%&*# Wasps!

[Jeffbx]

OK, does anyone else have a problem with wasps? My deck gets direct sunlight, and all summer long I have to do battle with these stupid things. Once a week or so I have to go around & spray the nests the're building, but they always come back. I even had an exterminator out last year, but even that only lasts a few weeks before they're back full force.

It's driving me up the wall... I hate having this nice big deck that no one wants to use because there are always wasps buzzing around.

Anyone have any luck with traps or repellent or....?

[xsiled2]

get fully clothed and get a stick, nothing like smashing the crap out of their house. anyway some of those sprays do pretty good, i cant remember what kind though.. :shrug:

[Kim]

I have the SAME problem! I hope someone has the solution.

[brainsmile]

maybe you should move :P

[hoey222]

there are some pesticides that you can apply that linger on wood, concrete, etc. for a month. i think its malathion, but i could be wrong. apply it where the wasps come, it'll kill them everytime they show up.

[Cantacuzene]

I cant say that white anglo saxon protestants have ever given me that much trouble, though they are pretentious. :P

[Joshua]

AquaNet + Bic Lighter = Flying little balls of flame! :D

[sho.gun]

Originally posted by Yossarian
there is a special "man" made "juice" that you can "shoot" onto their houses that will take care of that problem :shifty:

I dont think I like you anymore.

[brainsmile]

Originally posted by sho.gun


I dont think I like you anymore. :stupid:

[topane]

Originally posted by Yossarian
there is a special "man" made "juice" that you can "shoot" onto their houses that will take care of that problem :shifty: :2far:

I'm giving back your white elephant gift. No, I'm going to burn my house down instead. I can't believe I touched it with my bare hands. I am also going to peel off my top layer of skin.

[psycho-]

Originally posted by Cantacuzene
I cant say that white anglo saxon protestants have ever given me that much trouble, though they are pretentious. :P

Hahaha...my thoughts exactly at first.

[JaQnAbOx]

hmm...how about avoiding the chemicals...and try buying lots and lots of birds...maybe some frogs..and just release them on your deck =) some eco friendly solutions.

[attgig]

Originally posted by JaQnAbOx
hmm...how about avoiding the chemicals...and try buying lots and lots of birds...maybe some frogs..and just release them on your deck =) some eco friendly solutions.

i think bats are the best in terms of predators, no?

[JaQnAbOx]

hmm that would be interesting...having my own dominion of bats....MUAHAHAHA!!! not only will they remove your wasp problem...they will probably take care of your neighbors...

[RoniMan]

Originally posted by JaQnAbOx
hmm that would be interesting...having my own dominion of bats....MUAHAHAHA!!! not only will they remove your wasp problem...they will probably take care of your neighbors...

yes, just in case your neighbors are WASP too.

<michael keaton>I'm batman!</Michael Keaton>

[Showtime]

Don't know if this will work for hornets.
I had a huge problem with bee's that made a nest in the outer wall of my garage. I used some poison spray a few years ago and they went away.
Last year they returned and I did the same thing and it looked like it worked. Over the year they were building up and I missed it but the nest must have been huge. I started to spray em a few months ago with all the basic repellents. Every other saturday for a couple of months I'd kill like dozens and they just kept coming back. I started doing research and found that soapy water worked best. I tried it and they kept coming back. I finally started using this spray foam and soapy water to try to kill the workers and "encourage" the queen to leave. Finally I added bleach hoping the fumes would get rid of em. My garage was filled with dead bee's but they still looked like they were there. A few days later and no more bee's. I patched it all up and so far no more bees.
Soapy water may work for a while or add a little bleach but be careful. The smell and "feel" of the soapy water might disourage em.

-jel:halo:

[dbax791]

Originally posted by the jello is jigglin
Don't know if this will work for hornets.
I had a huge problem with bee's that made a nest in the outer wall of my garage. I used some poison spray a few years ago and they went away. -jel:halo:

Africanized bees are a problem out here. I had to have a bee removal service come out once. It and cost $150.

Jel, can you tell me where you got the foam and what kind of sprayer you used?

I do have a spray bottle with soapy water (1/4 Dawn detergent 3/4) water that takes care of the onesy-twosies that want to hang around the backyard. The soap sticks to their wings so they can't fly. But I don't know if it works for wasps.

[OC]

Yup, I have a big problem with wasps - I get stung, I die. :|

-OC

[Showtime]

Ortho Hornet and Wasp spray (killer).
I got it at home depot and in the directions its says its a foam spray. It says to wait till dusk or dawn, when they are sleeping and to fill the hole of the nest with the foam. Than basically run away as some will get out and try to sting you.

I know the bees I had weren't africanized as I stood within 5 feet while spraying. I'd hold the sprayer within a couple of feet of the entrance from around the corner of the garage and spray. Got surrounded several times by the swarm and didnt get stung once. Friendly buggers. I wish I didnt have to kill so many but I feared they'd sting someone or get africanized and try to kill me.

I also found out that for bee's you can call a beekeeper to coax out the queen and take them away. It helps him with his honey and it should be free.

-jel:halo:

[ufcrusher]

Depends on what kind of wasp you are talking about. For most wasps we just used the aforementions Othro Bee and Wasp killer. Works extremely well. However, if you dont like to use sprays you can just set up wasp traps. They are usually clear cylinders with a sugar water extract in the center. The bees and wasps are attracted by the scent, fly in and cant fly back out.

There are also ultrasonic devices that supposedly work.

Now if you are having wood boring wasps or bees, you probably want to get an exterminator as they can have larvae and such in the wood which you cant get out.

[Jeffbx]

Originally posted by ufcrusher
Depends on what kind of wasp you are talking about. For most wasps we just used the aforementions Othro Bee and Wasp killer. Works extremely well. However, if you dont like to use sprays you can just set up wasp traps. They are usually clear cylinders with a sugar water extract in the center. The bees and wasps are attracted by the scent, fly in and cant fly back out.

There are also ultrasonic devices that supposedly work.

Now if you are having wood boring wasps or bees, you probably want to get an exterminator as they can have larvae and such in the wood which you cant get out.

Yeah, I've been using the Ortho stuff & that works great for killing the ones that are building. I think I'm going to just try leaving a trap out there all the time - maybe if I can trap the scouts before the find a good place to build that will help.

I thought about bats, too, but since they're nocternal I don't think they will help too much with the wasps. They would probably help reduce the mosquito population, tho...

Thanks everyone for the tips... except Yossarian... (ewww!) ;)