How To Get Rid of Wasps

Wasps can be beneficial to a garden, as they kill other insects for food and pollinate plants. However, they can quickly become a problem when they become aggressive or build their nests near your home’s entry points. A wasp’s sting is usually more annoying than dangerous, but in rare cases, they can cause deadly allergic reactions. We’ll show you how to get rid of wasps and their nests and answer some common questions about wasp control.

If you want to try your hand at wasp extermination, follow these steps to get rid of wasps safely and effectively.

Identify the Problem

Wasps, hornets, and yellow jackets are all considered nuisance insects. You mostly exterminate them in the same ways, but it’s useful to determine which wasp species you’re dealing with to know what to expect. For example, paper wasps are usually not aggressive unless their nests are disturbed, whereas yellow jackets are notoriously aggressive.

Take Precautions

Before you attempt to take on a wasp nest yourself, protect yourself from these stinging insects with the following safety precautions:

• Wear a hat, gloves, and long sleeves and consider using eye protection.
• Avoid wearing perfume, since wasps are drawn to strong scents.
• Treat the nests in the evening or at night when the worker drones are inside and nest activity is low.
• Locate yourself upwind of the nest. Don’t stand directly under it.
• Have at least one other person around in case of a medical emergency. This is unlikely, but it’s a good idea to be prepared, especially if you don’t know whether you’re allergic to a sting.

Use the Appropriate Insecticide

Insecticides designed to kill wasps or hornets come in the form of aerosol sprays, dusts, and residual liquids. Sprays and concentrated liquids are usually a good first line of defense to knock out a current infestation, and applying dust afterward can keep wasps from coming back. Many aerosol sprays have a surprisingly long range, so you won’t have to stand close to a nest to use them. Always make sure you follow the manufacturer’s directions on the package to use the insecticide properly.

Call a Professional Exterminator

Wasp stings can be quite painful, so if you don’t want to risk getting stung—or you’ve tried the DIY route and it hasn’t worked—call a professional pest control provider. These experts will have the proper materials and protective equipment to get rid of wasps quickly and safely.

Removing a wasp nest alone usually won’t solve the problem, as the wasps will simply build a new one. Your best bet is to kill the wasps first and then remove the nest. Even after you’ve eliminated the bulk of the wasps, it’s best to approach the nest with caution as though it’s still populated—remember to protect your skin and work at night.

If the nest is located in your house or in the ground, contact a pest control provider and don’t try to remove it yourself. Here are some other “don’ts” when it comes to removing wasp nests:

• Don’t try to knock the nest down with an object. Safely remove it by hand.
• Don’t burn the nest—this could start a fire and cause it to spread.
• Don’t spray the nest with a hose.
• Don’t tear the paper envelope of the nest.
• Don’t try to seal a live nest inside an interior wall.

Once you’ve removed any wasps around your property, ensure they don’t come back by taking the following steps:

• Remove food sources and any exposed garbage. Seal all trash cans and recycling bins.
• Seal cracks and crevices that could allow wasps inside your home.
• Fix drafts by patching holes in window screens.
• Fill any lawn or garden holes with soil.
• Dispose of overripe fruit on trees or on the ground.
• Place wasp traps around your yard to kill scout drones before they can establish a new nest.

The This Old House Reviews Team backs up our pest control recommendations with a detailed rating methodology that we use to objectively score each provider. We review pest control plans, navigate the provider website, speak with customer service representatives by phone and online chat (if available), request quotes, and analyze customer reviews for each provider. We then score the provider against our review standards for plan options, additional benefits and convenience factors, availability, trustworthiness, and customer service to arrive at a final score out of 100.

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