It’s no secret that when you find a wasp nest in or near your home, your first instinct is to consider what you can do to solve the problem yourself. The saying goes “if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself”. But, do you really know what to do in the event of a wasp infestation?
The problem with the saying above is that in order to do something right, you must first know what to do. We at GTA Toronto Pest Control are wasp extermination experts in Toronto, and we highly recommend contacting pest control professionals like us to safely handle your wasp infestation. However, we do acknowledge that there are some effective ways to remove a wasp nest from your home or property that don’t involve calling the experts in.
Wasps are highly aggressive when aggravated, and it’s easy to do that when you’re using the wrong method to remove that type of nest. Learning the proper techniques to safely remove a wasp nest according to it’s kind is key to preserving your home and safety. Here are a few things to have in order before trying to deal with a wasp nest in any way:
Clothing
– Exposed skin is a target for wasps. Be sure to cover up with jeans, shoes, socks, a hoodie, gloves, and even a mask if you want to be extra safe.
Escape Route
– Once you disturb a nest, expect the angry inhabitants to come out and greet you. Having an escape route to dash away through is very important to keeping sting-free.
Timing
– Actions against wasp nests are best done at night. At that time, the nest should be full, and wasp activity will be minimal. If illumination is a problem, early morning is also prime-time for wasp removal.
Once you have those down, it’s time for your plan of attack. For wasp problems on your property, we’ve prepared this list of DIY wasp nest removal methods to help you deal with the various types of wasp nests easily and on your own.
Hanging Nests
This is the most common kind of wasp nest, usually made by paper wasps. Hanging nests can be found on the corners of ceilings and roofs, with the entrance open for you to see. This is also the easiest kind of wasp nest to deal with on your own. There are a variety of DIY methods to deal with a hanging nest, but the easiest and safest is using an insecticide or wasp spray on it.
Read more: Spring Wasp Control
Purchase a wasp or insecticide spray from your local garden store, and wait until the evening or early morning. Keep in mind to check the effectiveness of the insecticide you’re using, as insecticides for smaller insects such as ants can be ineffective against wasps. Once the time is right, carefully approach the wasp nest, and spray the pesticide into the opening for 10-15 seconds, then disengage and walk away calmly, but quickly. Leave the nest and it’s inhabitants to die off. Observe the nest in the next morning, and if it looks like the job isn’t done, repeat the process a second time. Once you’ve confirmed that the wasps inside the nest are dead, it’s then safe to take the wasp nest down using a long tool or stick. After that, dispose of the nest immediately, and your property is now wasp-free.
Ground Nests
One might accidentally stumble onto a yellow jacket ground nest during an afternoon stroll around the yard or garden. Mowing lawns or weeding the flora, both typical afternoon chores, may disturb the wasp nest enough to have them sally forth and attack you. Dealing with a wasp nest like this doesn’t take a siege. Instead, all you need to do is apply a healthy helping of insecticidal dust.
You can purchase insecticidal dust from a local garden store. Wait until early morning to try this method of nest removal, so you have the benefit of morning light to see the nest opening clearly. Once you have the dust, pour a quarter cup of it into a disposable paper cup. Once you’re armed with your dust in a cup, approach the nest calmly. This is important, as sprinting towards the nest and running back to safety will probably disturb the nests and lead to an unintended face-off between you and a gang of wasps. Once at the opening of the nest, dump the cup’s contents into the opening and briskly walk away. Be sure to leave the opening open after pouring the dust in, don’t put something on top to block it off. Insecticide dust is very effective against ground wasp nests because wasps tend to move in or around the nest opening and carry the dust inward, toward the core nest itself. Hence, leaving the opening alone will encourage the wasps to go about their business and spread the insecticide dust from the opening to the wasps inside the nest, and in a day or two, they should all die off.
Read more: Wasps vs. Bees: What’s the Difference?
Concealed Nests
Wasps often choose to nest in hard-to-reach and hard-to-see places like inside your home’s walls, attics, voids behind stairs, or even under floors. Once a wasp nest is established inside your property, removing it is a tricky business. Off the top of your head, you might think that a wasp spray would be a good tool to use in this situation, but you’d be wrong. In fact, wasp sprays tend to be ineffective against concealed nests because the entrance or opening rarely lines up with the nest core itself. Hence, using a wasp spray may just aggravate the wasps and drive them to attack.
A more effective method would be to use insecticide powder, poured or dusted onto the opening for similar results with ground nests. Keep in mind however, that because of the nature of concealed nests (the nest core is often kept farther away from any openings) this method may not be entirely successful. Additionally, it is against the law in some places to use insecticide powder on house structures. That being said, we still think your best bet for clearing off those wasp nests is-
GTA TORONTO PEST CONTROL
Our professional pest control experts in Toronto are fully equipped and trained to safely remove any wasp nest in your property while minimizing the hassle to you and your family, risks to your health, and any damage to your property. If you’d like to read up more on pests and pest control services, take a look at our Blog. For safe, fast, and efficient wasp nest removal, consider calling the professionals so we can do the job right and put preventive measures to ensure your property stays pest-free for seasons to come.
Read more: The Way Of The Professional Wasp Exterminator
