Wasps should be thought of as beneficial insects. They prey mainly on other insects, many of which are pests. In general, they avoid human activity and should only be considered a nuisance when nesting near homes or high traffic areas.

The best way to prevent unpleasant encounters with social wasps is to avoid them. If you know where they are, try not to go near their nesting places. Wasps can become very defensive when their nest is disturbed.

Using pesticides to control wasps (yellowjackets) can be effective, but these chemicals are harmful to the environment. Careless use of pesticides can also pose risks to the person applying the chemicals.

Before reaching for the pesticide, see if these safer, natural methods help to alleviate the problem.

Prevention
Seal entry points. Solitary wasps in the home can be a nuisance; daily sightings of wasps in the home may indicate inside nest building, and more attention to the problem is required. Searching for and sealing off their point of entry is the best line of defense. Check your house for unsealed vents, torn screens, cracks around windows and door frames and open dampers. Observe the flight path of a wasp, especially in the morning, which may reveal the entry/exit point.
Remove food sources. In spring and early summer, wasps are attracted to protein foods. Any food left outdoors, such as pet food, picnic scraps, open garbage containers or uncovered compost piles should be removed or covered. Wasps imprint food sources, and will continue to search an area for some time after the food has been removed.
In late summer and early fall, the wasp food preference turns to the sweet. Their behavior is also more aggressive. Open cans of pop, fruit juice, fallen apples beneath fruit trees and other sweet food sources will attract wasps. Be sure to cover drinks and open food containers, keep a lid on the compost and avoid walking barefoot near fruit trees. Remove any fallen fruit rotting on the ground.
Avoid swatting. Swatting and squashing wasps is counterproductive. When a wasp is squashed, a chemical (pheromone) is released which attracts and incites other nearby wasps. It's best to walk away from a hovering wasp.
Avoid wearing bright colours or floral patterns. If you look like a big flower, you may be attracting the curious wasp looking for nectar.
Minimize use of perfumes and other strong scents. In the later part of the summer, wasps are attracted to sweet smells.
Wasps building nests in your bird house? This common problem can be minimized by lining the under-roof area with aluminum foil. Use a staple gun to attach. Another option is to rub the under-roof area liberally with bar soap - ordinary soap like Ivory soap will do. One application can last through an annual wasp season.

Make a simple Water Trap
Use a razor knife to cut the top from a 2-liter plastic pop bottle. Cut just above the shoulder of the bottle. Discard the screw top. Fill with water about halfway. Coat the neck with jam, invert it and set back on the bottle. Use two small pieces
of tape to hold it in place.

Wasps will go down the funnel to get the jam, but will find it difficult to get out. Most will drop into the water and drown.

Oak Stump Farms Wasp Trap
The Oak Stump Farms Yellowjacket Trap safely and efficiently catches yellowjackets and other wasps by baiting and capturing them in a reusable plastic jar.
This trap is very effective because the lure’s dual action is irresistible to nearby wasps. Translucent cover over jar hides the dead wasps from view.
price: $9.95   buy this wasp trap   more info

Glass Wasp Trap
This sturdy, colored glass trap will take a bite out of your wasp problem. Simply add the included lure, a bit of water, and replace the stopper. Hang or place in an area with high wasp concentrations. Wasps fly up through the bottom hole, become trapped, and drown in the water. After two weeks replace the lure, or just add sweet liquid (lemonade works).
price: $15.99   buy this wasp trap   more info

Nest Destruction
You may be able to locate the nest by observing the flight patterns of the wasps: if they are flying in a straight line, they're likely on a flight path to or from the nest. Wasps flying directly in and out of a single location may be entering and leaving their nest.

Before approaching the nest, be sure to wear protective clothing that covers the whole body, including gloves and a veil which covers the face, ears and neck. Wear several layers of shirts and pants. Tape clothing cuffs at wrists and ankles close to your body. Check carefully to ensure there are no exposed parts of the body; wasps may target even the smallest exposed areas.

Wait until well after dark before removing the nest. Wasps are drowsy and slower to react during the night, but you should still exercise caution during the nest removal process. Use a headlamp if you have one, otherwise have a helper to hold a flashlight for you. You'll need both hands free. Filter the flashlight by wrapping the lens with red cellophane or thin red cloth, as wasps are attracted by yellow light. Step lightly and try not to talk when approaching the nest; wasps are sensitive to vibrations.

Aerial nests
Place a cloth bag over the entire nest and quickly tie it off at the top; as you draw in the tie, pull the nest free. The bag should be well sealed. Set the bag in a pail of water; drop a rock on the bag to keep it fully submerged.
Ground nests
If the entrance to the nest is easy to see, it can be blocked using a large, clear bowl. Use caution as there may be more than one entrance to underground nests. Set the bowl over the nest entrance and work it into the ground a bit so there are no exit routes for the wasps. This will confuse the wasps, but they won't try to dig a new entrance. The bowl should remain in place for several weeks.
Underground or inside wall nests
Nests in wall voids or underground are more difficult to remove, and should be left to the professional. (If you detect a wasp nest in the wall, do not try to eradicate it from the outside. This will force them further into the house.)
When hiring a professional to treat wasp problems in the home, ask what methods will be used. A non-toxic alternative to insect sprays and dusts is vacuuming. Some prefessional exterminators are equipped with specially adapted vacuum cleaners to draw out the wasps, which are then sold to pharmaceutical companies who extract the venom for immunotherapy.

Never try to burn an active wasp nest or flood a nest with water, as this will likely make the wasps angry and aggressive.

Allergies to wasps stings are obviously more of a problem. They can occur even if you have never reacted to previous stings. Importantly, adrenaline is required to reverse the potentially life threatening effects of swelling of the throat and constriction of the airways. If you do not have adrenlaine with you then its best to create your own through physical exertion. Do not lie down and rest because this may result in permanent rest!

The other problem with wasp stings is that in many cases they are heavily infested with bacteria picked up by the wasp from faecal matter during hunting. Because the bacteria come from faeces they can cause quite nasty infections and early treatment is recommended with antibiotics to prevent sepsis.

Generally if a wasp sting remains hot and inflammed after 8 - 12 hours with no sign of improvement, it's best to get antibiotic treatment.

If a sting does become infected then it's best to stop the topical steroid and take oral antihistamines. Unfortunately, the sedating antihistamines are the ones that work best so driving might then become a problem.

see what's new on eartheasy

email newsletter sign up

Natural Wasp Control
Eartheasy.com © 2002 - 2008
All Rights Reserved