Easy Wasp Nest Removal (no harm!)

Tips on how to safely take away a wasp nest with no hurt to those vital pollinators, no danger of stings to you, and no poison!

Through the years, I’ve shared many secure, different strategies for pest management in and across the residence.

Wasps, nevertheless, have been at all times a troublesome downside 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 giant wasp nests nonetheless pop up in the course of 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 at all times been a tough scenario for a number of causes.

Wasps are Vital Pollinators and Predators

Wasps are crucial pollinators within the meals chain.

And, since I’ve a big backyard as do lots of my neighbors, preserving pollinators for the group is essential!

In addition to pollination duties, wasps additionally scale back the inhabitants of pests that may plague meals crops resembling 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 eat 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 solution to transfer them resembling you’ll do with a honeybee colony present in your storage is a a lot better strategy 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 it is usually a poisonous endeavor for the home-owner.

Wasps generally construct nests beneath the eves of a house. This will also 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 the case of eliminating wasp nests!

Threat of A number of Stings

When you’ve realized that killing the wasps shouldn’t be very best, then the following factor that’s of concern is the excessive danger of getting stung in the course of the wasp nest elimination course of.

In different phrases, if you happen to’re within the “don’t kill the wasps” camp, merely pulling down the nest in order that they have to hunt greener pastures elsewhere is dangerous enterprise.

Not like honeybees, which solely sting you as soon as, a single wasp can inflict a number of stings immediately.

This will occur via 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 residence treatment for wasp stings is my go-to therapy to keep away from swelling and a attainable allergic response.

After all, 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 very least to me although!

Wasps Shortly Rebuild Close by

One other downside with the “knock down the nest” methodology is that the wasps can rapidly construct a brand new nest close by.

So, when you achieve eradicating one nest, you haven’t succeeded in any respect in deterring the wasps from taking over residence underneath one other roofing edge, eve or overhang as shut as a number of yards away!

Thus, simply pulling down the nest is a vicious circle that by no means actually ends.

Greatest Strategy to Take away a Wasp Nest

The excellent news is that there’s a straightforward methodology that each preserves the wasps, prevents you from getting stung, AND encourages the wasps to construct a brand new nest distant from your home.

This strategy is what I name the “brown paper bag” methodology 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 somewhat giant wasp nest emptied out in a rush at my residence! 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 Methodology

All it is advisable punk the wasps into transferring to a different location that’s not close to your home is to hold a brown paper bag inside a number of ft of the nest.

The brown paper bag is a pretend nest that triggers alarm within the wasps to rapidly vacate the premises.

So long as you aren’t disturbing the prevailing nest, there’s little danger of getting stung. I recommend hanging it throughout occasions of low nest exercise resembling early morning or nightfall.

In the event you don’t have a brown paper bag useful (grocery store variations work nice), then a protracted piece of brown paper that comes as a part of the packing materials for deliveries is an efficient substitute.

Forms of Wasps Affected

This methodology works for social wasps that dwell in colonies. In my space of the nation, that may primarily embody paper wasps as proven within the photograph above.

The brown bag strategy additionally works for northern paper wasps that construct sturdier nests with the larvae cells utterly enclosed.

Observe that this methodology is ineffective for solitary wasps that construct particular person nests resembling thread-waisted wasps.

Directions

Merely form a brown paper bag together with your arms in order that it appears to be like like a large wasp nest.

Then, connect it beneath a roofing edge close by.

The method of the wasps leaving the previous nest and rebuilding a long way away can take wherever from a number of days to a few weeks.

Climate Impacts Effectiveness

The one problem to the effectiveness of this methodology is the climate.

If it rains, then the brown paper bag turns into a soggy mess and falls down. So, make sure you gauge when you should have a dry spell of at the very least a number 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 received’t dampen it, doubtlessly inflicting it to disintegrate.

Tips on how to Know When the Wasps Have Moved

As soon as the wasps are gone, you possibly can safely knock down the previous nest with none danger to your self or the wasps (who’re lengthy gone residing some other place anyway).

Early morning and late night are the least energetic occasions for wasps. (2)

Thus, the center of the day is the very best time of day to examine for any residual colony exercise.

When you see no exercise for a day or two, then the coast is obvious to take away the previous nest because the wasps are safely homesteading elsewhere.

Have you ever tried the brown paper bag strategy for eradicating a wasp nest? Let me find out about your outcomes!

References

(1) Is it Okay to Kill Wasps?

(2) What to Know About Wasp Nests