutral vinegar along with the water so that the smell can repel the insect.
Lavender
Undoubtedly, lavender can be of great help for you to get rid of ensign wasps effortlessly. Just use lavender leaves or purchase a lavender extract product to spray at home.
This repellent smells delicious so that you won’t have any problem applying it at home.
Mint
On the other hand, you can use mint to keep the ensign wasps out of your home and avoid an infestation. You can use cleaning products with peppermint extract, peppermint plants, or something else with the scent. Wasps will run away when they smell this pungent smell on their body.
Rosemary
If lavender, peppermint, or vinegar don’t work, then you can try rosemary as a repellent against wasps. Although the smell of rosemary can be a bit bothersome for you, you should apply it at home to get rid of the insect.
Cleaning products
Any cleaning product that has a strong synthetic odor will help you get rid of ensign wasps. You have to use the cleaning product at home and discard those that do not work on the wasp.
Water
Finally, if you found the ensign wasp infestation at home, you should use water to repel them and even kill them. If you are lucky, the water could knock down the wasps and leave them defenseless on the ground for you to kill.
How to Prevent Ensign Wasps
Now that you have been able to get rid of ensign wasps at home, you should prevent a future infestation.
Wasps are often attracted to the garden near you or the roach infestation in your basement.
Regardless of the cause of the infestation, you should do the following to prevent them:
Apply repellents near your garden
If you have noticed that ensign wasps feel a slight attraction to your garden, you should try to repel them. You only have to apply repellents near the garden that do not affect plants, such as lavender or rosemary. You could also plant lavender plants and use them as a shield for its scent for the insect.
Avoid cockroaches at home.
If you have cockroaches at home, you will surely notice the presence of these wasps that seek to leave their larvae. You will need to eradicate the roach infestation and prevent these ensign wasps from getting into the property. On the other hand, the wasps’ larvae kill the cockroaches but create a larger infestation.
Avoid humidity at home.
For some reason, ensign wasps are attracted to the humidity that your basement can generate. So you have to repair this area, prevent the water from seeping in, and thus be able to get rid of all the pests.
Create a wasp trap
The last goal for you to prevent ensign wasps at home is trapping them. These jails for wasps are made with a glass container and a little honey inside. You only have to hang the container, leave the honey inside, and catch it when the wasp enters.
Although these ensign wasp traps are not very effective, you will somehow remove the infestation. You don’t have to give up and try your best to kill the pests in your home.
