How to deter wasps
Dammann's Garden Company – How to Repel Wasps from Your Patio
Wasps are the least popular guest at every outdoor summer event, especially on your patio. They can be pretty mean creatures, but they are also essential in the balance of our ecosystems. With that said, you probably don’t want them hanging around while you enjoy dinner on the patio!
Here’s a little helpful information about wasps and the best repellants for your Indianapolis patio.
WHY ARE WASPS USEFUL?
There are over 100,000 species of wasp worldwide, but only a tiny percentage of them sting humans. Most of them are parasitic by nature. While this seems very barbaric, parasitic wasps are no danger to humans but are very helpful for agriculture.
Four common types of wasps sting people, and unfortunately, they can sting multiple times. The most common varieties are:
Yellowjackets
Paper wasps
Hornets
Mud daubers
They have two main benefits for humans: they're pollinators (just like bees, but less friendly), and they eat tons of less desirable insects in your garden.
WHAT ATTRACTS WASPS TO YOUR PATIO?
Before you can repel wasps from your patio, you need to know what attracts them in the first place. Wasps love sugar and protein, so they're big fans of BBQs and picnics. In the early part of the season, they're focused on protein, so any meats on your patio table or even a dish of pet food are very attractive.
Later in the season, they focus on sugar. Their favorites are liquids, like juice, pop, and fresh fruit, which are highly digestible. Sweet-scented body products can also be attractive to wasps, so try to avoid scented products during the summer. While they are mostly scent-seekers with very powerful olfactory systems, they also are attracted to bright colors and flowers, so keep that in mind when you slip on those vibrant patterns!
HOW TO REPEL WASPS FROM YOUR PATIO
The best wasp repellent is to be diligent about making your patio area less attractive to them.
Here are a few ways to make your patio unwelcoming to these pests:
Wasps love sugar and protein, so they're big fans of BBQs and picnics.
Be diligent about cleaning up after outdoor meals; this includes keeping your BBQ clean and free of meat or sauce residue.
Keep your drinks covered. Use a straw in cans since they often sneak inside a can, and no one wants to sip on a stinger!
Clean up under fruit trees and bushes. Fallen fruit is a favorite for wasps and other unlikable critters like maggots.
Grow plants in your patio planters that wasps don't like, like lemongrass and peppermint.
Mix clove, geranium, lemongrass essential oils with water, shake well and spray your patio area. You'll have to spray your patio regularly throughout the summer.
Patch up and seal any cracks and holes around your patio, in siding or cement, where they could start building nests.
Hang up fake wasp nests; they’re territorial, so they will avoid an area if they see what appears to be an existing nest.
Keep your waste bins closed tightly, and try to keep them empty of food waste until the evening before garbage pickup day.
HOW TO GET RID OF WASP NESTS
If you already have a wasp problem, you should deal with it as soon as possible and then start applying the repellant ideas mentioned above. Here are a few suggestions for dealing with infestations.
A word of warning: If you attempt to deal with a wasp nest, always wait until after the sun goes down. Deal with it while they’re sleeping, and always wear long sleeves, long pants, closed shoes, a mask, and eye protection.
Hang wasp traps but use a protein in them, so you're less likely to catch honey bees and bumblebees. Tuna works well.
Drenching a nest with insecticidal spray is one of the most effective options, but be very careful and follow all package directions.
Small nests that are just starting can be tackled with soap and water. Mix two tablespoons of dish soap in a spray bottle, fill with water and spray the nest. All the wasps will eventually come out.
If your wasp nest is a long way from the house and they're not really bothering anyone, consider leaving them to help manage other insects in your yard.
If you think you have a huge nest, call a professional. They have all the proper equipment to remove the nest while you and your family wait safely somewhere else.
If you’ve just got a small nest to tackle, or you want to take precautions to repel wasps before they make themselves at home, stop by our garden center in Indianapolis. We can help you make your patio a “wasps not welcome” space!
Mattew DammannDammann's Garden CompanyDammann's Garden Company, Indianapolis, garden center, maintenance, garden maintenance, pests, pest control, pest, pest prevention, garden pests, dealing with pests, wasp control, repel wasps, how to repel wasps, summer patio, patio
0 Likes6 Ways to Keep Wasps Away From Your Home
Nothing can put a damper on an otherwise sunny day around the pool quite like wasps can.
According to Dr. Jim Fredricks, Ph.D., chief entomologist for the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), there are around 4,000 different types of wasps in the United States, which include common species like mud daubers, yellow-jackets and paper wasps.
Wasps and other stinging pests are a common summertime nuisance, usually active during the day before returning to their nests at dusk. In the second half of summer and early fall these pests are at their most active, when they’re actively searching for food and when their colonies are the largest.
While some wasp species like yellow jackets and paper wasps are usually aggressive when humans approach their nests, they’re actually great to have around the garden. While bees feed their larvae pollen, wasp species nourish theirs with other insects. That means that wasps are great for controlling pests that would otherwise be snacking on your flowers and tomatoes. According to National Geographic, some farmers even use them to protect crops.
And contrary to popular belief, wasps do pollinate plants, just not to the same extent that bees do.
Despite all the ways wasps can benefit your yard, they can still sting and cause an allergic reaction. “Stinging insects send more than half a million people to the emergency room every year,” says Dr. Fredericks. If you already have a large infestation, Dr. Fredricks strongly suggests not dealing with them on your own. Instead, call a licensed pest control professional for nest removal. Luckily, there are things you can do to keep wasps from building a nest in the first place. Give one of these six methods a try:
Clove-Geranium-Lemongrass Oil Blend
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Research published in the Journal of Pest Management Science found that a combination of clove, geranium and lemongrass essential oils successfully repelled wasps. Mix several drops of each oil with water and dish soap in a spray bottle and coat areas on the outside of your home where wasps like to build nests: under eaves, porch roofs and other ledges and crevices.
According to Dr. Fredricks, different species build nests in different locations. While mud daubers and paper wasps build hanging nests, yellowjackets tend to make their nests underground or inside void spaces like hollow trees.
Since fully covering all of those areas with essential oils would be impractical, target spots where you’ve found old nests in the past, as paper wasps tend to build new nests in the same locations, according to Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service.
Soap and Water
According to Chris Walker, an eco-friendly wasp removal expert in Southeastern Pennsylvania, you can tackle small hanging nests with a mixture of two tablespoons of dish soap in a spray bottle filled with water. "The soap clogs their breathing pores (called spiracles) and they die almost instantly," Walker says.
Peppermint Oil
Fascinadora//Getty Images
Peppermint oil may also be effective at repelling wasps, according to the same study from the Journal of Pest Management Science.
You can try applying it as described above, or you can purchase EcoSmart Organic Wasp and Hornet Killer, which is mint-oil-based, to target established nests.
Wasp Traps
AtWaG//Getty Images
Wasp traps work by luring the insects inside a container with some tempting treat like sugar water and then preventing their escape. You can make one yourself in about five minutes by sawing the top off a two-liter bottle and inverting it inside the bottom, or cutting a small hole in the top.
If the DIY route isn’t for you, you can also purchase a more heavy-duty trap online such as this highly-rated one sold on Amazon. However, Walker notes that traps probably won’t fully solve your problem because you might end up capturing wasps passing through your yard, rather than just ones building a problem nest. If using a trap, your best bet is to try to locate the nest and place the trap close to its entrance.
Patch Up Cracks
If you want to keep wasps from invading your house, preventative measures are key, says Walker.
He recommends sealing up tiny cracks — like those around the edges of siding and where power lines enter the house —and patching up holes in window screens. The best time to do this is in late fall after most worker wasps have died off or in early spring before nests become active. “Use a combination of caulk or expandable foam sealant, like Great Stuff, to plug cracks and holes,” says Dan DiClerico, Director of the Home Improvement & Outdoor Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute. “Besides keeping out wasps and other pests, this will make your home more energy efficient.”
However, if you do discover wasps inside your house, don’t try to seal the nest inside the wall, thinking they’ll just die off. "They’ll find their way out through vents or even chew through drywall," says Walker.
Keep Food and Trash Covered
moisseyev//Getty Images
According to the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension, wasp problems are usually worse in yards that have lots of food sources in the form of exposed garbage, recycling bins and composting food matter.
Make sure to tightly seal the lids to your garbage bins. “Bins with a secure locking lid are ideal, but a pair of bungee cords should also do the trick,” says DiClerico. You might also consider composting indoors if you find your compost pile is causing problems.
"As invaders of backyard barbecues, stinging insects are attracted to sweets and proteins, and thus people," says Dr. Fredericks. He suggests "pour[ing] canned drinks into cups when enjoying a cold beverage outdoors. Wasps are known to climb into cans and sting when an unsuspecting person takes a sip." Generally, keep sugary beverages and all food out of reach whenever possible.
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how to get rid of folk remedies yourself
Types of wasps
In suburban areas, 5 types of wasps are most common:
OCA ORDINARY.
These are perhaps the most typical and most recognizable wasps. About 20 mm long. They like temperate and cool climates.
Where does he live. They build their nests in outbuildings, in underground burrows, in thickets of bushes and in hollows of old trees. They create huge colonies - in one swarm there can be up to 5,000 workers and up to 15,000 cells with larvae.
What does he eat. In the spring they feast on nectar. When the larvae appear, they begin to prey on flies and other small insects. Often they attack spiders and at times steal prey from their webs. More often, prey is taken from ants. Yes Yes exactly. The fact is that in the antennae-antennae of these wasps they are able to capture the pheromones of ants. And ants usually drag something edible all the time. This is the food the wasps are trying to take away. Ants, of course, do not give up without a fight, they pounce on striped aliens, but the wasps have developed a defense tactic - they grab the ants with their jaws, fly away and throw them to the ground.
This does not harm the ants in any way, however, stunned by the fall, they no longer return to the delicacy they found, and it goes to the wasps (1).
In the second half of summer, when berries and fruits begin to ripen, these wasps move to gardens - it is easier to get food here than to take food from ants.
GERMAN WASP. Similar to the common wasp, but smaller, 12–15 mm long. And it can also be distinguished by its abdomen - the tip of the abdomen is black in the common wasp, and yellow in the German wasp. The number of this species is lower than that of the common wasp.
Where does he live. Lives in forests, often in rural areas. There are many of these in cities - the German wasp in megacities is more common than the common wasp.
These wasps traditionally build nests underground - in abandoned rodent burrows, in vegetable gardens, along the edges of cliffs and ravines. In cities, they settle in wastelands and parks. But not always - it is in the cities that they have mastered new shelters for themselves - they can attach their honeycombs in the voids of the walls of buildings, in attics and under the insulation of pipelines.
What does he eat. In nature, it feeds on plant nectar (by the way, it loves garden parsnip flowers very much) and small insects. And in cities, it becomes a scavenger - it is these wasps that are most often found in markets and landfills, flock to barbecues and barbecues.
EUROPEAN PAPER WASP. These wasps are medium-sized, with a thin belly that is more black than yellow.
Where does he live. If you have wasp combs in your attic, on a thuja or juniper, on the stems of perennial flowers, you should know that they are European paper wasps.
These wasps gather material for building their nests from old trees and stumps - they scrape off the fibers of the wood with their jaws, then they chew it and build their honeycombs from it.
The nest is built by the female. The first brood are worker wasps that expand the combs. In one season, the number of wasps in one nest increases from several tens to several hundred individuals.
What does he eat. Larvae are fed with insects - flies, ants, bees, caterpillars, after chewing them. That is, if you do not take into account the bees, they help rid the garden of pests. Adult wasps feed on flower nectar, aphid secretions, and fruit juice. And here they harm, because they like to eat fallen fruits.
Common wasp. Photo: @Magnefl, wikipedia.orgGermanic wasp. Photo: @Alvesgaspar, wikipedia.org European paper wasp. Photo: @Alvesgaspar, wikipedia.org Gallic wasp (French). Photo: @Adrian.benko, wikipedia.org Common hornet. Photo: globallookpress.
com GALLIC (FRENCH) WASP. Outwardly very similar to the European paper wasp and very often they are confused. In this species, yellow color predominates - black is less (2).
Where does he live. Occurs everywhere throughout the European part of Russia, but still tends to the south. Nests are built the same as the European paper wasp and in the same places.
What does he eat. Damages mature fruits on trees and during drying, especially grapes. The larvae feed on small insects.
hornet. The Hornet is the largest wasp in Europe. Their length reaches 25–35 mm.
Where does he live. All over Europe except for the southernmost and northernmost regions. Common in the European part of Russia. Its nests are similar to wasp ones, but their color is brown, not gray, because hornets scrape wood from young birch branches, and they are known to be brown.
Hornet nests are built in hollows, on trees under thick branches, in old beehives, under the roofs of houses and outbuildings.
It is believed that hornets are very aggressive, they say, three bites are enough to kill a person. Actually this is a myth. Hornet venom is no more dangerous than wasp venom. And they are much calmer than wasps and even shy. For example, if a hornet flew through a window, it will slowly scan the room until it finds a way out. No need to try to spank or kick him out, just open a window or door - he will fly away by himself.
They can show aggression only near their nest. And then not immediately. If a person approaches their colony, several guard hornets fly out to meet him, who make warning circles near the intruder. If you do not react, they move on to more decisive actions - they hit the enemy with their head, but they do not sting! But if you ignore their numerous warnings, they can go on the attack already "in an adult way."
What does he eat. Adults prefer sweets - they willingly eat a span (excretion of aphids and other insects), love fallen fruits (apples, pears and plums), all kinds of confectionery.
Hornets feed their larvae with insects. Including the bees. However, scientists noticed that these large wasps catch bees in September-October, when there are already few other insects. But in the summer they become garden orderlies, as they actively destroy flies, butterflies, leaf cutters and even wasps.
How to properly remove a wasp hive
The first rule is to start fighting wasps as early as possible, preferably in the spring. The fact is that most wasps are working individuals, they live only in summer and die in autumn. Single females hibernate. And at the beginning of the season, they build their nests alone, usually small ones. During the summer, they hatch several offspring, the nest grows, insects become tens or even hundreds of times more. So do not wait for this moment - it is much easier to deal with one wasp than with hordes.
It is better to destroy the nests in the evening, when it starts to get dark - at this time the wasps are not so active, besides, the whole swarm has already returned home.
Or early in the morning before they are awake (3).
The second rule is equipment. Before you go to destroy a hornet's nest, you need to properly dress. On the body - a padded jacket or a tight jacket. On the feet - thick (again, better wadded) pants and rubber boots with tight tops. On the head - a mosquito net, and on the top of the head - a thick cap or hat. Hands on canvas gloves.
It is also important to provide escape routes so that in the event of a massive wasp attack, you can hide in a safe place.
The location of the hive near or inside a human dwelling may endanger human health. Photo: pixabay.com Before removing the nests, the wasps themselves must be destroyed. For these purposes, the usual "Dichlorvos" is suitable - it must be carefully shaken off and sprinkled abundantly on the nest from a distance of 20-30 cm. If this is an attic or other room, leave it and close the door tightly. If the nest is outside, just spray it.
After about half an hour, the wasps will die, it will be possible to safely remove all the nests.
Any analogue can be used instead of dichlorvos. Don't look for "wasp" labels - "fly" and other insect repellant also works great.
Important! There are a lot of tips on the Internet on how to fill the nests with boiling water, kerosene, diesel fuel, etc., but they are of no use - you will only anger the wasps. Better not tempt fate.
Folk remedies for wasps in the country
The destruction of wasp nests is a cardinal and rather dangerous method. But there are much easier options.
Sweet water bottles
Cut off the top of a plastic bottle with a neck, pour old jam or syrup diluted in water into it (3), and insert the top cut-off part of the bottle on top, but with the neck down.
Bottles to be placed or hung in the garden. Wasps make their way inside, but they can no longer fly out of there and drown.
From time to time, the dead wasps should be shaken out and filled with new syrup into bottles.
Drinkers with poison syrup
The method is similar, but somewhat improved. At a plastic bottle, you need to cut off the lower part, pierce 2 holes in the upper edge, tie a wire and hang these containers on fruit trees and grapes.
Drinkers are filled with syrup (the same old jam diluted with water), and then any insecticide is added to it against pests (see "Professional products").
After the insects drink the poisoned "cocktail", they fly away and die outside the drinking bowls. This means you don't have to clean them. All that is needed is to add syrup to the drinking bowls from time to time.
Liquid smoke
If wasps do not bother you, you love nature and are not ready to kill even insects, then this method is for you. Its essence is to protect the crop without harming the wasps. All that is needed is to spray fruit plants and grapes with liquid smoke (it is sold in grocery stores).
Wasps, like other insects, do not like the smell of smoke, so they will fly around fruit plants.
Professional products
The destruction of wasps with aerosols, as we found out, is not a safe method. Especially if there are a lot of nests. And when they are in inaccessible places, you won’t get there at all. Therefore, the most optimal method is traps, drinking bowls or baits with poison.
It is better to start the fight against wasps in the spring. Photo: pixabay.comAs a poisonous additive, you can use:
Karbofos. This drug is widely used in horticulture against pests, but there it is sprayed on plants. They do not need to spray wasps - just add a little of the drug to sweet water and hang traps in the garden.
Instead of Karbofos, you can use its analogues - Aliot, Alatan, Antiklesch, Profilaktin, Fufanon.
Usage rate: 1 teaspoon per glass of water.
Executioner . Insecticide of new generation of instant action.
Usually it is used from ants, cockroaches, bedbugs, fleas. But it also destroys wasps very effectively. They are used in the same way as Karbofos - they are bred in sweet water.
Usage rate: 1 teaspoon per glass of water.
Honey beetle . This drug is designed to fight flies and wasps. The convenience is that you do not need to prepare any "cocktails". Honey buzzard - gel. It only needs to be spread over some kind of base (substrate for food, a board) with a dotted line (2 through 2 cm) and placed in places where insects accumulate. The drug contains food additives that attract wasps and flies - they eat up this gel and die very quickly.
Why do wasps start in the country?
There are two reasons at once:
1. Secluded places. Attics, sheds, bathhouses, dense crowns of coniferous trees and shrubs, thickets of perennials - all these are ideal options for building nests.
2. Abundance of food.
There are always a lot of flowering plants, fruits and berries in summer cottages - this is a food base for adult wasps. In addition, there are an abundance of pests in the public garden, and wasps feed their larvae with them. Plus, the abundance of kitchen waste that is on each even is also a source of food.
What to do if you are bitten by a wasp?
The consequences of a wasp sting are severe burning, redness and swelling. This happens to almost all people. If the body successfully fights the poison, then the swelling subsides after 2-3 hours. Still, it's better not to let things take their course.
After a wasp sting, do the following:
1. Remove the stinger (4). If, of course, it remains. The easiest way to get it is with tweezers. Before doing this, thoroughly rinse and disinfect your hands and tools. In no case do not try to squeeze out the sting - this way even more poison will get into the wound and you can infect.
Wasps usually do not leave a stinger, they are able to bite many times.
But occasionally such cases happen, for example, if you crush or squash a wasp. In addition, it is not always possible to understand who exactly bit you.
2. Treat the wound with antiseptic (4). Hydrogen peroxide or alcohol (vodka) will do. This is important because the sting of the wasp often has various infections.
3. Cover the bite with a sterile bandage. It localizes the poison, will not allow it to spread throughout the body.
4. Apply ice to the bite (4). It relieves pain well.
5. Take an antihistamine. Any one you can find. Just read the instructions, they have contraindications.
6. Drink plenty. As a result, you will go to the toilet more often and the toxin will be eliminated from the body faster.
What to do if you are bitten by wasps en masse?
It is believed that the lethal dose of wasp venom is 500-1000 stings.
However, for some, just one bite may be enough if a severe allergic reaction develops - such cases occur in 1% of people. It seems that the figure is small, but according to doctors, the number of deaths from the bites of various types of wasps and bees is 3 times more than from snake bites.
There can be no self-treatment in this case. Urgently call an ambulance! Or go to the nearest medical facility. Especially dangerous are bites in the neck, lip and tongue - often this leads to suffocation even in people who do not suffer from allergies!
How do you get wasps out of a house wall or floor?
If you know exactly where the nest is and if you can lift the floor board or carefully tear off the wall sheathing, then you can destroy the whole swarm along with the combs (see "How to properly remove a nest with wasps").
If this is not possible or the location of the nest is unknown, the simplest thing is to set traps or sent baits in the yard - the wasps will certainly fall there.
And an empty nest will not cause you any problems.
Popular questions and answers
We talked about wasps in the country with agronomist Svetlana Mikhailova.
Where do wasps winter in the country?
Wasps hibernate under the exfoliated bark of old trees, under fallen leaves, under piles of boards. They hibernate, which lasts from November to April.
By the way, only young females hibernate - males, worker wasps and old females die.
How to protect yourself from wasps in the country?
Many wasps build their nests in the grass, on strong dry shoots or in the roots of shrubs. Therefore, work in the garden should be carried out in tight protective clothing and tight gloves that protect against bites.
And if you're having a picnic outside, inspect the food carefully before you put it in your mouth - especially wasps love meat, fruits and desserts.
And in drinks, if they are in an open container, also look.
How to scare wasps off the table?
Sometimes mosquito coils help, but you need to put a lot of them. In general, it is almost impossible to scare away wasps from the table - who will refuse delicious? The simplest thing in this situation is to carefully close all products, for example, put them in plastic containers with a tight lid so that insects cannot get to the food and accidentally get into the mouth.
Retrieved
- Julien Grangier and Philip J. Lester. A novel interference behavior: invasive wasps remove ants from resources and drop them from a height // Biol. Lett., 2011-7
- Redin D. V., Nechaeva E. Kh., Melnikova N. A., Stepanova Yu. , No. 15, 2018 cyberleninka.ru/article/n/izuchenie-introdutsirovannyh-sortov-gortenzii-metelchatoy-v-usloviyah-samarskoy-oblasti/
- On the prevention of wasp stings // Rospotrebnadzor, 07/07/2021 www.rospotrebnadzor.
ru/about/info/news/news_details.php?ELEMENT_ID=18 033 - How to protect yourself from the bites of "summer" insects // Ministry of Health of the Krasnodar Territory, 07/02/2020 www.minzdravkk.ru/pages/pressa/detail.php?ELEMENT_ID=53 503
How to get rid of wasps in the house and prevent their appearance
Wasps are useful. These are one of the gardener's best assistants, because, in addition to berries and fruits, they feed on fly larvae and garden pests. So it’s not worth fighting these insects if they just live on the site. At least until there are too many of them. Another thing is if the wasps settled in the house. Then you need to get rid of them. And as soon as possible.
Where do wasps come from and how can they be prevented?
There are two things that attract wasp people to their homes: food and warmth. They are very fond of sweets and fruits, especially fermented ones, so a jar of jam that is not washed in time can become a real magnet for these insects.
They do not disdain fish and meat, and they are more attracted to products with rottenness. Therefore, if you do not want wasps to start in the house:
- keep food waste in a covered bin and throw it away every day;
- do not leave food, including washed fruit, on the table or cover it with special nets;
- do not collect dirty dishes in the sink;
- Put mosquito nets on the windows.
With the second reason for the appearance of wasps in a private house - heat - it is difficult to do something. These insects cannot regulate body temperature, so they are attracted to places that are closed from the wind and keep warm at night: hollow trees, heaps of garbage, attics, underground, voids in ceilings and walls.
It is not guaranteed to avoid the appearance of wasp nests - it is impossible to make the house completely airtight. But it is possible to reduce the likelihood of “entry” of striped tenants. It is enough to seal as many gaps in building structures as possible.
For example, wasps in the wall of a house can settle under two conditions. First, there must be space between the wall and the sheathing to accommodate the nest. Secondly, a gap is needed through which an insect can enter this space. There will be no this gap - there will be no wasps in the wall.
How to get rid of wasps in the house?
If the precautions did not help, and wasps appeared at home, then to get rid of them:
- find the nest;
- kill the wasps in it with insecticides;
- remove the socket.
But before you start fighting insects, take care of your own safety. Do not approach a hornet's nest without preparation - it is deadly!
Safety
Wasps are stinging insects. Unlike bees, which can only sting once and then die, wasps can attack repeatedly, injecting venom with each attack until it runs out. Moreover, in the event of a threat, the insect releases a special pheromone that causes other wasps to attack.
And if there are a lot of wasps in the house or a whole beehive nearby, the consequences can be disastrous.
Wasp venom itself is dangerous and painful. But worst of all, it is a strong allergen. Even one bite can lead to a massive allergic reaction, up to anaphylactic shock.
Therefore, before removing wasps at home, you need to prepare:
- Wear heavy baggy clothing, preferably 2-3 layers. Clothing should completely cover the body, including wrists, ankles, waist, neck. Tuck the shirt into the trousers, tighten the belt.
- Wear heavy gloves, ideally leather, to protect your hands. Tuck your sleeves into them, tie your wrists with a rope so that the wasp cannot climb inside.
- Wear high boots so that you can tuck your pants into the top of them.
- Protect your head with a mosquito net or a beekeeper's hat. Protection can be made independently from any wide-brimmed hat, fine mesh and rope.
Since it is difficult to get wasps out of the house and not get a single bite, you should definitely have a package of antihistamines on hand.
If you have already had a severe allergic reaction to insect stings, you should never do the pest control yourself.
Where to look for wasp nests in house
Wasps rarely make their nests in plain sight. They prefer secluded corners, therefore, most often, wasps settle under the roof of the house or in the attic. In addition, their nests can be:
- under slopes and window sills;
- behind the cabinets in the corners of the rooms;
- above indoor air conditioner units;
- behind refrigerators and freezers;
- inside walls, ceilings, floors;
- in the garage or workshop behind the shelving;
- from below on flights of stairs or steps.
Wasps in a wooden house, especially if it is a log house, like to make nests behind the architraves, as well as in the cavity between the interior trim and the wall of the building.
If you can't find a nest, just keep an eye out for insects.
To do this, put a piece of sweet fruit or a little jam in a place where wasps often visit, and see where they fly with their prey.
Treatment of wasp nests with insecticides
How to get rid of wasps in the house? Treat the nest with a special insecticide. This is best done 2-3 hours after sunset. At this time, the wasps are the least active, and most of them are in the nest.
For lighting, use a flashlight attached to any structure. It cannot be held in the hands or fixed on the body - when processed, the wasps can fly to the light source.
Treat wasp nests in residential areas with aerosol insecticides. They create a finely dispersed suspension that penetrates well into the cavities of the hive.
If the wasps settled in the attic, then concentrated compounds that are diluted with water can also be used against them. But without special equipment, they are not as effective as aerosols, so re-treatment may be required.
Aerosol active ingredients against wasps
| Active ingredient | How it works | Features |
| Permethrin | Contact-intestinal insecticide that attacks the nervous system when accumulated | It acts not only on adult wasps, but also on eggs and larvae. |
| Piperonyl butoxide (PPB) | Enhances the effect of certain types of insecticides. | Decomposes quickly when exposed to sunlight. |
| Tetramethrin | It enters the body of an insect along with food or through the respiratory tract. Causes paralysis. | Nearly instant action. |
| Cypermethrin | Contact-intestinal insecticide that paralyzes the nervous system. | Resistant to ultraviolet, after treatment it remains on surfaces for 20-30 days. |
| Esbiotrin | Nerve insecticide | Used only in combination with other insecticides. |
| Pralletrin | Broad Spectrum Insecticide | A highly volatile substance that quickly weathers. |
| Imiprotrin | A contact insecticide that causes paralysis. | Nearly instant action. |
Aerosols from wasps contain not one substance, but a combination of different insecticides. This provides a "knockdown effect" and gives long-term protection against the reappearance of insects - sometimes up to two months.
When choosing an aerosol, pay attention to the spray distance. To get wasps out of the house, products that are sprayed from a distance of 20-30 cm are suitable. High-pressure aerosols are needed to remove nests outside or in walls. They can be sprayed at a distance of 2-6 m.
Means intended for indoor use are easily weathered. Therefore, before removing wasps from under the roof of the house, close all windows and large gaps. If insects have settled inside the wall, seal all holes except one. Spray the remaining hole and close it too.
After spraying, it is better to leave the nest for a day.
