Fall is when North Texas homeowners finally get their backyards back. The heat breaks, the grill comes out, and friends come over. It’s also when two unwanted guests are at their most active: wasps and rats.
Ken Hyatt, owner and founder of Village Green Lawn and Pest, has spent more than 45 years working on North Texas properties. Here’s what he sees every fall, why it happens, and what you can do about it.
Why wasp activity peaks in fall
Wasp colonies start small in spring and grow all summer. By late summer and early fall, nests reach their largest size of the year. A bigger nest means more wasps around your eaves, patio cover, fence, and grill, right when you want to be outside the most.
Last fall, our team saw a bumper crop of wasp nests across our service area. Some weren’t on the outside of the house at all. They were built inside homes.
Common places to check:
- Under eaves and soffits
- Patio covers and pergolas
- Behind shutters and light fixtures
- Play sets, fence lines, and grill covers
If you find a small nest away from doors and walkways, you can treat it yourself with a labeled wasp spray. Follow the label and do it in the evening, when wasps are less active. Leave large nests, nests inside a wall or attic, and anything near someone with a sting allergy to a professional. Spraying or sealing the entrance to a nest inside a wall can push wasps further into the house.
Why rats move closer in fall
A long, hot North Texas summer leaves less food and, especially, less water. Rats go looking for both, and the most reliable place to find them is around your home: pet bowls, bird feeders, fallen fruit, pool equipment, irrigation, and trash bins. As nights cool down, shelter becomes the next draw.
Signs rats are active around your home:
- Droppings along fences, foundations, or in the garage
- Gnaw marks on wood, wiring, or storage bins
- Scratching or running sounds in the attic or walls at night
- Chewed fruit, pet food, or garden produce
- A rat moving along the top of a fence or a utility line
Seeing one cross the yard during a cookout is usually how homeowners find out.
How we handle wasps and rats
Our Home Defense Plus plan covers stinging insects, including wasps, and rodents. For rodents, we place tamper-resistant bait stations outside your home. We don’t trap. The goal is to keep rats outside and away from your house in the first place.
The plan includes three scheduled visits a year. Between those visits, if you see wasps or rats, call or text us and we’ll come back out at no extra charge. Our technicians document each visit with photos, so you can see what was done and what we found.
Here’s what it costs, because you shouldn’t have to call to find out:
- Home Defense Plus: $69 per month
- If you have lawn health or mosquito service with us: $58 per month
Our base plan, Signature Home Defense, is $53 per month, or $42 for lawn health and mosquito customers. It doesn’t include wasps or rodents. If those are your concern, Home Defense Plus is the plan that covers them.
There are no contracts, and every plan is backed by our Worry-Free Guarantee.
If you already trust us with your lawn, your pest control comes from the same team, with the same communication you’re used to.
If you’d rather handle it yourself
Most of fall pest prevention comes down to removing what draws wasps and rats in:
- Bring pet food and water bowls inside at night
- Pick up fallen fruit and spilled bird seed
- Clean and cover the grill after each use
- Trim tree limbs and shrubs back from the roof and walls
- Keep firewood and stored items off the ground and away from the house
- Fix dripping hose bibs and irrigation leaks
- Check eaves and patio covers in late summer, when nests are small and easier to deal with
Enjoy your time outside
It’s been a long, hot summer. You’ve earned your time in the backyard, and wasps and rats shouldn’t take it from you.
Watch Ken explain it: https://youtu.be/rLyOto91iEw
Seeing wasps or rats around your home in Plano, Richardson, Allen, McKinney, Frisco, Garland, Sachse, Murphy, or North Dallas? Call or text us at 972-495-6990. A real person on our team will get back to you.
About the author
Ken Hyatt is the owner and founder of Village Green Lawn and Pest. He has more than 45 years in the lawn care business, and Village Green has been locally owned and serving North Texas homeowners since 1980.
