Experts warn: it’s time for hornets and wasps in apartment blocks
2024.05.13
Summer is not only bringing warm weather and flowering plants, but also a resurgence of hornets and wasps, which start nesting in the spring not only in the countryside, but also in apartment blocks. Rūta Aglinskaitė, works manager at Civinity Namai, a company that provides maintenance and management services for apartment buildings, gives advice on what to do when these insects take up residence.
Settling in hard-to-reach areas of the house
Wasps living in urban areas often visit residential areas to nest when they can’t find a place to settle in nature. Usually, specialists from Civinity Namai, a company that provides maintenance and management services to apartment buildings, find these nests under the roof ledges of the apartment building, in the ventilation openings, in attics, and under the roofs of residents’ balconies or terraces.
While hornets are naturally found underground, there are also cases where they take up residence in the cracks between the seams of apartment buildings and in other hard-to-reach areas of apartment buildings.
“Recently, we have been receiving an increasing number of enquiries from customers about wasps and hornets in the grounds of their apartment block. This is natural, as it is in spring that insect queens start to nest, so we are currently monitoring the insects’ settlement in apartment buildings,” says Aglinskaitė.
Causing nuisance and danger to residents
Hornets and wasps that settle in apartment buildings feel at home: they adapt easily to the urban environment, nesting in safe and less accessible places. However, living in close proximity to people in an apartment building creates inconveniences and risks for the residents.
First of all, both wasps and hornets are dangerous for people with allergies, as they can cause anaphylactic shock if they sting. According to Aglinskaitė, although the insects are not vicious and do not attack people unnecessarily, if they feel a threat to their safety or life, they will defend themselves by using their stings:
“This is particularly important for families with children in apartment blocks. Adults know not to go near wasps’ or hornets’ nests, but if children find such nests while playing and exploring their surroundings, they may face unwanted consequences,” says a Civinity Namai specialist.
Secondly, when wasps or hornets are living in the neighbourhood, residents must not open their windows because they let the insects into the flats, which are difficult to remove. An insect that enters an apartment can fall into food and drink, and residents can be stung if they do not notice.
How to protect yourself from unwanted wasps and hornets
To protect against unwanted neighbours and the risk of being stung, it is recommended that wasp and hornet nests are destroyed.
“Civinity Namai advises against destroying such nests yourself, as the insects will defend themselves if the nests are moved and are very likely to be attracted to the intruder. For this reason, it is recommended to entrust extermination work to professionals who have the necessary equipment and experience.
If wasps or hornets have taken up residence near your home, it is advisable to take certain security measures until the nests are removed:
“If you live in a neighbourhood with wasps or hornets, we recommend that you do not keep your windows open, as it is easy for them to enter the flat through the cracks. If you do open your windows, it is particularly important not to leave ripe fruit or sweet drinks or beer in open areas of the house, as the smells of fermentation, sweet and floral aromas are particularly attractive to insects,” says Aglinskaitė.
Residents are also advised to install insect screens on the windows they open most often, because once wasps or hornets have destroyed their nests, there is no guarantee that they will not return next year. In addition, the nets will also protect against other insects that are active during the warm season, such as mosquitoes.