House Damage From Wasps
Under normal circumstances, wasps do not bore into or damage houses since they need live wood for reproduction. Certain wood harvesting techniques, however, bring wasps from the forest into the home. At that point, wasps are forced to chew their way out, causing damage along the way. The good news for most homeowners is that the wood-boring wasps they find in their home don't sting, and damage to the structure is usually not severe. Does this Spark an idea?
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Damage
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Although frustrating, damage from wasps is usually cosmetic and limited to a small area. True structural damage from wasps is rare. Small holes in wood studs and slightly larger holes in drywall are the most common types of damage. Such destruction can occur just about anywhere in the home -- wood floors, linoleum, carpet, ceilings, wood beams and any other surface that is not stone or ceramic.
Causes
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Wood-boring wasps, also referred to as wood wasps or horntail wasps, are to blame for damage to homes. Unlike many wood-boring insects, however, they don't infest homes or buildings as adults. The wasps come with the house as larvae burrowed into the wood from which the house is constructed. As the wasps grow, they chew their way out of the wood, usually the studs, and then through whatever other surface leads to freedom, such as drywall or flooring.
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Prevention and Treatment
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The only prevention available for wood wasp infestations in homes is usually out of the hands of the homeowner. Wood must be properly treated, such as through proper kiln drying, before it is used in construction. Insecticides can kill adult wasps after they have emerged, but normally there are so few of them that such treatment is not necessary. Spraying for wasps before they emerge is impossible, since they are trapped within the walls and their location is not obvious until the damage is visible.
Repair
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Because the wasps will not return, homeowners can begin repairs not long after the insects have emerged. Larvae can remain in the wood of a new home for two to three years, but typically the wasps emerge around the same time. A good approach would be to wait a week or two after noticing the wasps to start repairs, thus allowing any remaining wasps to find their way out, hopefully through the same holes. Unlike other infestations, in which preventive measures are usually included, repair of damage caused by wasps does not require any special treatments or techniques. Standard methods for the material damaged, such as plugging a hole in wood or plastering over a hole in drywall, will do the job.
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