How to Get Rid of Wasps

How to Get Rid of Wasps

Once you’ve found a nest, decide whether it’s a job you can handle or one to hand off.

• A small, exposed paper wasp nest under an eave or railing can often be treated with a wasp spray labeled for that use. Do it at dusk or early morning, when the wasps are home and sluggish, and spray from the distance the label allows.
• Wear long sleeves, long pants, gloves and eye protection, and plan a clear path to walk away.
• Leave nests in walls, attics, the ground or anywhere out of easy reach to a professional, and don’t take on any nest if you’re allergic to stings.

For large or hidden nests, Florida Bug Control can handle the removal for you. Call 1-855-624-2847 to set up a free inspection.

Wasp Prevention and the Mistakes That Lead to Stings

The easiest wasp nest to deal with is the one that never gets big. In spring, new paper wasp and yellowjacket nests are started by a single queen or a small group of founders, and a nest the size of a quarter is far less trouble than one that has grown all summer.

• Walk around the house every couple of weeks in spring and early summer, checking eaves, shutters, porch ceilings, light fixtures, play sets, mailboxes and the inside of grill covers.
• Seal openings in soffits, siding, attic vents and gaps around utility lines, since yellowjackets will nest inside walls and attics.
• Manage food sources. Keep trash lids tight, pick up fallen fruit, rinse recycling, feed pets indoors, and cover sweet drinks outdoors.
• Fill old rodent burrows and holes in the lawn, which ground-nesting yellowjackets often use.

Common DIY mistakes:

• Plugging the entrance to a nest in a wall or the ground. Trapped wasps may chew a new way out, sometimes into the living space.
• Working on a nest from a ladder, where a defensive swarm can cause a fall.
• Trying to burn, drown or knock down a large nest, which scatters angry wasps.
• Mowing or string trimming near a ground nest you haven’t marked.

What a professional does: identifies the species, finds the nest even when it’s hidden in a wall void or underground, treats and removes it using protective gear, seals the entry point, and checks back. For sting care, see wasp stings and treatment.