Getting rid of a wasp nest takes time and most important safety. There are many different ways to get rid of a wasp nest including use of insecticides and prevention of a place for the nest.
Background on Wasps
Wasps are grouped into three different classes: queen, drones (males) and workers. Most wasps do not store food for the winter and most die during the winter. But the queens and males mate before winter and the queen finds a protected spot to overwinter as she will not die.
When the warm weather arrives in spring, she emerges to make a nest and lay her eggs. Wasps make the nest from pulp taken from the bark of trees and wooden poles. They scrape the wood and make a pulp with saliva glands making a glue.
The queen will usually make a nest anywhere from five to twenty hexagonal cells or about two to three inches wide. Once done, she lays eggs in each cell. Once the eggs hatch and pupate, they become workers and take over the rest of nest building. By summer's end, a nest can have many members.
Getting Rid of a Wasp Nest
There are many factors affecting removal of a wasp nest including the numbers of wasps and placement of the nest. Safety is of the highest importance. Make sure that you do not get stung. Wasps are ferocious and will attack if the nest is disturbed. Most likely there will be more than one wasp. When a wasp is killed, a scent is given off that will attract other wasps. The other wasps know when another is killed and will defend as they need to.
Catching the nest in early stages is best. Once the nest is bigger in size it will be harder to remove and the chances of being attacked will have greatly increased.
There are many options to be rid of the nest including pesticide/insecticide, professional services and deterrence of nest making through natural means.
Pesticide/Insecticides
There are many pesticides and insecticides on the market that get rid of wasps. Remember these things when using a pesticide. Read the labels thoroughly before using them. Many contain ingredients that can cause harm to humans and other animals if not properly handled.
Pesticides and insecticides generally can harm other beneficial insects. Be very careful when using a pesticide spray. Cover up any exposed skin and wear safety goggles to prevent the spray from getting into the eyes.
Professional Services
When a nest is big or very hard to get rid of, call a professional service to come in to remove the nest. Pest controllers or also known as exterminators identify, locate and remove all threats of insects and other such pests.
Most generally pest controllers use pesticides. They normally use a pesticide that is much more concentrated and thus stronger than those on the market for home consumers.
Pest controllers have a variety of other methods to capture and remove pest threats including insect baits and physical barriers that prevent the pest from reaching its food source.
To remove wasps, they will probably use a pesticide application and remove the nest after the wasps are confirmed killed.
Natural Means
Most wasps are beneficial insects. They feed on caterpillars and other insects that may destroy crops and other much loved plants. Having the wasps around keeps these other harmful insects in check.
Use natural means such as barriers or physical removal of the wasp nest. Remove all traces of food scraps or garbage. Wasps are attracted to these things and with the odor of food gone they may look elsewhere. Cover up holes in wood posts and your house siding.
Other Ideas:
1. Use a hose to spray the wasps away from the nest. Make sure all adult wasps are gone and out of the nest. Remove the nest away from that spot.
2. If at all possible, leave the nest alone. Some wasps will not attack unless disturbed. If the nest is in a spot where it will not be a problem, let it be.
3. Rid the yard of flowering weeds such as dandelions. Mow the lawn often to keep the weeds from flowering again. Wasps will move elsewhere and that will decrease the likeliness of a wasp nest.
