When it comes to insects and pests, wasps are some of the most stubborn species in residential neighborhoods. Wasps are mainly active during the day and retire to their nests around dusk. They’re popular in the late summer months and into the fall — during this time, they look for food sources that can sustain them during the winter.
If you’re a homeowner or a renter, you’ve likely experienced wasps around your property. There are several useful ways to safely prevent them from setting up a nest or removing an existing nest, including professional wasp removal services and efficient at-home solutions.
Let’s take a look at the effective at-home tools you can utilize to rid your household of wasps.
- Purchase Wasp Spray
Before you can look at prevention methods, you’ll need to kill the wasps you currently have if that’s the case. Wasp sprays are available at local hardware stores and can help you rid your home of the current infestation before setting up your repellents or wasp traps.
- Power-Wash the Wasps Away
Once the live wasps are gone, you need to remove their nest. Since there’s a chance there may still be a live wasp or two inside, a power washer is an effective tool to use from a safe distance. Their high-power water pressure is ideal for removing stubborn wasp nests.
- Prevent Nests with Aluminum Foil
While aluminum foil has many convenient uses, mainly for food storage or baking, it can also be used as a DIY tool to keep wasps from setting up a nest around your home. In most cases, overhangs, eaves, and other minor structures around a property are invitations for wasps to build their nests. If you’ve seen wasps set up shop before, try lining the top of that area with aluminum foil. The reflective surface of the foil prevents wasps from identifying the covered area as a potential nesting location.
- Plan a Decoy Trap
Wasps are territorial pests and aren’t known for setting up shop when there’s another nest nearby. If you’re looking to prevent wasps from building a home on your property, consider purchasing a decoy nest and placing it in the area they’re known to frequent.
- Build Your Own Trap
If your wasp problem is minor and you don’t yet require professional services, try crafting your own wasp trap. Using an empty jug, large enough to house several inches of liquid and room for wasps to enter, cut off the top of the bottle around the area where the container expands.
Take the top of the bottle and invert, so the spout is now on the inside. In some cases, you could dip the spout into honey or jam beforehand. Add a few inches of sugar water into the trap — this is designed to entice the wasps inside but prevents them from escaping. If you find the opening is too large, seal it with duct tape with a hole small enough for only the wasp to enter.
