red wasps bunching up

I live in Central Texas close to Austin and have lots of red wasps this year. But they are not building nests just bunching up in piles along the eaves of the house as well as in the trees.  When we went to buy more wasp spray alot of the stores were out and they said several people had complained about the same issue.  Any reason you know of why this could be happening?

If you read our WASP CONTROL ARTICLE, you'll learn wasps do this for a few reasons. If you see this behavior in the summer, it's usually because they are expecting a major weather event like strong rain or wind. Another reason they'll bunch will be if their nest was destroyed. Being social and communal, if the nest they built elsewhere was destroyed by weather or some animal, the inhabitants will be forced to move. Before doing so, they'll group up to make sure their community is somewhat safe. When doing so, they'll meet in a group. This will many times be on a tree or nearby structure. Based on the commonality of similar reports your local store cited, I'm guessing you're seeing something weather related and not because all of these wasps were suffering from nest destruction.

Also in our article you'll learn wasps commonly do this each fall as they prepare to overwinter. During the cold of the winter they'll locate a tree or structure on which to live and hide when it gets cold. Normally we don't see this behavior till October in the Southeast and Southwest regions of the US so I would say it's a bit early for them to be thinking about the winter. But I have seen where the scent from past winters that's still left on a structure can attract and cause wasps to group at any time. So if you've seen them congregate or suspect some might be hibernating on your home when it's cold outside, the latest activity you've noted could be nothing more than local wasps smelling the past activity and coming around to investigate.

If you decide you want to get rid of these guys for good, you'll need to apply more than just your average "off the shelf" wasp freeze. As our article explains, the best product for long term control is our DRIONE DUST. When applied up under siding and other cracks and crevices where these guys like to nest and hibernate, you won't have to worry about them anymore. Drione will last 6-12 months and a good dusting now will easily protect the home from any fall invasion. Using it once or twice a year is one of the best ways to keep out wasps, bees, ants, roaches, scorpions and just about any perimeter invader the average home in the south might see.

Another product you should apply after dusting is the CYPERMETHRIN. Highly repellent and long lasting, it will keep wasps and just about any pest off treated surfaces. For this reason it's a great product to spray on house siding where you see wasps grouping and gathering. Cypermethrin won't last as long as the Drione but it's easier to use and is good for when wasps are randomly foraging around and on a home since it can be applied most anywhere you see them.

Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:

Wasp Control Article:  http://www.wasps.net/wasp-and-hornet-control

Drione:  http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page31.html

Cypermethrin:  http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page154.html