Mud Wasp Identification
Mud wasps (or mud daubers as are sometimes called), are black or a steel blue in color, sometimes with brownish markings. They are 1/2 inch to 1 inch and like all wasps and other pests from the family hymenoptera (including ants) have a narrow waist
Mud Daubers are solitary wasps, and as such pose little threat to humans. Actually, they are somewhat beneficial since they will prey on many kinds of spiders.
Mud Wasp Inspections
Mud daubers love stucco and are found generally on the exteriors of homes below 8 to 10 feet. They are sometimes confused for ground termite mud tubes. Ground termites do make similar looking mud tubes. However, they are always from the ground and generally just go underneath the flashing of the house for a few inches from the ground to the wood in the wall.
Mud wasps, on the other hand, are generally 1-4 inches long and have no contact with the ground. If you suspect you may have ground termites, this would be a great opportunity to get a free inspection just to be safe!
Mud Wasp Control Tips for Homeowners
Like paper wasps, mud wasps will return to the same areas to repopulate and are generally not found in their home therefore, as a policy, we do not treat mud wasps. Since this is one of the few pests that we do not treat, we recommend customers take a water hose and spray off the mud nest which will make it inhospitable for mud wasps and hopefully move them on to another area.
