It is not uncommon for wasps to nest in roller shutter boxes. The dark, well-protected cavity offers ideal nesting conditions for some species. Of course, this can be annoying and dangerous for the actual residents of the house. So how can you prevent it?
How can I prevent wasps in the roller shutter box?
To prevent wasps in the roller shutter box, you should seal entrances, create noise and create odor barriers. Seal cracks and gaps with plaster, construction foam or silicone, raise and lower the roller shutter more frequently in spring, and install scent sources such as incense plants or essential oils.
Wasps standing on roller shutter boxes
The wasps that prefer to choose roller shutter boxes when looking for an apartment are so-called dark cave nesters. This group includes the most common and annoying species such as the German wasp and the common wasp, as well as the rarer and much less intrusive red wasp. The hemstitch in roller shutter boxes is exactly the right size for these dark cave nests and provides the best lighting conditions for nest building.
The German wasp and the common wasp are among the wasp species that form extremely large colonies. A colony can grow to up to 7,000 animals over the course of a season. It is even more problematic when a nest of their kind is located directly next to the house.
To remember:
- Types of wasps that nest in roller shutter boxes are the most common German and common wasps
- These species form very large states
- Roller shutter boxes offer ideal nesting conditions
Prevention options
To prevent wasps from infesting bedroom or living room windows in the first place, it's worth taking precautions. Once wasps have moved in, combating them is difficult and dangerous. Basically, the only option in this case is to relocate the nest - and this should definitely be done by professionals. The cost of such a resettlement is around 100 euros.
Sealing
In order to prevent wasps from accessing the roller shutter box, sealing is the key word. The safest way to prevent wasps from settling is to seal off all possible access points to the roller shutter box. Examine the area around the roller shutter carefully for cracks in the plaster or damage to the window frame and close them with plaster, construction foam or silicone.
It's best to do this in early spring, when the risk of longer periods of frost is reduced and a young queen is not yet in state-founding mode. This is the best way to keep the closures tight.
Make noise
What can also make a female wasp uncomfortable settling in the roller shutter box is noise. After all, for us humans, apartments right next to the tram or under trampling neighbors are not attractive. If you raise and lower the roller shutter frequently in the spring, the value of your home can be significantly reduced for the wasp. Annoying, but arm training!
Build odor barriers
Even if an apartment smells unpleasant, we tend to move on to the next offer. This can also happen to a wasp. If you have the opportunity to install wasp-repelling scent sources in the immediate vicinity, do so. For example, an attractive incense plant in a hanging pot directly on the window frame would be possible. Alternatively, you can regularly spray the area around the roller shutter box in spring with a mixture of water and essential oil (for example clove or tea tree oil).
