Wasps are flying insects with stingers that nest in high places or in the ground. You can keep them at bay by eliminating all possible food sources that tend to attract them, such as uncovered trash cans, opened sugary drinks, and overripe fruits dropped in the garden. Do your best to keep them from building nests around your home and destroy any you see with a pesticide.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Restrict Access to Food Sources
Step 1. Store your trash in sturdy containers with solid lids
The garbage favors the arrival of wasps, which are attracted to protein and sweet foods. Make sure the external bins are always closed. To keep them away, each container must have a sturdy lid that closes firmly.
- You may want to use a bin with a solid swing lid so that it is always closed.
- Avoid accumulating too much waste in the external bins, as you will not be able to keep them closed if they become overfilled. If necessary, buy more.
Step 2. Throw away any fallen or overripe fruit
If you have fruit trees in your garden, it will easily prey on wasps and other flying insects. So regularly inspect the outside areas of the house and remove any rotten or overripe fruit. Collect the fallen ones in the area occupied by the trees and dispose of them immediately.
Get rid of them by closing them in a plastic bag to avoid attracting wasps
Step 3. Fertilize any leftover fruit and vegetables by burying it at least 8cm deep
Do not leave pieces of fruit and vegetables on the surface of the compost, as they produce liquids that can attract wasps. Instead, cover them with 7-8cm of other organic materials. The soil can consist of dry leaves, wood chips, straw, hay, sawdust and shredded cardboard.
To keep wasps and other pests away, you may want to put the compost in a bin rather than accumulating it outdoors
Step 4. Sip your drinks in lidded containers when outdoors
Wasps are attracted to many drinks, especially sugary ones, such as fruit juices and sodas. To prevent them from bothering you when you drink, opt for a lid to put over the cans or glasses. Throw away the empty container immediately when you're done, to prevent the wasps from coming.
If a wasp gets into the can you are drinking from, there is a risk that it will sting you on the lips
Method 2 of 3: Prevent Nest Building
Step 1. Fill rodent burrows with soil to prevent wasps from nesting
Unlike other flying insects, wasps can nest underground. To hinder them, take a good look at the outside area of the house looking for any holes dug by rodents or pets. Fill them by pressing the earth vigorously to make sure you have removed them.
Underground wasp nests are dangerous because a simple activity, such as using a lawn mower, could trigger an attack
Step 2. Seal the cracks and openings in your home to keep wasps out
Inspect the outside of the house for wear and tear, as wasps and other insects can use every small opening to access and build a nest inside. Use a silicone gun to fill in the holes, cracks and crevices along the exterior walls. Tilt the gun to 45 degrees and pull the trigger to distribute the silicone over the points to be sealed.
- Acrylic silicone is suitable for holes smaller than 6 mm, while for larger ones it is better to use polyurethane sealant.
- In many cases it is necessary to contact an exterminator to permanently eliminate the invasions of wasps in the house.
Step 3. Hang a fake nest to warn the wasps
Wasps are territorial insects, so they do not settle in the immediate vicinity of an existing nest. So try to buy a fake one on the Internet or in a hardware store. Hang it in a visible spot a short distance from your home to prevent their arrival.
Choose a robust and weatherproof product
Method 3 of 3: Kill the Wasps
Step 1. Find and destroy nests in late spring and early summer when they are still small
Colonies form in late spring or early summer when the queen builds small nests suitable for housing a new population of workers. To keep them from getting bigger, look for them under awnings and railings, near doors or in outside corners of the house. Put on a pair of gloves and destroy them with your hands or a large stick. Step on them immediately afterwards to kill the eggs inside.
- The queen is usually the only nest wasp that can fly in late spring and early summer.
- Once the nests have developed and the workers start coming out, it will be too dangerous to destroy them in this way.
- Wasp nests are typically round, paper-like in appearance, and have a small entrance at the bottom.
Step 2. Apply a carbaryl-based insecticide to the opening of the nest around dusk
Get closer when the sun has set, as this is when the wasp activity tends to slow down. Pour a carbaril-based powdered pesticide onto a cloth or an old paintbrush. Gently pass it around the entrance hole in the bottom of the nest, being careful not to block it.
- Avoid shaking the nest, or you will cause the wasps to attack you.
- The pesticide will settle on their bodies as they enter and leave the nest and will be ingested as they try to clean themselves.
- It will take 5 days to destroy the entire colony.
- To protect yourself when you approach the nest, wear suitable clothing: a long-sleeved, high-necked shirt, a pair of gloves, a face net, a hat or a scarf.
- Buy carbaryl-based insecticide on the Internet or at a hardware store.
Step 3. Use diazinone if the nest is underground
When the sun is about to set, carefully pour the liquid pesticide through the holes and with a shovel immediately throw a handful of soil to prevent them from escaping.
You can find a diazinone-based insecticide at hardware stores or on the Internet
Step 4. Don't crush them if you don't want them to attack you
Avoid killing the wasps that pass in front of you, otherwise the pheromones they release when they die will cause the arrival of other companions who will come to attack you. Instead, avoid them or stop if they approach and wait for them to leave.
Step 5. Use a bait that allows you to kill them without the use of toxic substances
Fill the trap tank with a liquid attractant, such as sugar water or a soda pop. The wasps will slip in when they forage for food and fall into the liquid from exhaustion. Clean and replace everything every 2-3 days by discarding dead bugs.
- You can purchase these traps at a garden store, hardware store, or on the Internet.
- For a colony you will need at least 4 traps.
- Lure traps attract wasps, so it's best to place them at least 6m away from the areas you frequent.
Step 6. Build a trap using a large plastic bottle
Remove the cap and cut off the more tapered top. Turn it upside down and insert it into the open body of the bottle so that the neck faces the bottom. Fill half with a fizzy drink, sugar water, or other attractive liquid.
- The wasps will fly inside. Having trouble getting out, they will fall into the liquid and drown.
- Empty and refill the bottle frequently to get rid of dead bugs.
Advice
- Cold temperatures kill the wasp colonies, after which you can destroy the nest.
- Wasps can be useful in the garden because they eat pests, such as caterpillars.
- Stay still if a wasp lands on you, as it only stings if it feels threatened. It will likely fly away after a few seconds.
Warnings
- If you are dealing with a wasp infestation in a garden where you have installed birdhouses with sugar water dispensers, take them apart.
- Wasps can be attracted to some other insect repellents.
- Do not wear brightly colored clothes in areas frequented by wasps - they can attract them.
- Do not use perfumes, hair products or deodorants with too sweet notes if you have to stay in the areas populated by these insects: they will inevitably be attracted to them.
