Not too far into the future, the signs of Spring will be upon us once more with warmer days, longer hours of daylight and buds breaking through the ground to delight us with a multitude of floral scents. The beginnings of spring gives us many reasons to be joyous, but with all of the enthusiasm we experience for the warm days of spring and hot days of summer to follow come the pesky bugs to annoy us. As we get our homes and properties ready for outdoor living, so too do the bugs and birds get ready for nesting. Unfortunately, many homeowners discover that one of the prime locations that they love to invade is under your beautiful awning.

Here are some tips on how you can prevent these little critters from making their home beneath your awning so that your time outside is enjoyable without an invasions of pests.

Wasps, Hornets and Yellow Jackets

Many people try to get rid of these stinging pests to no avail and they can be tricky preventing them from nesting under an awning, your yard or around your home. The best approach is to start a treatment program once the nest appears so that small problems don’t turn into bigger ones. The first step in eliminating the bugs is to inspect your home, property and awning regularly for active nests. The 5 most common locations for nesting occur:

• Under roof awnings, retractable or stationary awnings
• Behind window shutters
• Hanging from tree branches
• Inside fence posts and play sets
• Inside hollow out tree trunks or stacked wood

Yellow jacket nests are particularly hard to find because they are well hidden, so you have to be a bit like a detective to spot them and track them down. They like to nest in the shade or in shaded areas, so check areas under trees or awnings.

Treating a wasp or hornet nest is not that difficult if you do it smartly and take precautions. If you are stung while attempting to get rid of them and experience severe symptoms, get medical attention ASAP!

You can use any good commercial product, like Raid Wasp & Hornet Killer for outdoor nests. After you have thoroughly saturated the nest, you can remove it after 24 hours. Treat the nest at dusk or dawn when flying insects are less likely to be active and remember to wear gloves and long sleeve clothing. Do not spray directly underneath the nest, but rather farther away and always spray with the wind.

The Buzzing Bee

Unlike wasps, hornets and yellow jackets, bees are typically pudgy, hairy and much more docile.  They are important pollinators and for the most part can be left alone, unless of course, they’ve decided to set up house under your awning. If you do discover a colony of bees have made a permanent residence beneath your awning, it is best to call a beekeeper to remove them safely and properly.

Birds

Birds can also be unwelcomed guest under patio awnings and these furry little creatures can be frustrating to relocate, but relocating they must. There are a variety of methods you can use to detract birds from nesting under your awning, like using bird netting. It will keep the birds away and in the event they do come to close to it, they will not become trapped in it. Another method is to destroy the nest before birds lay their eggs. If they have already laid eggs, wait until the offspring have taken flight then destroy the nest so it cannot be reused again next season. Lastly, create a sense of danger by spending time near your patio awning and creating noise and movement.

Here is a great YouTube video to watch for bird proofing a Patio Awning:

If you would like any more information on Awnings, Contact Jans Awnings and speak with a professional today.