If you observe wasp traffic on your house wall, it is almost certain that there is a nest behind it. Of course, muffled, grating noises can unsettle a homeowner. Do we have to worry about the building structure and is intervention necessary?
Wasps can make a lot of noise in the wall
The solution to the riddle: hungry larvae
When the black and yellow tabby, powerful predatory insects busily fly in and out through small openings in the house wall plaster or window frames, it can be a cause for concern. Not only that the sting-armed wasps can get pretty uncomfortable - you also can't see what they're up to behind the facade. Do they destroy the building structure to a considerable extent and possibly make costly renovations necessary? If dubious gnawing and scratching noises can also be heard behind the facade, this naturally encourages such worries.
Rest assured, however, that these noises are not due to wasps building activities. They usually collect building material outside from rotten or slightly weathered tree branches and fence posts. Sealing material and varnished wood paneling of window frames, on the other hand, are unsuitable base materials for them.
Rather, the troublemakers are the larvae, which, like other hungry baby animals, also beg for food. To do this, they rub their brood cells from the inside and draw the attention of the feeding workers. The adult wasps also naturally make noises during their feeding journeys in the nest. So no need to worry.
To remember:
- Scratching noises do not indicate that the wasps were building their nests or possible structural damage
- Sounds come from hungry larvae begging for food
- Adult wasps also make noises as they pass through the nest
What you should do anyway
Even if the noises of the wasps do not represent an acute danger, certain precautions for the care of walls and roller shutter boxes are useful - but only after the wasp colony has been orphaned. If possible, you should not mess with the armed animals beforehand.
In the fall, when the wasps have died and the nest has been abandoned, you should dig up and inspect the area if possible. A roller shutter box can usually be opened easily. As a rule, you will not find any significant damage, but it is advisable to remove the nest just for the functionality of the roller shutter. In addition, the site should be cleaned of familiar odors that attract other species, and any cracks in the facade used for access sealed.