Wasp control

[cowman]

We live in the country and have always had wasps but the last couple of summers it's been getting ridiculous. All around my house, my shop, all the buildings there just seem to be wasps everywhere. I take out nests with wasp spray, pressure washers, etc and within a couple of weeks it just seems like they're back. Most of the time I leave them alone and they leave me alone but we seem to stumble into them often enough to get stung a couple times a year. I'm tired of working on a project and halting because of some wasp hovering around and wondering if there's a nest hidden in whatever I'm working on and I'm about to get stung. I'm also worried about my 6yo stumbling into them- he's been stung before and fortunately none of us are allergic but it still hurts. I'm typing this from my shop right now looking at one that's landed near me and seeing another hovering around the ceiling. Trying to decide if it's worth it to grab a can of wasp spray(and be breathing air in the same space I just unloaded that toxic stuff into) or not.

Anyone have any good ideas? I've tried some sticky wasp traps and some get caught, I seek out and destroy nests where I can find them but none of my efforts seem to reduce the overall population of the things.

 

[SoonerAviator]

I've had good luck with the SpectracidePRO Wasp & Hornet killer. It seems to leave a pretty good residue that keeps them from returning to those same spots for months. I've heard that hanging up some small brown paper sacks can also deter them (looks like another wasp nest to them).

 

[Dixiebluesky]

Get yourself a pump up sprayer or some sort of spray rig. Make a batch of Tempo and Permethrin, both at their recommended strength. Spray down everything you can where they like to nest. It will help with all bugs not just wasps but is extremely effective on wasps. It won't have the instant knock down of wasp spray on an active nest but they won't live long.

 

[eman1200]

One or two of these.

 

[robin ardoin]

As mentioned already, Permethrin and it’s analogs, are very effective in killing current nests and inhibiting forming of new nests in my experience. I have a large covered porch that I spray (walls and stained wood ceiling) annually and it works well. I also spray the foundation perimeter twice a year and I almost never see crawling insects in the house….and I live in South Looziana. I use Demon Max (cypermethrin) indoors and outside. Works great.

 

[SixPapaCharlie]

As mentioned already, Permethrin and it’s analogs, are very effective in killing current nests and inhibiting forming of new nests in my experience. I have a large covered porch that I spray (walls and stained wood ceiling) annually and it works well. I also spray the foundation perimeter twice a year and I almost never see crawling insects in the house….and I live in South Looziana. I use Demon Max (cypermethrin) indoors and outside. Works great.

safe for pets?

 

[robin ardoin]

safe for pets?

Yes, it is safe for all mammals. It is toxic to fish and amphibians.

What I like about Demon is that it dries fairly clear and not noticeable on my wood floors indoors when I perform a‘baseboard’ spray every 4 months and no odor after it dries. I buy my pesticides from DIY pest control. The also have professional sprayers that are pricey but the last one you’ll ever buy and have a rotating head with 4 different orifices for proper patterns.

 

[TrueCourse]

Over the last few years I’ve used wasp nest decoys. Not the kind you buy in stores, but the home made type. Fake the wasps into thinking your space is already occupied by an existing colony. Use a brown paper lunch bag, stuff it with something to puff it up (I use plastic grocery bags since they stand up to getting wet), twirl the open end closed, then hang the bag with a close line pin or secure it some other way. This has noticeable reduced our wasp issue around our wooden back deck. This made from scratch version usually lasts one season if exposed to weather, but it’s so easy. YMMV.

 

[Tarheelpilot]

Avialogs: Aviation Library - R-985 Wasp Junior

www.avialogs.com

 

[JOhnH]

I understand and sympathize with wasp problems. I am somewhat allergic to them and I manage to get stung at least once or twice a year. The initial sting feels like I've been shot and within minutes the stung area swells up and stings and itches like hell. When I say it swells up, it REALLY swells up. Last time my whole right hand was so swollen it looked like a balloon trick. I couldn't even bend any of my fighers.

That said, I still hate broad pesticide applications of broad spectrum pesticides. I have had limited success with the brown paper bag trick. But I admit to wasp/hornet sprays that send a stream of foam about 15 feet or so. Saturate the specific wasp nest and run like hell.

I was sitting inside looking out the window to my front porch and was watching a single wasp fly around. He eventually landed on an outdoor over head light fixture. Then he crawled through a small crack into the attic. The next morning, bright and early while it was still quite cool, I climbed a ladder and removed the light fixture and saw a wasp nest about 6 inches x 6inches with a bunch of wasps sleeping. I soaked that nest with the foaming wasp spray and a couple dozen wasps fell dead t the ground. I thoroughly saturated and I saw a few wasps emerge throughout the day. Then I put the light fixture back and caulked around it's base.
It's been 2 years and they have not returned to THAT nest. But every once in a while we notice a new nest somewhere and I make it a point to get up early and hit them with the spray before they become active. Once it warms up and they start swarming no matter how much poison you spray, the ones that are out flying around will just make another next. You can get to almost all of them early in the morning.

 

[Domenick]

One or two of these.

Get 'em while you can. Soon to disappear forever.

 

[SoonerAviator]

safe for pets?

Permethrin is used on farms/ranches quite a bit, especially in barn/loafing shed areas where they are trying to control ants/ticks/spiders/wasps/etc. Every bottle I've used has specific mixing strength instructions for outdoor, indoor, and use in the yard. Even lists any precautions for use around pets/livestock. Find yourself an Atwoods or Tractor Supply store and they'll have it.

 

[Skyrys62]

I have some storage boxes outside that they love and kept coming back to. I had carb cleaner spray handy, so just used that. Probably less effective than a good wasp spray but tried a suggestion to get them really early in the mornings (coldish) or late in the evenings/dark, worked for me, as they were mostly all at the nest and not out foraging.
I've seen recommendation for peppermint as a more natural deterrent, but never tried it. Carb cleaner was more instant gratification for having to get up early.

I didn't use traps, but in your situation it might be something to try.
Below is from a Quora post, also with some of the same suggestions about spraying that others here have mentioned. According to that, they like beer. So maybe a bad idea to be drinking beer when working or relaxing outside.
Even more reason to get 'em...
but I guess if you shared a few beers with them, maybe you'd become friends and could have some BBQ's out back. Maybe even get them to work for you. Kind of like Antman. Do you have neighbors you don't like??


How to Make a Wasp Trap in a Few Easy Steps with an Easy DIY Solution.

Baits change during different seasons. This has a smaller trap, but a better list of baits:

How to Make a Wasp Trap

This will trap and kill those last stragglers. And prevent their return if you keep it out for a while. Paper wasps like beer. Don’t ask me why.


After about 3–4 days of letting the poison dry on your walls knock the poison saturated wasp house down. Or at the very least follow directions. Most of your poisons continue to kill any wasps returning to the nest, so the longer you leave it, the more stragglers you kill.