The Best Wasp Sprays for Pest Control (2023)

FAQs

What is the best pest control for wasps? ›

Existing Nest: The best way to get rid of a wasp nest is to use an insecticide that contains a freezing agent. PT Wasp and Hornet Killer Freeze, Wasp X Spray, or Bonide Wasp & Hornet Aerosol are good options for nest elimination since the freezing agent keeps the wasps from stinging.

To eliminate wasps, you can hang wasp traps, spray nests, or use a homemade mixture of soap and water to kill live wasps. If you hire a pest control expert to get rid of wasps, the team will destroy existing nests and apply additional yellow jacket treatments to prevent re-infestations.

Spectracide Wasp & Hornet Killer Spray, Kills Wasps, Hornets and Yellow Jackets, Sprays Up To 27 Feet, 20 Ounce.

Mix together a few drops of clove, geranium, and lemongrass essential oils to naturally repel wasps. You can add this essential oil blend to a spray bottle along with a few tablespoons of dish soap, fill the rest of the water bottle up with water, and shake.

The most common treatment for wasps involves the use of an aerosol spray or concentrated liquid applied directly to the nest, which often kills wasps on contact and continues killing any wasps that return to the nest for several days after.

Once a nest has been thoroughly sprayed with a pesticide, it is best to leave it alone and return to remove it the next day. If there are any surviving hornets or wasps, they will return back to the nest and the residual effects of the spray will eliminate those insects as well.

The best time of day is early morning when most of the wasps will be inside the nest and activity is at a minimum. I recommend having two cans of aerosol wasp spray at the ready.

Ortho recommends waiting 24 hours, then checking on the nest and respraying if necessary. Once the nest is inactive, you can knock it down with a long stick. If you have ground nests, use a powder wasp killer like Sevin instead of a spray.

Avoid spraying the nest directly during the day so you do not get stung. Spray the nest liberally. If you're using a freezing agent in a wasp aerosol spray form, spray when most wasps are home at night to eliminate the infestation.

It could be that you're using the wrong kind of stinging insect control. Spraying the entry point with a liquid wasp spray or other aerosol will kill a lot of yellow jackets, but you will not get material into the nest itself. Nests treated with aerosols will almost always bounce back.

What will keep wasps away from my patio? ›

Grow plants in your patio planters that wasps don't like, like lemongrass and peppermint. Mix clove, geranium, lemongrass essential oils with water, shake well and spray your patio area. You'll have to spray your patio regularly throughout the summer.

Insects, mammals, birds, and reptiles eat wasps. Insects like beetles, centipedes, dragonflies, hoverflies, spiders, moths, robber flies, and praying mantis eat wasps. Wasps are omnivores because they eat various plant-based foods and other insects.

Any wasp that was not in the nest when the pesticide was applied wasps will likely return. Depending on the product used when they enter, the pesticide will eventually affect them. If they sense danger or see the damage, they may not enter and look for another hive to accept them.

Peppermint oil on its own has been shown to act as a natural repellent for wasps and bees, or you can use a combination of clove, geranium, and lemongrass essential oils as a natural pest control method.

This product can be sprayed on surfaces or added to paint or stain. When mixed with paint or stain, it's able to “lock in” and provide a year or more of protection. When used as a spray, it will last 30 days keeping away most any insect pest including wasps.

Distract them with something sweet. 'Gardeners could also consider placing a small glass of orange juice in a remote corner of their garden to draw wasps away from an occupied area,' says Catherine Alyons.

Yes, you can kill wasps with dish soap. The soapy water can also kill bees and hornets. Dish soap works because it helps the water get through the exoskeleton of the wasp, which can then drown the stinging pest. This method can be particularly useful when you find a loan wasp who wandered into your home.

Use plain water. Wasps build nests in a dry, sheltered spot that is protected from the elements. You can encourage them to move to a different area (without killing them) by spraying the nest with a hose. Stand a good distance away and set your hose sprayer to a gentle, rain-like setting.

WD40 will also foam when it interacts with the hot temperature of the wasp. This smothers the lungs and suffocates the wasps until they die. Even if the wasp does not suffocate, it will die of poisoning. WD40 is poisonous once it has entered the system.

Wasp nests are easy for wasps to come back to time and time again because they are filled with and surrounded by these pheromones. Even after removing the nest, those pheromones can linger and stick around where the nest was. Pheromones help wasps protect their nests as well.

What time do wasps go to sleep? ›

When do wasps sleep? Generally speaking, wasps do not sleep as we might think of sleeping. Wasps tend to become less active at night and during the winter female wasps are known to hibernate. They can become very inactive, and appear to be asleep, but they are just dormant.

Easy Access: A house with many open entry points will attract wasps, bees, and other pests. Wasps always get in through any open cracks, holes, and open doors and windows that are left open. Even the vents and cracks in your foundation give access to wasps to enter and build nest your house.

Once sprayed, the wasp killer foams up to trap them in their nest. Ortho recommends waiting 24 hours, then checking on the nest and respraying if necessary. Once the nest is inactive, you can knock it down with a long stick. If you have ground nests, use a powder wasp killer like Sevin instead of a spray.

The most effective option is to build a small fire and smoke them out. They'll abandon the nest and you won't have to use dangerous chemicals.

A colony of yellow jackets only forages about a mile from home to gather their food, so if you are seeing them frequently, odds are you're close to their colony, or nest. Nests have populations of 2,000 to 4,000 worker yellow jackets (all female), some drone (male) yellow jackets and up to 50 queens at once!

It usually takes about 24 hours for wasp and hornet spray to work. After a 24-hour period, watch the nest carefully for several minutes. If no wasps or hornets are visible, use something to knock it down from a distance. If you see any insects flying, respray the nest and wait 24 more hours before knocking it down.

Paper wasp colonies are small, usually fewer than 200 wasps per nest.

Wasps are generally more active in the middle of the day when it's warm, and less active between dusk and dawn when temperatures are cooler. You can tell its summer by looking at the insect activity around.

In reality, wasps usually die off within 15 minutes after coming in contact with the treatment. The delayed reaction to the insecticide gives them time to carry the dust into the nest interior and spread it around, contaminating the whole nest.

If you're wondering, “Are pesticides safe after they dry?”, the answer is that most are safe once dried.

Do pest control deal with wasps? ›

All pest technicians will also have special gear to protect them from stings, and a range of treatments to kill off the wasps. They usually offer the option to remove the nest a few days after the treatment has taken place, but this may not be possible if the nest is heavily embedded into the structure of the building.

Ortho Home Defense Hornet and Wasp Killer7 is the 1 product you need to protect against hornets, wasps, yellow jackets and other listed insects. You no longer have to stand close, the jet spray reaches nests up to 20 ft. above the ground.

Kill wasps, hornets, and yellow jackets in above-ground nests with Ortho® Home Defense® Hornet & Wasp Killer7. The jet spray reaches 20 feet above the ground, and the foaming spray traps stinging pests in their nest.

Professional wasp removal costs around $383 but can range from $100 to $1,300. * The severity of your wasp infestation is one of the most significant determining factors. For example, you might pay only $200 if an exterminator kills 50 wasps and a single nest, but up to $500 if you have a larger infestation.

Will Wasps Return To a Destroyed Nest? If a structure was destroyed by natural occurrences, wasps and their queen may attempt to rebuild in the same location.

Peppermint oil: Wasps and hornets hate the smell of peppermint oil! So, take a cotton ball soaked in peppermint oil and place it near areas where you've seen wasps and hornets. You can also add a few drops of peppermint oil to a spray bottle filled with water and use it to spray areas.

The fact is, ordinary liquid soap in a spray bottle works as well as anything I've ever tried when it comes to dropping and killing wasps around the house.

Once sprayed, the wasp killer foams up to trap them in their nest. Ortho recommends waiting 24 hours, then checking on the nest and respraying if necessary. Once the nest is inactive, you can knock it down with a long stick. If you have ground nests, use a powder wasp killer like Sevin instead of a spray.

Ortho® Home Defense® Insect Killer for Indoor & Perimeter2 kills bugs inside while keeping them out by using as a preventative treatment or after evidence of insect activity. A bug barrier of up to 12-months protection (against ants, roaches and spiders indoors on nonporous surfaces) provides long lasting results.

The smell of peppermint is a yellow jacket repellant. Combine a few drops of pure peppermint oil, a few tablespoons of dish soap and warm water in a spray bottle. Locate any active wasp nests and carefully spray the concoction around the entrance.

How long does wasp spray keep wasps away? ›

This product can be sprayed on surfaces or added to paint or stain. When mixed with paint or stain, it's able to “lock in” and provide a year or more of protection. When used as a spray, it will last 30 days keeping away most any insect pest including wasps.