While it is beneficial to pollinate flowers and control pests, wasps themselves can be pests and even dangerous if you have allergies. If there are wasp nests near or in your workplace, there may be no choice but to eradicate each wasp or even the entire nest. Fortunately, there are several ways to follow, from spraying insecticides (both natural and chemical) to using property traps.
Step
Method 1 of 4: Using Traditional Control Methods
Step 1. Mix 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of peppermint oil with 470 ml of water
Pour water into a spray bottle and add peppermint oil. Spray this solution on the wasps and their nests. Make sure you spray enough solution to completely wet the wasp and nest.
Add 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of shampoo or dish soap to the mixture to keep the peppermint oil on the sprayed area and kill the wasps effectively
Step 2. Use a mixture of 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of dish soap and 240 ml of water
Pour hot water into a spray bottle and add dish soap. Find a swarm of wasps and spray the mixture directly until the wasps stop moving or flying. If possible, use a nozzle with a nozzle for direct spraying on the target. For a larger nest, add dish soap to the garden sprinkler.
Only spray the nest at night and cover the light source with a cloth, or use a red light to keep wasps from attacking you
Step 3. Spray WD-40 around deck railings, window sills, and eaves
Wasps don't like the smell of WD-40 so it can be a powerful repellent. Spray the product 2-3 times around areas frequented by wasps, especially crevices or small areas where wasps are likely to nest. For wasp nests, spray the product 5-6 times or until the entire hive is covered.
- Never spray product near a burning candle or grill.
- Do not burn nests after spraying with WD-40. This is very risky if you can't control the fire.
Step 4. Spray insecticide on nests, wasps, or areas frequented by wasps
Read labels to determine usage levels (eg volume of mix required per square meter). Use 30 grams of product for every 4 liters of water. Spray insecticide on problem areas in early spring. Focus on closed places with windows and doors that don't open.
- Spray the insecticide directly on each wasp or the entire hive as directed.
- Work quickly and try to apply insecticide at night when the wasp swarm is not very active.
Step 5. Call a professional exterminator
If you have doubts about using chemical insecticides or are having trouble getting rid of wasps yourself, a professional exterminator can be a safer alternative. If there is a wasp nest in the wall of the house, the exterminator can make a hole in the window sill, floor, or wall near the nest site, then pump insecticide into the hole so it can hit the nest.
Hire a professional exterminator if you don't have much time. Professional exterminators have stronger chemicals so that wasps can be killed faster
Method 2 of 4: Physically Killing Wasps
Step 1. Hit the wasps with a fly swatter
The simplest and most direct way to kill a wasp is to hit it with a fly racket. Wait for the wasp to stick to the surface of the object and rest. Hit the wasp when it doesn't move and keep hitting it until it dies. Only use this tool if you want to kill a single wasp or small swarms of wasps in a specific area.
Don't try to hit the wasp if you have slow reflexes or have never practiced hitting because you could get stung when the wasp flies away and protects itself
Step 2. Vacuum the wasps using a lightweight, high-suction vacuum cleaner
Turn on the appliance and aim its mouth at a distance of about 7, 5-10 centimeters from the wasp. Once all the wasps are attracted, suck out 2 tablespoons of cornstarch so the wasps can't breathe. Open the canister while the appliance is still on, seal the poop bag opening, and turn off the engine. Remove the bag from the machine and place it in the freezer overnight before throwing the contents in the trash.
- Choose a vacuum cleaner with a removable trash bag.
- Suck the wasps when spring comes, just after the wasp swarm has awakened from hibernation. Wasps tend to be slow and sluggish, so it will be easier for you to catch them and kill them.
Step 3. Hide interesting food sources
Flowers, food, and drink can attract wasps. Move the flowerpot to the end of the yard and make sure you clean up any leftover food and drink. In late summer, wasps are very attracted to sugary foods and drinks. In early and mid-summer, wasps are attracted to meat. Cover food with silicone sealed lids, and do not use plastic wrap.
- Move the flowerpot further away from the house and don't use perfume, shampoo, lotion, or soap that smells sweet or floral.
- Do not leave food outside, especially in hot weather.
Method 3 of 4: Baiting and Trapping Wasps
Step 1. Set bait traps along land boundaries within a 0.4 kilometer radius of the wasp activity area
Hang bait traps (you can buy them from stores) where wasps frequent them. Make sure you install it on the boundary of the land, as far as possible from the terrace of the house or other protected area. Check the traps every few days and replace them as necessary if the traps start to fill (or after the recommended usage time expires).
Bait traps can be purchased from convenience stores, major supermarkets, and online retailers
Step 2. Make a water trap using a 2 liter plastic bottle
Cut the neck of the bottle. Remove the cap, screw the neck upside down, and let the neck rest against the bottle opening. Apply duct tape or adhesive tape horizontally to the joint between the two halves of the bottle. After that, fill the bottle with sugar water, soda, meat, or other protein sources. Hang the bottle by attaching a string to the bottle or making a hole so that the bottle can be attached to the wood.
- Coat the tip or side of the trap bottle with cooking oil so that the surface is too slippery for the wasps to infest.
- Before emptying the trap, freeze the bottle or pour hot water to kill any remaining wasps.
Step 3. Mount the bait station on a pole or tree trunk near the nest
Bait stations are closed traps that attract wasps to enter, and kill the wasps with the chemical insecticide present in them. Align and insert bolts into each nail opening in the trap. Set the trap on a tree or pole near the wasp's nest. After that, hammer the bolts to make holes in the surface of the tree or pole and attach the trap to the tree or pole.
Bait stations can be purchased from major supermarkets or online retailers
Step 4. Place the glue trap near the wasp nest and the entrance to the nest
Hang the glue trap near the wasp nest along the clothesline using clothespins. Glue traps can also be placed on flat surfaces where swarms of wasps congregate or roam.
- Use glue traps in the early stages of nest development as the wasp population is still smaller and easier to control.
- Purchase a glue trap from a large supermarket or online retailer.
Step 5. Make a drink bait station using water and pyrethroid powder
Place the plant pot on the tray, and fill the tray with water. Place the pot in a place that gets sunlight so that the wasps are attracted to drink in the pot. Add a powder containing a pyrethroid such as permethrin (a natural product extracted from chrysanthemums). Mix the powder until it becomes a paste and add it to the water.
- Use this trap in early summer for best results.
- Keep adding fresh water every 1-2 days to attract more wasps, and repeat the process every 3-5 days.
Method 4 of 4: Getting Rid of Wasps
Step 1. Hang fake nests within 61 meters of each new nest
In early summer, you can catch roaming wasps right away by hanging fake nests around your home or in areas where wasps are not allowed. However, this solution is not always effective and cannot be used in late summer.
Purchase fake wasp nests from a large supermarket or online retailer. You can also use paper lanterns or brown paper bags
Step 2. Hit the nest after spraying with insecticide or early in the season
If you've sprayed insecticide on the nest or the nest is still small at the start of the season, you can beat it with a broom or other long-handled tool.
- If the wasp swarm is still alive, you will need to beat the nest periodically to get rid of it. You may have to hit the nest several times before the wasps "give up" and find another place to build the nest.
- If you used insecticide and most of the wasps were killed, moisten the nest with insecticide spray after dropping it, then destroy it.
Step 3. Submerge the wasp nest under the ground using boiling water at night
Watch the wasp's behavior for 2-3 days and look for places where the wasps often go in and out of the nest. After that, go to the place at night when the wasps are sleeping and pour boiling water into the hole in or out of the nest. Bury the hole with soil after you flood the wasp nest (unless the swarms of wasps are starting to come out of the nest).
Always wear protective clothing and be alert. This method can trigger a mass attack from a swarm of wasps
Step 4. Catch and close the nest in the spring
When the weather is very cold, wait until evening and approach the nest as calmly as possible. Quickly cover the wasp nest with a plastic bag while making as little noise as possible. After that, close the opening of the plastic bag around the branch directly above the nest, tie it tightly, and cut or break the branch from the tree. Put the nest in the freezer for a day or in a bucket of water to drown the wasp swarm.
- Make sure you only catch swarms of wasps in late October or after very cold weather, about 4 hours after the temperature drops below -4°C.
- Make sure the plastic bag used has an airtight seal.
Tips
- Always do the extermination at night because wasp activity tends to decrease in dark conditions.
- Remember that wasps respond quickly to light sources so cover your flashlight with a cloth or use a red light.
- Wait for the temperature to drop before killing the nest as wasps tend to be less active and less aggressive in cold weather.
- If you want to find a wasp nest, pay attention to the locations where the wasp swarms return. Wasp nests are usually under eaves, behind blinds, or in sheds. However, nests can also be found along fences or holes in the wall.
Warning
- Don't try to get rid of wasps yourself if you have an allergy to wasp or bee venom, or if the hive is in an inaccessible place.
- If you're not sure if you have an allergy to wasp or bee stings, get your doctor tested for allergies before trying to treat wasp nuisance directly.
- Always wear protective clothing when trying to get rid of wasps. Cover as much skin as possible, wear thick gloves and (if possible) a hat with a head netting.
