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How to keep wasp away from porch


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: 

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.

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.

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

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15 Ways on How to Keep Wasps Away from Deck, Porch, and Pool

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While wasps are important parts of the environment, most people don’t want much to do with them. This is especially true on warm summer days spent lounging on the deck or porch, or sitting by the pool.

Simply having wasps buzzing around can turn a fun time into an anxiety-inducing one. Plus, if wasps decide to nest nearby, the situation could even be dangerous.

Luckily, you can keep wasps away from your deck, porch, and pool. If you don’t know where to begin, here are 15 solid options.

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How to Keep Wasps Away from Your Deck, Porch, and Pool

1. Hang Decoy Wasp Nests

If your biggest concern is paper wasps, consider putting up a decoy wasp nest. Wasps are territorial by nature. If they see a nest nearby, they aren’t going to hang around.

With a decoy nest, you are making wasps think that there’s a colony in the area. By using a couple of paper nests, you decrease the odds that wasps will make a home near your yard or even fly through looking for food.

However, this approach typically works best in the spring. That’s the time when wasps set up new nests. If you wait until after the wasps have created a nest to put up a decoy, it probably won’t work. You’ll have to try the approach next year to see results.

2. Use an Ultrasonic Pest Repeller

No products found.Another deterrent-based approach involves using an No products found. , a non-toxic, non-chemical approach to keeping wasps away. The device plugs in and, once turned on, produces high-frequency sounds and wavelengths.

While humans can’t hear or detect the soundwaves, many pests can. Along with possibly keeping wasps at bay, it may also discourage mosquitos, spiders, ants, roaches, and other bugs from coming around. Often, it even works on rodents, which is a nice bonus.

Just be aware that some of the high-powered versions are audible, even to people. That setting is usually only a good option if you won’t be home, so keep that in mind.

Additionally, your pets may be able to detect some of the lower power settings. That could make them uncomfortable while the device is operating, so you may not want to go this route if you have pets.

3. Create a “Wasp Plate”

If you plan on hosting a barbecue or having a picnic, the food you plan on eating could attract wasps. Once they realize there’s a meal available around your deck, patio, or yard, you’ll see more arrive for a snack.

But, by creating a wasp plate, you can reduce the odds that they’ll interrupt your meal. Take a small piece of raw meat and set it far away from deck, porch, or patio about one hour before your gathering. The idea is to let the wasps find that plate, attracting them to a spot away from where you’re going to be.

If you want to go the extra mile, make sure you don’t have your food outside for any longer than necessary. By cleaning up quickly, you limit the chances that a wasp will think your yard is an excellent place for a meal.

4. Add a Water Source

Wasps may stop by your pool for a simple reason; they are thirsty. Water is essential for them, so wasps seek our reliable sources while they are flying around.

If you want to keep wasps from seeing your pool like a drinking fountain, consider providing an alternative water source. It will make your pool a less attractive option for getting a drink.

One of the easiest approaches is to install a birdbath in a far corner of your yard. Just make sure to change the water out regularly. Otherwise, it could become stagnate, creating a breeding ground for another annoying pest: mosquitos.

5. Cover Your Pool When Not in Use

Another step to make sure your pool isn’t a water source for wasps is to cover it when it isn’t in use. With a pool cover in place, reaching the water becomes difficult. As a result, fewer wasps will attempt to crawl under it to get a sip.

Just make sure that you choose a pool cover with a decent amount of weight. By doing so, the edges will stay down easier, decreasing the chances that gaps will form that wasps can fit through without an issue.

Additionally, secure it properly. If you want to cover to be effective, it needs to stay put. If you don’t secure it, a windy day may be all it takes to shift the cover and reveal the pool beneath.

6. Set Up Wasp Traps

No products found.With a wasp trap, you entice the insects into a container by offering up a food source. Then, once inside, they can’t get back out. That means they won’t be buzzing around your deck, porch, or patio.

Usually, you have two choices for wasp traps. First, you can make your own using an empty two-liter bottle. This approach is economical but can be a bit unsightly.

Second, you can buy premade wasp traps. You can find No products found. as well as disposable wasp traps, giving you some options.

With either homemade or reusable traps, you’ll need to create bait. Usually, sugar water, apple cider vinegar, or a bit of beer are enough to do the trick.

7. Make a Natural Repellent Spray

Peppermint, clove, lemongrass, and geranium oils deter wasps. The same goes for white vinegar.

If you want to keep wasps away or discourage them from building nests in specific areas, natural repellent sprays are a great choice. If you’re going to go the vinegar route, get a spray bottle, and use a 50/50 split of white vinegar and water. Add two drops of dish soap, give it a shake, and spray the areas.

For the oil route, fill a spray bottle with water. Add two drops of dish soap and ten drops of clove, lemongrass, or geranium oil. You could use a combination of oils, too. Once in place, tighten the lids and give the bottle a shake before spraying liberally around your deck, porch, or pool.

8. Add the Right Plants to Your Garden

Essential oils aren’t the only way to keep wasps from making your deck, porch, or pool area home. By adding the right plants to your garden, you can accomplish a similar goal.

Mint, spearmint, lemongrass, citronella, thyme, and eucalyptus can make your space less attractive to wasps. Plus, they are relatively easy to care for, making them good choices for anyone regardless of whether they have a green thumb.

Whether you plant them in the ground or containers doesn’t matter. Just spread them out in your yard, and you could see fewer wasps.

9. Clean Up After Fruit-Producing Plants

Wasps like fruit, especially in the fall and winter. If you have fruit-bearing plants, fallen fruit serves as a meal for wasps.

Once the fruit ripens, try to collect it from the tree or bush. That way, you have a chance to enjoy it while ensuring it doesn’t become a snack of buzzing pests.

If you have fallen fruit on the ground, clean it up quickly. Otherwise, there’s a decent chance nearby wasps will stop by for a bite.

10. Take Down or Relocate Hummingbird Feeders

Hummingbird nectar is essentially colored sugar water. Not only will the feeders attract hummingbirds, but they can also be attractive meal options for bees and wasps.

If you want to keep wasps away from your deck, patio, or pool, make sure that the feeders aren’t nearby. Move them to remote sections of your yard where you won’t be bothered if wasps stop by for a snack.

If you don’t have enough space in your yard to relocate the feeders, then you might have to take them down entirely. There’s no way to keep the nectar from potentially attracting wasps, so it may be your only choice.

11. Don’t Leave Pet Food Outside

Pet food can attract wasps because they can use the pellets or wet food to feed themselves. While it may be more convenient to feed your cat or dog outdoors, you don’t want to leave the bowls out. This is especially true if they aren’t empty.

Feeding your pets indoors is typically the easiest way to avoid attracting wasps. It prevents any food from being accessible, including spilled or dropped pieces. However, letting them enjoy their meal and then immediately carrying the dishes back inside can also work.

If you have to feed your pet outdoors and leave the dishes outside, keep them as far away from your deck, porch, or pool as possible. That way, if they do attract wasps, the pests won’t be near the areas you want to enjoy.

12. Avoid Swatting Wasps

When you see a wasp, you’re probably tempted to give it a whack. You may figure out that killing it is the best choice. The trick is, killing wasps can actually be a bad idea because doing so potentially attracts more into your yard.

Wasps release pheromones when they are dying or die, especially if they are attacked. It alerts other wasps to a threat, which, in this case, is you. Sometimes, those pheromones attract more wasps. They swoop in, trying to defend a nearby nest.

If you want to keep wasps away, don’t risk killing them near your deck, porch, or pool. Resist the urge to swat and use other approaches instead, like wasp traps and deterrent sprays.

13. Close Up Holes

Wasps usually explore properties looking for safe spaces, especially when they are trying to nest in the spring or want to hide away for the winter. In some cases, these insects may make a home in a gap in your house, deck, or porch. For ground wasps, holes in your yard can be inviting, as well.

If you want to keep wasps away, make sure they don’t next on your property. Check your home, porch, deck, pool area, and yard, filling any holes you find. This includes cracks or crevices near the ground, as not all wasps need high areas to feel secure.

14. Relocate Garbage Cans

Garbage, recycling, and compost piles can be all be food sources for wasps. If you leave your cans near your deck, porch, or pool, there’s a decent chance you’ll see pests coming by looking for a snack. By relocating your bins and compost away from the parts of your yard you want to use, you reduce your wasp encounters.

Additionally, if your garbage can lid isn’t on tight, wasps can easily squeeze inside for a meal. The same goes for recycling bins, especially if there are containers that once held sugary foods or drinks, like soda cans or bottles. Make sure your lids are on as tightly as possible.

15 Get Professional Treatments

Sometimes, hiring a pest control specialist is your best choice. This is especially true if you have a large, active nest on your property.

While there are DIY approaches to getting rid of wasp nests, doing so is always dangerous. It doesn’t matter if it’s day time or night, or what method you use. Once the wasps become agitated, they may attack.

Pest control specialists have the right equipment and treatment options for a variety of wasps. They can handle the nest correctly, all while you stay a safe distance away.

Additionally, pest control experts can apply preventative treatments. Once in place, the chance that wasps will return goes down substantially.

Conclusion

Ultimately, keeping wasps away from your deck, porch, or pool doesn’t have to be a challenge. With the tips above, you should be able to handle it with ease.

I hope you enjoyed the list above. If you’d like to share your thoughts, including more tips for keeping wasps away, please head to the comments section below. Also, pass this list along to anyone who would enjoy a wasp-free yard; they’ll be happy you did.

Eugene Sokol

Eugene has been a DIY enthusiast for most of his life and loves being creative while inspiring creativity in others. He is passionately interested in home improvement, renovation and woodworking.

Get rid of wasps. 3 Time-Tested Ways to Control Insects | Nature | Society

Dmitry Belov

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

168006

"AiF. At the cottage" No. 15. With strawberries - until autumn: the secrets of new varieties 10/08/2016

"Fighting wasps is not as easy as it is supposed to be. Unfortunately, there are no such means by which it would be possible to destroy all wasps in a short time. nine0005

An article written more than 100 years ago* began on such a pessimistic note. Nevertheless, its author, gardener A. A. Gintsenberg , proposed "some methods of struggle, which, if they do not completely rid the garden of these uninvited guests, then in any case significantly weaken their invasion. " Almost all of these methods are effective to this day. Especially if you use their modernized versions.

About the life of wasps

“By winter, almost all wasps die, except for fertilized females. These last winters are spent under stones and in other sheltered places. These females wake up in early spring. They arrange nests, laying eggs in them, from which the larvae subsequently emerge. These larvae are fed by females. During the spring and summer, the females produce worker wasps that help the females build nests and raise new generations. nine0024

Thus, the very way of life of wasps indicates to us the best time to fight them - in the spring.

Destroying nests on branches is really the safest thing in early spring - early summer, when the queen and several soldiers are in the nest. Since mid-summer, such a procedure carries a high degree of risk.

Safety precautions

"When fighting wasps, it is better to put on a face net, which is used when caring for bees. "

All operations against wasps must be carried out late in the evening. Have a mosquito net or a beekeeper's net on your face, protect your body with tight clothing.

1. Alcohol poisoning

“They take bottles (for example, from champagne or other large ones) and fill them ½ with some sweet liquid. It is extremely useful to add a little ordinary vodka to the liquid. So filled bottles are hung and laid out in those places where the strongest growth of wasps is noticed. Wasps willingly climb into bottles, where they drown. nine0024

Trap bottles should be checked from time to time and topped up with sweet liquid. They should be planted in early spring and harvested in late autumn.

Using food bait traps is an environmentally friendly and relatively safe way to control many types of insects, including wasps. You can use molasses, fermented honey, dissolved sugar or its mixture with beer.

True, numerous bottles on the site, and even with a characteristic smell, can cause certain rumors among the neighbors. In addition, with a high number of wasps, traps will not be able to completely cope with them. Especially without periodic inspection and renewal of food bait. nine0005

Modern method. In order not to lose your reputation, the bottles can be replaced by jars with a volume of 700-750 ml. A layer of sugar up to 1.5 cm thick is poured to the bottom, poured with water (100–150 g) and mixed. Then up to half of the volume of the bank is filled with beer. A cross-shaped hole is cut in the lid of the jar, the length of each cut is no more than 10 mm. The resulting triangles bend inward: they will prevent the wasps from getting out.

2. Smoking kills

“A large wasp - a hornet - mostly builds its nests in hollow trees. To destroy the nest of these wasps, you need to cover up all the exit holes in the hollow, and smoke through the lowest hole with some material that gives off acrid smoke. nine0024

It is a good idea to smoke wasp colonies out of hollow trees.

Modern method. Sulfur sticks can be used. However, you should remember about safety, use personal protective equipment. If successful, you need to close up the hollow as soon as possible - after a while the wasps can return to their habitable place.

3. Defense - attack

“Some breeds of wasps build their nests on tree branches, in stables, sheds, attics and other places. They do this: they put a scraper on a stick and use it to drop the nests into a substituted open bag. When they have collected enough, the bag with nests is lowered into boiling water. This operation must also be carried out late in the evening. nine0024

The idea of ​​a century ago - to first determine where the miserable neighbors fly from, and then destroy their houses - is quite sound. It is also correct to schedule an operation for the evening: during the day, it is more expensive to take any action against wasp nests, and even more so hornets.

Modern method. After sunset, treat the outlet of the hornet's nest (or "nothole" if the house is in a wall, woodshed or other closed space) with any means against flying insects, you can in a regular spray can. Spraying for 3-6 seconds is sufficient. Immediately after this, it is necessary to cover the entrance tightly with construction foam or pre-mashed clay. After a day, you need to check if the striped neighbors are using some other exit. nine0005

* An article from the Progressive Horticulture and Horticulture magazine of 1910 was prepared by Vladimir Veselov, historian.

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How to drive wasps out of a private house

Wasps are frequent guests in a private home. The presence of these insects does not bring any benefit, on the contrary, they spoil the life of the residents - they bite, eat various foods and annoy with their buzzing. They can equip their residences in different areas - in the attic under the roof, in the wall of the house, as well as in the very ...

Wasps are frequent guests in a private house. The presence of these insects does not bring any benefit, on the contrary, they spoil the life of the residents - they bite, eat various foods and annoy with their buzzing. They can equip their residences in different areas - in the attic under the roof, in the wall of the house, as well as in the room itself in the corners. So how to get rid of wasps in a private house? nine0018

Where wasps can live in the house

If there are wasps in the house, then you should first find out where they live. Often they start in a wooden house. These insects build their nests near various foods. In this regard, they make nests in different parts of a residential building or near it.

For building their nests, they prefer those areas of the building where they can easily build a nest, but it is important for them not to be disturbed. nine0005

The main places where these insects can settle:

- in the places of roofs of residential buildings or sheds;

- in the attic;

- in various non-residential buildings;

- in the wall of the house;

- in dark corners of living rooms and other outbuildings;

- behind window frames;

- between walls and cladding if it is loosely attached;

- in hedges;

- among old things.

For this reason, if you suddenly saw wasps on your plot or in your house, then it is advisable to inspect all places in the house, non-residential outbuildings, as well as little-visited premises of your house. You need to make sure that you find all the nests of these pests. nine0005

If you suddenly cannot find the nests of these inhabitants, but at the same time these insects fly and disturb with their buzzing and bites, then you can put meat or fish somewhere in a conspicuous place on your plot. Then follow where the wasps will fly from. They will most likely fly between food and their habitat, so you can easily find their nest.

Also, many people are interested in an important question - do wasps sleep at night? No, they never sleep either at night or during the day. They constantly fly, get their own food, feed their offspring. These pests can sting a person while he is sleeping. This is another reason pushing for the elimination of these creatures. So how do you get rid of wasps at home? nine0005

Reasons for the appearance of wasps

Wasps in the house can appear for various reasons, among which the most important are:

- they can be lured by various foods - meat, fish, fruits, sweet foods;

- warm and comfortable place for nesting;

- nesting for the purpose of overwintering. These insects often come to private homes in autumn to overwinter. Everyone knows that insects die in severe frosts; nine0005

- they can get into the house by accident. Often these creatures enter the house by accident, for example, in search of food or water. If one wasp flies into the house, then soon a whole swarm will live there.

Knowing these reasons will make it easier to deal with these insects. It is enough just to create conditions for the stay in which these creatures will be impossible.

How to get rid of wasps

Very few people enjoy being around wasps. There is no benefit from these creatures, only one buzz, and their bites are dangerous. In addition to pain, various allergic reactions may appear in the form of swelling, inflammation, redness and severe itching. Therefore, it is important to know how to deal with them, since getting rid of wasps is quite difficult. What are wasps afraid of? Wasps can be eliminated with the help of insecticides, various aerosols, as well as using folk methods. nine0005

Insecticides

Various insecticidal preparations can be successfully used to control these insects. Wasp insecticides are available in many stores in a wide range, so there should be no problems with the choice. Consider the most effective insecticidal preparations:

Smelnet. It is an odorless microencapsulated product. It has an effective effect on flies, mosquitoes, and wasps. This tool processes the habitats of these insects. Action lasts until 9months.

Mosquitall aerosol. Aerosol from wasps is able to destroy a large number of these insects in one treatment. It is used mainly in non-residential parts of the house, in the attic, as well as in outbuildings. With the help of this drug, you can get rid of these insects under the roof of the house. Since after processing the habitats of these creatures an unpleasant odor spreads, it should not be used in residential areas.

GET. This best wasp remedy comes in the form of a white emulsion that has a subtle odor. This aerosol can be used to eliminate almost any insect. It should be sprayed on the nests and after a while all insects will die. nine0005

Folk remedies

Wasps can be exterminated quickly by simply throwing out the nest. However, this method of eliminating these creatures is complicated and not safe.

The best remedy for wasp nests - bag:

- a bag of strong polyethylene material is being prepared;

- then he throws himself on the nest, while it is necessary that he close it;

- then the nest is quickly torn off and everything is well tied;

- the bag in which the nest and wasps are placed must be burned. nine0005

Another effective remedy against wasp nests is a bag and dichlorvos. How to use:

- first of all, the nest should be quickly treated with dichlorvos;

- then a plastic bag is quickly thrown over and tightly tied;

- it is necessary to wait for about 2 hours;

- after that the nest is burned.

Use of kerosene or gasoline. They have an unpleasant pungent odor that can scare away these insects. To begin with, any container, device with a sprayer or syringe must be filled with a small amount of kerosene or gasoline, then it should be poured into the nest cavity. You need to move a long distance and wait, the insects should fly out. If they do not fly away, then the treatment can be repeated. After all the inhabitants fly away, the nest is burned. nine0005

If the nest is in a wall or in the ground, then gasoline can be poured into it and set on fire. But when using this method, prepare water or sand, these components can quickly extinguish the flame.

Use of water. If the wasp nest is located so that it can be placed in a container of water, then this method will ensure that these creatures are instantly eliminated. To begin with, it is worth putting on clothes made of dense material, be sure to put on gloves on your hands. Take water in a container. Next, raise the bucket and dip the wasp nest into it.

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