Paper Wasps

[Jerry Bruette]

I get alot of paper wasps that build nests around my house and my cabin. Hate the darn things. Bought what was advertised as a wasp and hornet trap, they haven't caught a single thing yet. Does anyone know of a sure way to trap or even a spray that will keep them from building nests around my house and cabin?

[Ted Calver]

I also bought one of those traps, with similar results. I've had better luck shooting them down with wast and hornet spray. Don't know of anything that will keep them from building nests except restricting the nest sites with screen where possible.

[John K Jordan]

... I've had better luck shooting them down with wast and hornet spray. Don't know of anything that will keep them from building nests except restricting the nest sites with screen where possible.

When I spray a nest they don't rebuild on that spot. That makes me think that if you occasionally sprayed where they might build they wouldn't.

The wasp/hornet spray is good, especially for distances. I hand some building behind a porch light fixture and grabbed a can of what turned out to be ant killer. Worked fine on the wasps.

JKJ

[Jerry Bruette]

The crazy things get in by the can lights I have in the soffits at the cabin and then build nests. I've sprayed them there but don't like shooting the spray in the light fixtures.

Good to hear I'm not the only person to pay for traps that don't work.

[John K Jordan]

The crazy things get in by the can lights I have in the soffits at the cabin and then build nests. I've sprayed them there but don't like shooting the spray in the light fixtures.

I do spray up into light fixtures on occasion (they build in the lights out at my security gate) but not when the light is on and hot. So far I can't see that it's damaged anything.

[Lee Schierer]

You can knock the nests down with a stream of water from the hose. They don't rebuild once you knock the first nest down. Don't try this on a really large nest.

[Mike Baker 2]

You can knock the nests down with a stream of water from the hose. They don't rebuild once you knock the first nest down. Don't try this on a really large nest.

Oh, sure, take all the fun out of it! :D

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I have tried the wasp traps that want you to put bait in the trap where the insects are supposed to enter and not find their way out. They seem to work very inefficiently for wasps and yellow jackets. I have had better success with the yellow "stick-um" traps where the insects are drawn to the yellow&green sticky surfaces and get attached.

For existing nests, I find that spray works best. While station at NAS Meridian, MS we used to find HUGE wasp nests attached to the GCA radar trailers and they became a problem when we had to rotate or move the radar due to runway changes. I was shown how gasoline thrown on the nest will kill them. The evaporation rate of gas is quick enough that the wasps fall to the ground and are dead from hypothermia before landing.

[Jim Koepke]

I was shown how gasoline thrown on the nest will kill them. The evaporation rate of gas is quick enough that the wasps fall to the ground and are dead from hypothermia before landing.

Maybe a good trick for some situations, but not one to use on my home.

We have had good luck with the traps for yellow jackets, but the can only so many of the little buggers. To do it right one needs to find the nest. For me it is best to have two cans of the spray on hand just incase it is a bigger nest than can be seen. At my old residence they built a nest in a stand of pampas grass. That was exciting to get rid of that one.

jtk

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Maybe a good trick for some situations, but not one to use on my home.


jtk

I agree, I wouldn't use it on my home or my shop, for that matter. The radar trailers were a different matter.

[Jim Koepke]

I agree, I wouldn't use it on my home or my shop, for that matter. The radar trailers were a different matter.

Maybe Jerry Lee Lewis derived inspiration from seeing a GI walk by a large nest and flicking a cigarette butt at it… Ewwee Baby Great Balls of Fire!

jtk

[Tom M King]

Not for a home either, but carburetor cleaner works great, and is my first choice inside horse trailers. They drop instantly. Use the straw, and get a little stream.

Suspend works great to deter spiders, but I've never thought to try it for wasps. I don't remember seeing wasp nests built where I have sprayed for spiders. Suspend is non-staining too. I think I bought it off ebay.

Tractor supply sells some 2 gallon sprayers cheap enough to keep several dedicated to various things. I think they're 12 bucks normally, but go on sale for 10 fairly often. They have a pressure release valve, and the wands are easy to take off to rinse out. I keep one with soapy water to wash out the wands after use, then put it back on what it came off of, and it's ready to go whenever you need it again. So many things clog up the nozzle if left for any time.

edited to add: wasps are on the list https://www.amazon.com/Suspend-Insecticide-Roaches-Professional-Control/dp/B002Y57MGE

[Rich Engelhardt]

I read this but - so far - I haven't had to try it...

Take a plain old brown paper bag.
Fill it up with bunched up plastic bags.

Hang it up in the area(s) where other bees, wasps, yellow jackets, hornets usually nest.

It's supposed to deter them from making a nest there - - similar to "scare crow".

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Maybe Jerry Lee Lewis derived inspiration from seeing a GI walk by a large nest and flicking a cigarette butt at it… Ewwee Baby Great Balls of Fire!

jtk

Jim...the nests I am talking about were often over 12" sometimes as large as 2' in diameter. I seriously wouldn't have wanted to try to attack one of those nests with the commercially available spray cans of pesticides sold today. Gasoline was readily available. Two guys, each with a cup of gasoline could do wonders on a large nest very quickly. Mississippi was my first experience of a place where it doesn't get cold enough to cause wasps and bees to hibernate. In the winter there, the wasps slowed down enough that sometimes you could swat them with your ballcap and knock them down to the floor of the step van as you waited for clearance to drive down the runway. In the summer, the same action would get you stung. The mobile radars had a jack at each corner of the radar trailer to level the trailer. At the top of the jack was a ball that pinned into a socket on the trailer. The joint worked quite similar as a hip joint except for the pin. Then you mechanically screwed the jack down until the plate made contact with the cement and began raising the trailer. Squatting down, reaching up under the trailer you couldn't see where you were putting your hand to pull out on the spring loaded pin to release the jack when you were going to move the trailer. Putting your hand into a large wasp nest was exciting at best! You felt like you were holding that "Great balls of fire"!

[Jim Koepke]

You felt like you were holding that "Great balls of fire"!

:eek: EEEEEWWWEEEE BAAABY!!!!!

jtk

[John K Jordan]

Jim...the nests I am talking about were often over 12" sometimes as large as 2' in diameter. I seriously wouldn't have wanted to try to attack one of those nests with the commercially available spray cans of pesticides sold today. ...

I had a white-faced hornets nest that big, attached to an old satellite TV dish I didn't take down. I used the cans of wasp/hornet spray on it. However, I did it this way: wait until after dark and wear a full bee suit. Worked fine and no stings were acquired.

JKJ

[Jim Koepke]

wait until after dark

Just like the directions say, smart thinking.

BTW, that is also my way of doing it without the bee suit.

jtk

[Ken Fitzgerald]

BTW...that is the way I do it too, after dark,without the bee suit.

However, the nests I see around my home in Idaho are no where nearly as big as what I experienced in Mississippi!

[Lee Schierer]

I found this one in the woods behind my house last fall. It was at least 24" tall and 16-18" in diameter. I didn't think accurate measurements were prudent.
387522

[Ronald Blue]

I have tried the wasp traps that want you to put bait in the trap where the insects are supposed to enter and not find their way out. They seem to work very inefficiently for wasps and yellow jackets. I have had better success with the yellow "stick-um" traps where the insects are drawn to the yellow&green sticky surfaces and get attached.

For existing nests, I find that spray works best. While station at NAS Meridian, MS we used to find HUGE wasp nests attached to the GCA radar trailers and they became a problem when we had to rotate or move the radar due to runway changes. I was shown how gasoline thrown on the nest will kill them. The evaporation rate of gas is quick enough that the wasps fall to the ground and are dead from hypothermia before landing.
Ken, are you sure they didn't just run out of gas? :D Had to ask.
I have had good luck with the wasp and hornet spray as well. While we have paper wasps have also had issues with hornets building in less than ideal locations. Had a nest started right in the walk-in door of my shop. I'm lucky I didn't get stung. First couple times I didn't realize they were there. Once I hit it with spray and knocked the nest down that was the end of it.

[Al Launier]

I found this one in the woods behind my house last fall. It was at least 24" tall and 16-18" in diameter. I didn't think accurate measurements were prudent.
387522

Wow! That one must have been scary. So what did you do to destroy that nest & its inhabitants, flame thrower?

[John K Jordan]

I found this one in the woods behind my house last fall. It was at least 24" tall and 16-18" in diameter. I didn't think accurate measurements were prudent.
387522

If it's not too high off the ground you can get it with big plastic garbage bag (I use the heavy duty contractor size). Slide the bag up over the nest (at night, of course), cut the branches close, and squeeze the top closed. The hornets inside do get a bit mad but can't sting through the plastic. Then spray a little chemical of choice into the opening, cinch tight, and wait a bit.

A fascinating thing to do with one of those (after the insects have been dispached) is cut it in two vertically, right through the entrance hole. That will display all the layers and internal structure.

BTW, for an occasional sting I've been using these for years, hands down the best sting treatment ever: The Extractor. Available in the camping section in Walmart, Amazon, elsewhere.

387573

Forget anything you put on the skin after the sting. Push down on the plunger and it creates a strong suction which pulls the venom out of the skin before it can cause a problem. I'll tell you how good it is: yellowjacket stings always cause me great trauma - one on the back of my hand once caused my entire hand and arm to swell up all the way to my shoulder. If I use this thing quick enough I get zero swelling and just a small red spot maybe the size of a quarter. Used on stings bees, hornets, wasps, etc. it almost always takes the pain away instantly. What can be better than removing the venom?! I keep one on the tractor, in each car, in the house, in the bee kit, in my little farm truck, in the shop, and in the barn. Works on mosquitoes and venomous snakes as well.

JKJ

[Jerome Stanek]

We just let them alone and after winter there are no hornets in it.

[Lee Schierer]

Someone harvested this one after we had a couple of freezes.

[Doug Garson]

I read this but - so far - I haven't had to try it...

Take a plain old brown paper bag.
Fill it up with bunched up plastic bags.

Hang it up in the area(s) where other bees, wasps, yellow jackets, hornets usually nest.

It's supposed to deter them from making a nest there - - similar to "scare crow". We have had some success with that method, Lee Valley used to sell a fake wasp nest, basically a grey cloth bag. The theory is that wasps are territorial and if they see a competing colonies nest they stay away. Not 100% effective but worth a try. Amazon still sells them. https://www.amazon.com/Wasp-Fake-Hornets-Nest-Deterrent/dp/B01KLMDXKK

[Rich Engelhardt]

Doug- Love it! Thanks. I found a couple of others also. They look a whole lot better than my paper bag idea (which I admit, I stole)

[John K Jordan]

We just let them alone and after winter there are no hornets in it.

I tried to retrieve several and each time I must have waited too long. The nests were always a ragged mess even early in winter. Maybe it's the winters here - more rainy wet than freezing, rarely snows. Based on this, I suspect the hornets must constantly work to maintain the nests the rest of the year.

[Jerry Bruette]

We have had some success with that method, Lee Valley used to sell a fake wasp nest, basically a grey cloth bag. The theory is that wasps are territorial and if they see a competing colonies nest they stay away. Not 100% effective but worth a try. Amazon still sells them. https://www.amazon.com/Wasp-Fake-Hornets-Nest-Deterrent/dp/B01KLMDXKK

I like this idea and think I'll give it a try.

[lowell holmes]

You can hit the nests with a propane torch. Be careful if you do.

[John K Jordan]

You can hit the nests with a propane torch. Be careful if you do.

We are currently remodeling and replacing the 30-year-old cedar siding on the house. Pulling off the old exposed dozens of wasp nests, some very large. The foaming type of spray is my favorite.

I use gasoline on large nests of carpenter ants I find in hollow cedar logs at the sawmill. Because a can is handy and it works.

JKJ