Pests on the Exterior and Roof: Wasps Under the Roof Edge, Pigeons
Roof edge, window ledges: here are the pests that settle on the outside of the house and the signs that give them away.
Pests covered: wasps & hornets, yard & outdoors.
Wasps & hornets
1. Wasps flying in and out of a gap under the roof edge
👀 What you see
A steady stream of wasps going in and out of a joint in the exterior wall or a gap under the fascia at the roof edge.
🧭 What it means
A nest has settled in the void of a wall cavity (from May–June). Plugging the hole pushes the wasps to chew through the drywall inward within 12 to 48 hours.
✅ The proof: how to confirm
Count the traffic at the entrance: over 50 wasps a minute means a massive colony; after dusting, 48 hours with no activity confirm the nest is done.
⚠️ Caution
Never plug the hole before treatment. Hole more than 10 feet up, an allergy, an Asian hornet nest or massive traffic: call a professional.
🧩 What to do next
- 1 Identify first: yellow-and-black, thin-waisted = wasp; rust/brick colored = European hornet (mostly harmless, leave it); black with yellow leg tips = Asian-type/giant hornet → report to authorities and do NOT DIY. Never kill fuzzy bees.
- 2 Decide DIY vs pro: treat it yourself only if the nest is small, low (no ladder), it is a wasp, and you are not allergic. Otherwise call a professional.
- 3 Suit up fully — beekeeping suit, veil and gloves, with wrists and ankles taped — and use a red-light headlamp (wasps cannot see red).
- 4 Treat at night (10–11 PM) when all wasps are back and sluggish: empty a 20-ft spray or foam into the nest entrance, then retreat along a clear, obstacle-free path.
- 5 For a nest inside a wall cavity, puff insecticide dust into the hole — NEVER seal the opening while the colony is alive, or they will push inside the house.
- 6 Wait 48 hours before removing or sealing. Reduce patio pressure with a selective trap placed about 30 feet from where you sit.
🛒 Products from our guides
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Ficam D insecticide powder (bendiocarb 1%)
The powder spreads through the nest on the wasps that walk through it, where a spray can’t reach inside the wall.
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Powder duster with telescoping wand
Puffs the powder into the entry hole from a distance.
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Beekeeper suit with veil
Essential sting protection if you treat it yourself.
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Yard & outdoors
2. Pigeons settled on the window ledge, with acidic droppings
👀 What you see
Pigeons landing on a window ledge or balcony, acidic droppings eating into the surface, sometimes a nest.
🧭 What it means
A pigeon returns to its nesting site year after year: before the nest, changing the ledge is enough; after, you have an occupied nest and rules to respect.
✅ The proof: how to confirm
Act between February and June, before the nest is built; a row of spikes set too far back leaves a usable strip of ledge.
⚠️ Caution
Birds fall under separate rules and many species are protected: physical deterrents only.
🛒 Products from our guides
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Bird spikes for ledges
A mechanical deterrent: fitted across the full width of the ledge, with no free strip behind, before the nest is built.
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Bird netting for balconies
To close off a whole balcony or recess when spikes can’t cover the entire surface.
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Bird wire deterrent kit
The ledge’s other mechanical deterrent: as with spikes, how well it works depends entirely on the installation.
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