Photo Album: Mud Dauber Nest Found on Clubhouse in Port Monmouth, NJ
It Was Mud Daubers
As we began investigating around the property and took a closer look at these wasps, we were able to identify them as mud daubers.
All Over the Clubhouse
Continuing our inspection, we found a total of 14 mud dauber nests across the exterior of the clubhouse. Mud daubers are solitary insects that are about ¾ to 1 inch in length and can vary in coloration from all black, blackish blue, or black with yellow markings.
Mud Daubers in Jersey
They create a nest using saliva and mud (hence why they're called mud daubers) where the female wasp lays her eggs. The larvae develop inside the nest and emerge as adult wasps. The most common mud dauber species found in New Jersey are the pipe organ mud dauber that builds pipe-shaped mud nests in protected areas such as on walls, under eaves, or in attics.
The Big Threat of Mud Daubers
The threat of mud daubers is that other more aggressive stinging insects will take up residence in their nests once the mud daubers have left.
Solution for Mud Daubers
For treatment, we used our scraper and removed every single mud dauber nest. Afterward, we treated the areas with a residual application that'll prevent the mud daubers, as well as any other stinging insect, from building another nest.