Have you ever been enjoying an outdoor gathering when you hear the buzzing of wasp activity? Once here, the wasps pose the beginning of a real wasp problem.
Unlike bees, hornets and wasp species are carnivorous, preying on smaller insects like houseflies and aphids. While bees feed pollen to their larvae.
If you want to get rid of wasps and prevent wasps from ruining another cookout or potentially painful wasp stings, we have the answer. You are about to learn how to get rid of wasps, yellow jackets, paper wasps, and the entire colony of all wasp species.
Why do I have so many wasps in my yard?
This is a common question many homeowners ask. What is so special about your yard that makes it attractive to wasps? Below are some popular things that make wasps keep coming back to your yard.
- Seeking shelter and protection
Once the queen of a colony becomes impregnated, she then must seek a warm, safe area to nest. Your yard must have lots of wall cavities, cracks, and crevices. Offering wasps the shelter they seek from the elements and predators.
- Plenty of food sources
Wasps feed on fruit juice and overripe fruit They also seek exposed garbage in garbage cans that are left uncovered. If you want to get rid of wasps, you need to get rid of the objects that attract wasps.
- Leaving leftover food out
Although they are hunters, wasps tend to grab a free dinner whenever possible. The yellow jacket and other stinging wasps search for sugar sources and other insects to get them through the winter months.
- Keep the cooking area clean
They have a diet that is primarily protein-based. Therefore, scavenging barbeques for grill drippings and leftover scraps of meat are common activities of these pests. Although you are unable to stop all the wasps from checking out your backyard barbecue, you can avert them by keeping a tidy area.
- You have a lot of sugar sources
Besides protein, wasps love sugar! The sources can be empty soda bottles or cans left out during a weekend cookout. If you have any fruit trees, pick up the fruit that falls to the ground. Wasps enjoy the sweet fruit juices fallen, rotting fruit offers.
- Fragrant flowers in the garden
It is not a secret that wasps enjoy the fragrance and nectar that flowers offer. If you have any flowers or plants and trees that flower, you are certain to have wasps. In addition, you can become a “flower” to these pests if you wear any colognes or perfumes with a heavy fragrance.
What is the difference between bees and wasps?
You'll notice that one of the difference between bees and wasps is that the bee’s body consists of a single section that is round and robust. Wasps have bodies that are thin, tapering at the waist and adjoining the thorax and abdomen. While a wasp has a shiny and smooth body, the bee is hairier.
What is the difference between a wasp nest and a beehive?
A good way to tell the difference between a wasp nest and a bee hive is by the waxy substance.
Yellow jackets and paper wasps are called social wasps. They construct a nest using material that is like paper. Digger wasps make their nests using a number of materials to build nests. Mud is one of these materials.
You will normally find a wasp nest in areas that are sheltered. Some typical places wasps nest are patios, decks, doorways, attics, inside the ground, or porches, to name a few.
What are some common wasp species?
Their size depends on the species it is--which may be up to 1.5 inches. The body has an abdomen, head, thorax, and waist that tapers to divide these sections. Wasps have six legs, a pair of antennae, and wings.
The female stinger has a double duty-- stinging victims and reproducing. It is found at the end of the lower half section and allows her to lay eggs.
There are four popular wasp species-- Yellowjackets, Paper wasps, Hornets, and Mud daubers. Below is a description of each of these species.
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Paper wasps
Paper wasps have markings that are often confused with yellow jackets. They are golden brown, with patches of red or yellow. Paper wasps can get up to one inch long and are seen throughout North America. The paper wasp isn't typically aggressive unless feeling threatened.
The paper wasp constructs paper nests using paper or materials similar to paper. Preferring nests be built close to buildings, under eaves, on a hefty plant, or on the ground.
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Yellow Jackets
Yellow jackets are another popular species that grows to be around ⅜” to ⅝” in length. The bodies of yellow jackets have a familiar-looking yellow and black striped pattern. Mostly yellow jackets are seen in the Southeastern regions of the United States, yet, can be found all over the world.
Yellow jacket nests can be discovered either directly on the ground. You might also notice these unsightly nests or hanging nests on tree branches or buildings. Yellow jackets are peskier than other wasps because they build a large nest both below and on top of the ground.
The yellow jacket belongs to a hard-working colony that’s primary purpose is fertilizing the queen’s eggs and building the wasp nests. Yellow jacket nests must be large enough to protect all the other wasps inside.
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Hornets
Throughout the entire world, there are around twenty different hornet species. The typical kinds from California mature to about an inch and a quarter. This hornet species is usually black, with white or light yellow stripes. The stripes on these hornets are much more distinctive than the ones on a yellow jacket.
The bald-faced hornets have gray or white bands as markings on their bodies. They protect their nest and are aggressive, stinging insects should their nest be threatened. A hornet's nest is primarily constructed on robust woody plants or high in trees.
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Mud Daubers
This breed usually matures to a length of one-half to one inch. Their legs and thorax have brilliant yellow markings on a black, long, slender body. These characteristics are what makes them different from other species.
Mud Daubers are North American natives, yet can be seen all over the planet. Dissimilar to the wasps previously mentioned, Mud Daubers do not create nests, nor do they live in colonies. Preferring to build nests small enough to house their babies and selves, these wasps do not swarm and are docile creatures.
What are European Hornets?
This species of hornet has a burly body with black, yellow, and brown markings. European hornets usually will not seek out humans to hurt them, yet, they will fight back if their nests are disturbed.
How to identify a hornet’s nest?
You can recognize a hornet’s nest by its odd shape and coloring. Hornets make their nest in the shape of a pear, and it is normally a grey coloring. In addition, a paper envelope umbrellas it, and it has only one opening at the bottom.
Can I leave a wasp nest on my roof?
If you leave a wasp's nest alone, it will eventually die off on its own. Wasps do not normally damage the eaves or the roof of a house. The damage was already there since it was split or cracks in the wood that attracted the wasp colony.
Will a wasp nest damage my house?
The biggest problem of having wasps nest on your roof is more of a stinging one. Although bee stings or a wasp's sting is more annoying than anything else, sometimes a person can have an allergic reaction, which may become serious, even deadly. However, there are cases where a wasps nest has created ceiling or wallboard damage to a home.
What repels stinging insects outside?
If you have a problem with bees and wasps, the best way to get rid of them is to find their nest or hive. However, there are certain odors or scents that these stinging insect pests detest; here are a few of their least favorite:
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Peppermint
The least favorite of all scents to a wasp is peppermint. Although it won’t harm these insects, it is an excellent element for deterring them. However, you will need to replenish the scent frequently as it does not last a long time.
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Clove, Lemongrass, and other Geranium Essential Oils
Essential oils have been an effective method for the aversion of many stinging insects. Using a combination of geranium, lemongrass, and cloves has been proven an efficient mixture.
This can be a simple and low-cost method to treat wasps and bees. Simply put the essential orders in various locations around your home and yard. You can also fill a bottle with water and drop some oil inside, spritzing this throughout the inside and outside areas.
This method will ultimately only work as a short-term solution. If you want to get rid of the wasps and or bees permanently, you need to get rid of the nest.
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Repelling wasps with vinegar
White vinegar and not apple cider vinegar is a great household item to get rid of wasps. Just combine a mixture of white distilled vinegar with water into a bottle, and spritz all over your house and yard.
For extra effectiveness, add a few drops of peppermint oil to the vinegar/water mixture. Because the scent of vinegar fades after a while, it is best to spray every few days to keep wasps away.
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Cucumber slices
Cucumbers have a scent that is acidic and make a great deterrent to wasps. Because of the naturally heavy acid scent, cucumbers will work at getting rid of all nearby stinging insects.
There are really not any special tricks to it, no sprays or mixtures to concoct. Simply take a cucumber and slice it up. Scatter the slices throughout the backyard and within the house; perhaps, makeup so veggie snack trays even!
Put the sliced cucumbers into a dish or pan made of aluminum for the best results indoors. The combination of cucumber and aluminum creates a chemical reaction that is undesirable to wasps.
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Garden herbs
Although wasps find certain ornamental plants attractive, they despise the smell of a garden’s herbs. If you plant in your backyard gardens herbs like eucalyptus, thyme, wormwood, mint, basil, and citronella, you have an effective plan in place. These herbs should be put in areas such as your patio or garden, porch, and window panes, except for wormwood, which should never be put in close proximity to other plants.
Herbs such as peppermint and spearmint, or other herbs with a minty scent, are plants wasps utterly detest.
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Dried bay leaves
Another great deterring agent to keep wasps away is bay leaves. This is because they contain an essential oil called eugenol. Just grind the bay leaves into powder form and spread them around in the places you have seen wasps. It is imperative you grind the bay leaves well. The act of grinding allows the eugenol to form a peppery smell that is released into the air. For an even stronger scent, add in some chile or cinnamon powder.
How do you keep wasps away?
Now you know what natural remedies will get rid of wasps. You need to know what can be done for wasp control and wasp removal. Here are some tips that will help you not only deter wasps but also wasp removal.
Another trick is to dish soap and water in a spray bottle. This often works well for getting rid of wasps. Always wear protective clothing when setting traps.
- Keep entry points sealed off
In order to ensure yellow jackets, wasps, or hornets cannot get into your home, you must seal all wall cavities, crevices, and cracks. All are great places to build a nest. Keep tree branches trimmed away from the house to prevent wasps and other insects from nesting there. If you see solitary wasps, there are likely wasp nests or yellow jacket nests nearby.
- Fight them, don’t feed them!
The yellow jacket, wasp, and hornet is an 0mnivore, Meaning they eat other insects as well as food (including pet food), and fruit drinks. A lot of their food sources are within their homes. Therefore, it is imperative to take precautions.
These precautions can be anything from covering food to sealing trash cans indoors and out. Remember, when they discover a food source, they imprint the spot, returning often.
How to make a homemade wasp trap?
You can utilize a wasp trap to get rid of wasps that are out scouting for places to build wasp nests. When creating wasp traps, you want to ensure it kills wasps instantly, including the queen wasps and the nest. Just ensure to remove any dead wasps, as they can be unsightly.
It is really simple to make a homemade wasp trap.
- an empty 2-liter soda bottle
- a knife or pair of scissors
- hole punch
- some string, wire, or rope
- a slice of lunch meat
- ½ cup soda
- ⅛ cup white vinegar
Instructions for making a wasp trap
Putting the trap together is rather simple. Just cut the top of the soda bottle off, put the lunch meat, white vinegar, and soda inside and flip it upside down. Ensure that when the cap is not screwed in the bottle, the neck faces towards the bottle’s bottom.
Use the hole puncher to form two holes on either side of the bottle. These holes will be where you will insert the rope or string to form a hanging mechanism.
Getting rid of a wasp infestation
There are several ways to get rid of a wasp infestation. Nest drenching is one of these methods. This can be done by soaking the nest with an insecticide solution designed for eradicating wasps. You can either use a spray that you hold in your hand or a sprayer with a longer nozzle. Just be careful of wasps that fly from the nest as you are spraying. They might sting you.
Nest dusting is another technique that uses a dust or powder form of insecticide to kill wasps.
Using baiting as an option
If you cannot see the wasps coming, you have the option of several trapping and bait products that will bring the wasps to you. If you are seeking yellowjackets, there are several baits that will bring you success in ridding hornets and wasps also. However, if money is tight, your best bet is to use a DIY option, such as the trap mentioned above.
When it’s time to call a professional exterminator
When you need to know how to get rid of wasps often the best option is to call an expert wasp exterminator. A.N.T. Pest Control New Lenox is a professional who knows how to eradicate wasp nests and kill wasps. We can also know how to get rid of wasps and other wasp species.
If you have tried all the DIY tricks and you still have wasps flying around, give A.N.T. Pest Control a call. We can eradicate wasps safely so you can enjoy your backyard once again!
