Desk of Contents[Hide][Show]
The right way to safely take away a wasp nest with no hurt to those necessary pollinators, no danger of stings to you, and no poison!
Through the years, I’ve shared many secure, various strategies for pest management in and across the dwelling.
Wasps, nevertheless, had been all the time a troublesome drawback for me to resolve.
Whereas getting a small flock of yard chickens eradicated wasp nests from porch railings and hidden inside bushes, a number of massive wasp nests nonetheless pop up throughout the spring and summer season months.
They normally seem beneath the eves of the home, effectively out of attain of my feathered buddies!
Eradicating these nests has all the time been a difficult state of affairs for a number of causes.
Wasps are Essential Pollinators and Predators
Wasps are crucial pollinators within the meals chain.
And, since I’ve a big backyard as do a lot of my neighbors, preserving pollinators for the group is essential!
Apart from pollination duties, wasps additionally scale back the inhabitants of pests that may plague meals crops equivalent to caterpillars and whiteflies. Within the case of caterpillars, they accomplish this by laying parasitic eggs contained in the caterpillar.
As meat eaters, wasps additionally scale back the inhabitants of different nuisance bugs. Even a small wasp colony can devour as much as 3,000 flies, mosquitos, and spiders per day as a protein supply. (1)
Briefly, it’s not okay to kill wasps within the majority of circumstances.
Discovering a approach to transfer them equivalent to you’d do with a honeybee colony present in your storage is a a lot better method for each you and the surroundings!
Poison is a Non-Starter
I haven’t ever used poison to take away wasps, nor would I ever name a pest management firm to carry out this service both.
Poison not solely kills them, which is counterproductive to the ecosystem as described above, however additionally it is a poisonous endeavor for the home-owner.
Wasps generally construct nests beneath the eves of a house. This can be in shut proximity to home windows, the place poisonous fumes can achieve entry to the inside of the house.
Simply say no to poison in relation to eliminating wasp nests!
Danger of A number of Stings
When you’ve realized that killing the wasps just isn’t preferrred, then the subsequent factor that’s of concern is the excessive danger of getting stung throughout the wasp nest elimination course of.
In different phrases, in case you’re within the “don’t kill the wasps” camp, merely pulling down the nest so that they have to hunt greener pastures elsewhere is dangerous enterprise.
In contrast to honeybees, which solely sting you as soon as, a single wasp can inflict a number of stings instantly.
This may occur by means of thick clothes like a pair of denims too!
I’ve been identified to take a brush, knock down a wasp nest within the early morning when exercise is low, after which run as quick as I can into the home. 😂
I’ve had so many wasp stings through the years that I’ve truthfully misplaced rely. This dwelling treatment for wasp stings is my go-to therapy to keep away from swelling and a doable allergic response.
In fact, now that I’ve a honey-producing yard beehive, I can placed on my beekeeper swimsuit for such a activity. That looks like overkill, at the least to me although!
Wasps Shortly Rebuild Close by
One other drawback with the “knock down the nest” technique is that the wasps can rapidly construct a brand new nest close by.
So, when you reach eradicating one nest, you haven’t succeeded in any respect in deterring the wasps from taking over residence below one other roofing edge, eve or overhang as shut as a couple of yards away!
Thus, simply pulling down the nest is a vicious circle that by no means actually ends.
Finest Method to Take away a Wasp Nest
The excellent news is that there’s a simple technique that each preserves the wasps, prevents you from getting stung, AND encourages the wasps to construct a brand new nest distant from your own home.
This method is what I name the “brown paper bag” technique for wasp elimination, for lack of a greater identify.
You see, wasps are extremely territorial.
So, in the event that they see a mega-hive close by, the residents of the smaller hive are going to skedaddle for greener pastures elsewhere.
As you possibly can see from the image beneath, this fairly massive wasp nest emptied out in a rush at my dwelling! As soon as the wasps are gone, you possibly can safely take away the nest with no poison and no danger of stings!
Brown Paper Bag Technique
All you must punk the wasps into transferring to a different location that’s not close to your own home is to hold a brown paper bag inside a couple of toes of the nest.
The brown paper bag is a faux nest that triggers alarm within the wasps to rapidly vacate the premises.
So long as you aren’t disturbing the present nest, there may be little danger of getting stung. I recommend hanging it throughout instances of low nest exercise equivalent to early morning or nightfall.
For those who don’t have a brown paper bag helpful (grocery store variations work nice), then an extended piece of brown paper that comes as a part of the packing materials for deliveries is an effective substitute.
Kinds of Wasps Affected
This technique works for social wasps that dwell in colonies. In my space of the nation, that might primarily embody paper wasps as proven within the photograph above.
The brown bag method additionally works for northern paper wasps that construct sturdier nests with the larvae cells fully enclosed.
Word that this technique is ineffective for solitary wasps that construct particular person nests equivalent to thread-waisted wasps.
Directions
Merely form a brown paper bag along with your palms in order that it seems to be like an enormous wasp nest.
Then, connect it beneath a roofing edge close by.
The method of the wasps leaving the outdated nest and rebuilding far away can take anyplace from a couple of days to a few weeks.
Climate Impacts Effectiveness
The one problem to the effectiveness of this technique is the climate.
If it rains, then the brown paper bag turns into a soggy mess and falls down. So, be sure you gauge when you’ll have a dry spell of at the least a couple of days. A full two weeks is greatest.
Additionally, you will need to take care to put the bag in a spot the place the morning dew gained’t dampen it, probably inflicting it to disintegrate.
The right way to Know When the Wasps Have Moved
As soon as the wasps are gone, you possibly can safely knock down the outdated nest with none danger to your self or the wasps (who’re lengthy gone residing elsewhere anyway).
Early morning and late night are the least lively instances for wasps. (2)
Thus, the center of the day is the perfect time of day to test for any residual colony exercise.
When you see no exercise for a day or two, then the coast is evident to take away the outdated nest because the wasps are safely homesteading elsewhere.
Have you ever tried the brown paper bag method for eradicating a wasp nest? Let me find out about your outcomes!
(1) Is it Okay to Kill Wasps?
(2) What to Know About Wasp Nests