The Ensign wasp is a pest that occasionally invades indoors and causes a disturbance. These wasps are beneficial insects as they are parasitoid (organisms that spends their larval stage in or on another organism, also known as a host).
They lay their eggs in cockroach eggs, however, frequent sightings of Ensign wasps indoors can be a nuisance to deal with and may be indicative of a larger roach infestation.
So in this article, we will show you how to identify and control ensign wasps around your property by addressing their prey.
How Do I Identify Ensign Wasp In the house?
The first thing you should do in any pest control plan is to identify what exactly you are dealing with. Careless identification can lead to wrong treatment methods costing you time and money.
They are really not crickets even if they look strikingly similar. Ensign wasps are small winged insects that grow to a length of 5mm to 7mm, they are black in body color and have unique abdomens that give them a more stout appearance than other wasp species.
Their hind legs are much longer than the other pairs which tend to give them a cricket-like appearance.
What Is the Lifecycle of the Ensign Wasp?
Like other wasps, such as yellow jackets, ensign wasps have a longer life cycle. An egg is laid in the ootheca of this flying insect and hatches into a larva. They mature into nymphs after a period of three weeks.
Foraging wasps are able to grow into adult wasps during the larval stage. Wasps die in the winter from exposure to raindrops or predation. After reproducing and laying their eggs, ensign wasps typically live for six months.
Read also: Do Wasps Sleep At Night?
How Do I Inspect For Ensign Wasps?
Inspection is the next phase of any good pest control plan. Once you know what your pests look like we advise you to check around your property to confirm their presence or find hot spots of activity.
If you frequently see ensign wasps inside your home, that may be an indication of a cockroach infestation indoors or outdoors since these wasps lay their eggs in cockroach egg casings.
They will travel throughout areas where roaches are likely to be found like the kitchen, pantry, bathroom, attic, plumbing, etc indoors.
Outdoor you may find them around entryways, utility penetrations, or other cracks and crevices around the structure.
Female ensign wasps often hunt for roach egg cases to lay their own eggs inside. So look for moist areas where cockroaches, are likely to be found.
How Do I Treat Ensign Wasp Infestation?
After identifying your pests and inspecting for activity on your property, it is time to start treatment. Before starting any treatment, be sure to wear your personal protective equipment (PPE) and remember to keep all people and pets off the treated areas until dry.
Remember Ensign wasps are beneficial insects since they help control roach populations. So, the control of these wasps focuses on getting rid of cockroaches.
- First, sanitize your home and get rid of any cockroach food sources.
- Clean and remove any leftover food or water (including any pet food or water bowls)
- Sweep and vacuum the floors, then wipe down surfaces with warm water to remove any grime.
Once your home is free of any competing food sources, apply the Apex cockroach gel bait. This bait is made with cockroach attractants and Imidacloprid.
How to Use
- Apex also supports a systemic elimination plan, roaches that feed on this bait, don’t die immediately so they can travel back to their nests to spread the poison further.
- To use the Apex just apply three drops per square yard to control small roaches, like German cockroaches, or five drops per square yard for large roaches, like the American cockroach.
- Next, we recommend you conduct a perimeter application of a rappelling insecticide like Supreme IT.
- The supreme IT is a liquid concentrate made with bifenthrin, so it will need to be mixed with water before application.
- You’ll make a fluid ounce per one gallon of water according to the label’s instructions.
- Apply your insecticide solution as a parameter treatment around your structure’s foundation.
- Create a barrier by spraying in three feet of the structure and three feet out.
- Next, treat the entry points you noted earlier in your inspection.
- Be sure to spray around entryway openings created by utility pipes, the garage door, and any other openings you may have found.
- The ensign wasp feeds on honeydew produced by aphids so do well to spray any ornamental plants, trees, or shrubbery on your property.
- When this product dries, it will leave a residual that will continue to control pests in treated areas and repel pests for up to 90 days.
- Any labeled pests that make contact with the spray or its residual will have their nervous systems impacted and die within an hour.
How Do I Get Rid Of Ensign Wasps Naturally?
- Use Water
You should also use water to get rid of the ensign wasps if you find them in your home. Water may be able to knock down the wasps and leave them vulnerable on the ground for your slaying if you’re lucky.
- Use Mint
When it comes to keeping the ensign wasps out of your house, you can use mint. Peppermint extract, peppermint plants, or anything else with the scent can be used in cleaning products. The strong odor on their body will cause wasps to flee.
- Use Vinegar and Water
To get rid of wasps, you can make a vinegar and water solution and spray it on the insects. Insects will be scared away by this natural repellent, preventing an infestation in your home.
Insects will be scared away by the smell of vinegar, so make sure you use plenty of it in your water.
- Use Regular Cleaning Products
Ensign wasps can be exterminated with any cleaning product that has a strong synthetic odor. Cleansing products must be used at home and ineffective ones must be discarded.
Read also: Do Wasp Make Honey?
How Do I Prevent An Ensign Wasp Infestation?
Prevention is essential to keeping pests in check, even after you’ve applied products. The best way to stop pest activity is to make sure it cannot happen. After you have treated ensign wasps, take some additional measures to ensure they stop invading your home.
Continue to maintain regular cleaning in and around your structure. As long as cockroaches don’t have access to any food sources, they won’t be around to infest on property.
Do well to seal any cracks and crevices in and around your home structure to prevent any pests, including roaches, and ensign wasps from getting inside. Thin cracks can be sealed. Wider crevices and voids should be stuffed with copper mesh.
Conclusion
Lastly, keep up a regular perimeter and ornamental application of supreme IT. This repelling insecticide will last for up to 90 days, so we recommend you make applications once every three months.
Ensign wasps are beneficial insects that prey on cockroach eggs but when the population gets out of hand, they can become frequent nuisances by invading indoors where they do not belong.
With these professional clues from Pestclue, we believe you can stop ensign wasps from invading your home.
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