You may be wondering what Mud Daubers are, or if you've ever seen them on your property. Most certainly! A Mud dauber is a specie of wasps that nestles in the mud. They are also known as potter wasps, mud wasps, or dust daubers.
The different species of wasps found in nature are often similar in appearance. But the mud dauber has a different look. It features a metallic blue or black body color and is usually about an inch long.
Mud Daubers are usually slender, with threaded waists between their thorax and abdomen. And some species of these mud pests often have green or yellow coloration on their bodies.
Do They Sting?
Generally, wasps only sting humans when they are disturbed. They're also capable of moving from their nests to wherever disturbances emanate from. And they can readily hurt whoever is in their way.
On the other hand, mud daubers hardly sting human beings. They try to build their nests far from the people's reach to avoid having their mud nests destroyed.
On a brighter side, as soon as mud daubers set up their niche, they can help keep other insects far from your space.
How Do They Build Their Nests?
Mud daubers build their nests with clay from different locations. Hence you'll notice that their nests are usually multi-colored. It is typically the responsibility of the female daubers to make their nests. And the male daubers keep an eye over the nests.
The female dauber starts to build by first locating her preferred mud. She then picks up the dirt with her jaw. And afterward, she uses her forelegs to drag it to the site of the nest.
On arriving at the nest site, the female mud dauber uses her saliva to mold the mud into a tubular shape. Then she compresses and fits the dirt to the rest of the structure with her jaw and other parts of her head.
Reproduction
When the mud dauber's nest is completed, the female dauber catches preys like spiders and crawling insects. She positions the prey somewhere in her nest and lays her eggs on it. Then, she abandons all her eggs – with just enough food to survive.
The eggs start to hatch; the young mud daubers begin to feed on the prey until they become adults. Afterward, they eat through the nest wall and start their lives outside the nest.
Ways to Repel Mud Daubers
While mud daubers may not ordinarily pose a threat to you and your family, they're not the best sights to behold in any home.
Eliminate Their Food Source
Mud daubers' nests are usually found on elevated platforms. They are also found in places with a sizable population of crawling insects like the widow spider.
If you want to eliminate mud daubers, it is advisable to contact the best pest control company in Palm Coast. But if you must rid your home of these venomous creatures by yourself, then begin by attacking their food source.
Remove all spider webs around you. Also, do all you can to eliminate spiders from their hiding places.
Use Dishwashing Soap
Controlling the mud dauber population in your living space doesn't have to be expensive. With just dishwashing liquid, warm water, and a spray bottle, you can send mud daubers packing.
Pour several drops of dishwashing liquid to a few cups of warm water, and then transfer the mixture to a convenient spray bottle. Generously spray the mixture on the mud nests, and don't forget to pour some into the nest holes.
Dishwashing soap washes the daubers away and makes their nests disintegrate quickly.
Repel Them With Peppermint Oil
With only a few drops of peppermint oil in warm water, you can stop mud daubers from making their nests around your home. Pour the mixture into a sizeable spray bottle, and spray it on spots where you don't want the insects to visit. Peppermint odor is very active in keeping mud daubers away.
However, you may need to apply this mixture frequently. This is because you could have an infestation as soon as the odor wears off.
Prepare Traps for Them
Another way to control the wasp population around your home is to set wasp traps. You can set either of the glass or water traps to catch these pesky pests.
To prepare the wasp glass trap, make a small hole in a colorful glass container, and fill it with sweetened water. Then place the trap close to the area of wasp infestation. You should see wasps get trapped in the glass in their effort to reach the attractive water.
For the water trap, cut a plastic container into two equal parts and fill the first half with water. Apply jam around its sides, and then invert the other part of the container into the water. And you're ready to rid your property of mud daubers.
Burn Down Their Nests
If you haven't got the time to set wasp traps, or prepare other wasp repellents, light up a piece of paper or fabric in their nests. A grill fire can also suffice for melting down mud daubers nests and chasing those pests out of your home.
Protect your face from the resulting smoke, and ensure that the smoke gets to every corner of the nests.
Pest Control Tips for Mud Daubers
The best pest control approach for mud daubers is to eliminate them from your home.
· First, completely rid your living space of spiders and their webs. Then close up cracks and holes in your walls so that spiders (and mud daubers) do not get a chance to build their nests in your space.
· Use an insect swatter to swat any mud dauber you come across – primarily when they're found in very delicate areas like your bedroom.
· Spray wasp nests at strategic times, mainly when they are less active. Pest control professionals suggest you do so at night or the early hours of the day. Experts in Palm Coast also recommend that you use a pesticide spray containing pyrethrins to eliminate mud daubers.
Contact a professional pest control company for the easiest help in this manner.
Frequently use a flat metal object to destroy the nests of mud daubers around your home. This way, you'll be chasing them from their preferred locations and preventing reproduction and growth.
Conclusion
Mud daubers have a life cycle (from eggs to adults) of one year. They are somewhat helpful in controlling the population of spiders and other crawling insects around your home. Nevertheless, mud daubers are pests, and all pests need to be controlled.
