Help the Wasps are Back

[rekees4300]

Is there something I could spray or use to keep these things away from my house?

I'm not aware of any product that will repel wasps away from a house. I deal with them after they build a nest. Just a shot of wasp/hornet killer spray does the job. If they are in a hole and the hole is small enough, use a tube clear silicon sealant (available at any hardware store) to plug the hole. Best to do that at night using a flashlight.

 

[polo1665]

We had some trouble the year before last when the wasps got under the deck boards on our wrap around porch. I could spray them when I saw them, but could not get to the nests without tearing up the deck boards, and I wasn't going to do that.
I got a hold of some local exterminators and they sprayed all around the house last spring. It did the trick, no wasps last year. Cost about $100 for two treatments.

 

[greasemonkeyok]

Been dealing with the red ones and the black ones for decades and have learned something. If these are the wasps that build a paper nest, you have to remove not only the nest but also the stem that holds the nest.

Spray alone won't work for long because the odor of the stem attracts new wasps back to rebuild. I usually take a scraper and scrape the area where the stem attaches, then vacuum the crumbs.

Now, at the risk of being flamed by the safety police, the best chemical to knock down wasps is gasoline. It is absorbed instantly into their air ways and they curl up and fall out of the air much faster than with the commercial sprays. It's about $4.00 a gallon but a gallon goes a long way.

But remember, the sting of the wasp is not as bad as the sting of the Mrs. if you douse any plants with gasoline.

 

[JDgreen227]

Been dealing with the red ones and the black ones for decades and have learned something. If these are the wasps that build a paper nest, you have to remove not only the nest but also the stem that holds the nest.

Spray alone won't work for long because the odor of the stem attracts new wasps back to rebuild. I usually take a scraper and scrape the area where the stem attaches, then vacuum the crumbs.

Now, at the risk of being flamed by the safety police, the best chemical to knock down wasps is gasoline. It is absorbed instantly into their air ways and they curl up and fall out of the air much faster than with the commercial sprays. It's about $4.00 a gallon but a gallon goes a long way.

Using gasoline and being "FLAMED" by the safety police...:laughing: that is one of the funniest puns I have read here, ever !!! Will you share your method on how to apply the gasoline? Pump sprayer? Spray bottle? Have never heard the tip about removing the stem, thanks for sharing, I get a lot of paper wasps here but didn't know about removing the stem of the nests.

 

[greasemonkeyok]

Removing the stem is by far the better tip. I apply gasoline by tossing it from a small shallow can, like a tuna can. Catch them when they are cold and clustered on the nest.

Spraying gasoline poses a high risk to your own lungs if you get a whiff of atomized gasoline.

 

[swinewerks]

Bleach works great for spraying the stems.

 

[Crow4x4]

Well WD-40 works good to repell the wasps in back of my shutters on the house, they use to make their nest every spring. Must be they dont like the smell, you dont need a lot, I do it twice a year (in the spring) and it keeps them away!!:thumbsup:

 

[BrianDT]

I have never used bug spray, the shop vacuum method works great for all kinds of bees and wasps. I had a really long reach last fall for a nest way up in the eaves, and even putting togther a half dozen shop vacuum wands wasn't long enough. I used two sections of 2 inch PVC pipe cemented together to make a 16 foot long wand, and a 2 inch rubber flex coupling with hose clamps was the ideal way to connect a shop vacuum hose to the PVC pipe. Leaving the bugs in the vacuum tank for a few days is usually enough to kill them, especially if you leave the tank in the sun to heat it up.

I like the PVC idea!

 

[MadJack]

I use the original DAWN DISH SOAP, 2 tablespoons to a half gallon of water mixed in a 1-gallon pump sprayer. Shake it well, let it sit to de-foam a bit, check your range then spray. The soap seals their air intake [along their sides I hear] and they curl up pretty quick.

I shoot 'em in the morning when temps are cooler. The soap leaves a residue that is non-toxic AND non-flammable, seems to keep them away from the sprayed area for weeks.

Note to self: put your boots on [instead of slippers] before you start spraying. Stings on the TOP of your foot are painful!

 

[JDgreen227]

May not have advice about dealing with wasps, but for those who are cursed with box elder bugs like we are, I got rid of thousands of the vermin about two weeks ago using the vacuum method to suck them up. Works better than spraying and I have had many people tell me these bugs seem very resistant to chemicals.