Outdoor wasp control for businesses

Why are wasps a threat to businesses?

The business impact of wasps is often overlooked, but they can cause financial losses, operational disruptions and health risks for various businesses. Let’s examine some of these consequences.

Wasps' dietary preferences change throughout their colony life cycle. Early on, they seek proteins to feed their larvae. Later, as the larvae mature, adult wasps shift to consuming sugars for energy. But what does this change mean for businesses? It explains why wasps are more noticeable and bothersome in late summer when they're attracted to sweet foods and drinks. Their preference brings them into close contact with humans during outdoor dining or drinking in the summer months, and this interaction can be off-putting and bothersome for customers.

Aside from this, wasps often nest in the ground, posing a risk to pets and creating concerns for pet owners who might avoid outdoor areas where wasps are prevalent. Also, not all wasp species are aggressive, but those that are, especially in urban areas, can cause distress with their painful stings.

They can also be a significant issue in food production sites, particularly those processing sugars and other carbohydrate materials, where they can contaminate products and lead to increased waste.

Matt Green, Principal Entomologist at Rentokil, says: ‘Wasps are a constant painful nuisance to outdoor living in summer months, especially for the hospitality industry’.

So, there’s a clear need for businesses to employ strategies to deter wasps from their premises.

Monitoring wasps outdoors

Monitoring wasp populations externally is one crucial way businesses can reduce the pressure on internal proofing and control measures and ensuring the safety and quality of food products. It can help them prevent revenue loss, maintain safety and ensure a pleasant environment for customers and employees.

However, it’s not always easy to monitor wasps outdoors due to the expansive surface area, which makes it challenging to cover every potential nesting site and effectively monitor wasp activity.

Additionally, the dynamic nature of outdoor environments, including changes in vegetation and weather conditions, further complicates monitoring efforts. This means businesses need to employ comprehensive and adaptable strategies to do the job effectively.

EcoCatch Wasps: keep wasps at bay the eco-friendly way

We’ve got a solution that tackles the challenges of outdoor wasp monitoring and helps businesses keep them off their premises. Introducing EcoCatch Wasps [link to EcoCatch Wasps webpage]: the wasp-control solution that reduces single-use plastic waste compared to disposable traps.

It aims to reduce the presence of wasps in outdoor areas, ensuring a safer and more comfortable environment for staff and customers.

‘EcoCatch Wasps means that our customers can be prepared for wasp season before it happens, rather than reacting to customer complaints’, says Matt.

The solution is designed for those who need to effectively manage and control wasp populations outdoors. This includes restaurants, pubs, hotels, residential areas and, more generally, anywhere where the public may be using outdoor spaces.

EcoCatch Wasps is particularly useful during late summer and early fall, when wasps are most active and their populations peak. However, monitoring measures can certainly be beneficial throughout the entire season when outdoor activities are common.

The business benefits of EcoCatch Wasps

Here’s why your business needs EcoCatch Wasps.

• Unique pink colour — optimised for attractiveness to wasps
• Sustainably-focused and reduces single-use plastic waste as it’s reusable
• Flexible installation — can be wall or pole mounted or hung from a ceiling
• Discreetly conceals caught wasps

Lockable design to reduce the risk of biohazard contamination

How it works

Wasps use both visual and olfactory cues to find food sources, so we’ve developed EcoCatch Wasps based on these biological traits. The solution uses the latest insights into wasp behaviour to maximise effectiveness.

Matt says, ‘Working with wasps is always difficult, and wasp-trap efficacy is equally difficult to test; Rentokil have been busy tracking wasp seasons around the world, testing different styles and colours of wasp traps to find the best way of offering a permanent wasp management solution that will reduce the use of disposable traps and provide a reliable reduction in wasp numbers on customer premises.’

Research indicates that wasps are highly attracted to certain colours, particularly pink. In a controlled study conducted at the Agricultural University of Athens, traps coloured pink, yellow and white were placed near apiaries. Results showed that pink traps were the most attractive to wasps, significantly more so than yellow and white. EcoCatch Wasps leverages this preference by incorporating this colour into its design to ensure an effective catch-rate. We also found that wasps are more drawn to glossy surfaces than matt, and have adapted the solution to target this preference too.

Additionally, the solution employs sweet-scented lures to attract wasps, drawing on their natural attraction to sugary substances. These lures are sourced locally, so our expert technicians can choose the liquid that’s safest and legal in that region.

The combination of visual and olfactory cues lures wasps to the trap, which is designed to allow easily entry but a difficult escape, ensuring an effective wasp-monitoring solution.

Wasp control from the experts in pest control

Our expert technicians are trained to ensure EcoCatch Wasps is installed in the optimal locations to maximise the catch-rate. With their extensive knowledge of wasp behaviour and environmental factors, they’ll strategically place the traps where they’ll be most effective.

Additionally, our technicians provide regular maintenance and servicing to ensure the trap remains functional and efficient. They will also offer expert advice tailored to your specific needs, helping you maintain a wasp-free environment and ensuring the safety and comfort of your outdoor spaces. With their professional support, you can trust that your wasp-control measures are in capable hands.

Protect your premises against wasps

Contact us to professionally tackle wasps in outdoor locations.