How to Kill a Wasp

Wasps are natural enemies of the gardener and outdoor enthusiast with their aggressive behavior and painful repercussions when they’re bothered. Luckily, we have the tools and methods to easily kill a wasp or wasps nest without insect retaliation.

 So, how do you kill a wasp or nest of wasps? Initially, you’ll want to locate the wasp or nest and only disturb it when you’re ready to begin removal. You’ll also want to select a long-range poison or device as to not get too close to a potentially dangerous situation or call a professional if need be.

 Killing a single wasp or killing a whole nest of them involves drastically different approaches. Continue reading for a complete guide on how to deal with your specific wasp problem.

Killing a Rogue Wasp

If you’re looking for some tips on how to kill a single wasp that finds its way into your home, this is the section to pay the closest attention to. We’ll be covering a few methods that you can use to get rid of a stinging pest.

Making an Indoor Wasp Trap

Wasps are similar to bees and other insects in that they are heavily attracted to sweetstuffs. Commercial wasp traps use this to their advantage, luring unsuspecting wasps to a sticky death at the bottom of a slippery container.

 You can achieve the same effect at home with items that you likely already have in your kitchen. Here’s how you can go about making your own wasp trap:

 

• Grab a two-liter plastic bottle. 
• Cut the end of the nozzle off and place it upside down into the empty bottle. Tape it in place so that there are no openings aside from the nozzle opening.
• Fill up the bottle with water a little over halfway and pour in dish soap. Shake the bottle.
• Line the outer and inner part of the entrance to the trap with honey, melted candy, sweetened jelly, or any other sweet, sticky food to attract the wasp.

This method will lure the wasp to and inside the trap, only to have them slip into the soapy water, wetting and coating their wings so that they cannot fly - and eventually drown.

Use a Fly Swatter

Perhaps the easiest and quickest way to neutralize a wasp is to grab a good old fashioned fly swatter and hit it. But don’t go chasing around a wasp - remember, they’re incredibly fast and will defend themselves with a painful blow.

 Instead, try your patience, and sit and wait for the wasp to land somewhere nearby. When the wasp goes to rest, slowly approach it and whack it as hard as you can. Be sure to hit it until visibly dead, as a fly swatter may only stun it for a moment if hit once.

 If you want something heavier and more reliable when put against a wasp, you can use a rolled-up magazine, or a shoe are also great for killing a wasp.

Dealing with a Wasps Nest

Unlike killing a single wasp that wanders into your living room, dealing with a nest full of stinking, aggressive wasps is far more dangerous and requires a bit more planning and strategy for safety.

When to Destroy a Wasps Nest

It’s important to understand wasp behavior before you dive into removing their nest. Believe it or not, there is actually a better and worse time to proceed with killing a nest full of wasps. 

 Wasps are generally more active during the height of the day, around noon and into the afternoon right before dusk. Therefore, the best time to spray a wasps nest is in the early morning or in the evening when the nest will be less active - and less likely to swarm.

What Not to Do When Attempting to Dispose of a Wasp Nest

Before we go through step-by-step how to kill a wasp nest in the next few sections, let’s take a look at what not to do when it comes to destroying a wasp’s home:

 

• Never attempt to destroy a wasp nest with fire. Wasp nests are extremely flammable, which may result in fire damage to your property, or to yourself. Wasps will also viciously attack in this scenario.
• Do not use water or flooding to destroy a nest. Similarly to the above option, flooding a nest, especially if it’s inside a building, may result in property damage. The wasps will also swarm and attack you if you’re nearby as their nest is flooded.
• Never hit a nest with a blunt object. This will drive wasps into a frenzy, and you will be left in a disastrous state.

Step 1: Locate the Wasp Nest (Without Disturbing it)

If you’ve noticed an increase in wasps flying around your home and yard, you likely have a wasp colony nearby. Before anything can be done, you’ll first need to pinpoint the location of the nest. 

 If you’re having difficulty locating the nest, try looking around places like woodpiles, under awnings and in the corners of roofing, or under the porch. Wasps will generally nest in places that have sufficient coverage from the elements.

 Once you’ve found the nest, do your best not to disturb it or get too close until you’re absolutely ready to begin exterminating the colony. 

Step 2: Get Your Pesticide Spray Ready to Use

There are many insecticides that are efficient in destroying a wasps nest in as timely a manner as possible

 However, pesticides often take care of both beneficial and harmful insects.  Due to the many problems in the environment we are at fault in the modern-day and age, it is important that you make sure that you can take care of the wasps with the least possible harm to the beneficial insects.

 Once you have decided what pesticide will you use to treat the wasp’s nest, consider also the interaction with beneficial insects and then remember to suit up.

 After you’ve picked your poison, it’s time to suit up.

Step 3: Dress in Protective Gear 

A swarm of wasps can be highly dangerous and even deadly when a person is administered enough stings and not treated promptly. This is why it is vital that you take at least some precautionary measures to protect yourself in the event of a swarm (or even more than one angry wasp coming after you).

‘Before you go outside to tackle the nest, be sure that you’re wearing a thick, long-sleeved shirt and pants, close-toed shoes, gloves (taped to your sleeves), and a face mask if you want to be extra careful. If things go awry, you still may get stung, but it won’t be as bad as if you weren’t taking precautionary measures.

 If wasps commonly nest around your home during the warmer months, you could also consider purchasing a bee suit for added protection. Bee suits are made with thick fabrics and are an all-body ensemble designed to give you the utmost protection from stings.

Step 4: Spray the Nest with Your Chosen Pesticide

Once you’re geared up, you can now go back to the nest location in the early morning or at dusk, as we discussed earlier, to apply the toxic solution.

 Be sure that you stand at least 10 or so feet away from the nest, and never stand directly under, in front, or to the side of it. Standing too close could risk unnecessary exposure to toxic chemicals and wasp stings as they frantically try to escape the nest to survive.

When to Call a Professional to Handle the Problem

Wasps nests can get extremely large if left to their own devices - plus, these insects are opportunists that will seek out and find any crevice in or around your home that they can dwell. This includes inside your walls, sheds, barns, and anywhere else, your family might walk into to be greeted with a sting.

 If you’ve noticed that there is a nest on your property - or worse, in your home - it’s best to remove your family and any pets from the house (or as far away as possible from the nest outdoors) and contact an exterminator immediately.

 While this method of killing wasps will cost significantly more than handling the problem on your own, it’s always best to stay on the safe side and let someone with experience tackle the job.

 Unlike most homeowners, a professional will come geared up in the appropriate attire, carrying the most deadly solutions, and with the training to handle high-stress situations in enclosed spaces that wasps may nest, such as in attics or between walls.

What to do if You are Stung by a Wasp

While quite painful, a single wasp sting isn’t usually much to worry about in terms of emergencies. With a single sting, simple at-home care should suffice. However, as we’re about to reiterate, a whole nest of wasps can be life-threatening - and even only two or three stings can mean life or death for those with sensitivities.

 Remember, a wasp sting contains toxic substances for the sole purpose of debilitating their sting victims. When there is more than one sting (which isn’t that far-fetched of an idea when trying to dispose of a nest), it can absolutely have unexpected adverse effects on health, even sending some individuals into anaphylactic shock.

 If you’re stung by multiple wasps during the process of nest removal, it’s always best to play it safe and go to the hospital immediately. Have someone you trust to drive you and promptly alert them if you begin to feel a delay in your breathing, stomach cramps, an increase in your heart rate, or difficulty swallowing, as these can be life-threatening signs of upcoming anaphylaxis.

Preventing Wasps From Returning

Now that you’ve gotten rid of the wasp or wasps, you’ll need to take preventative measures to keep them from coming back to your property. So what can you do?

Remove Empty Wasp Nests

Firstly, you’ll want to dispose of any abandoned wasp nests that you find on your property, including the nest you just killed off. Aside from the nest you just eliminated, you may want to wait until the winter to dispose of any other nests on your property. This will keep wasps from living in an already built, ready-to-go nest when the weather starts to warm up again.

Dispose of Any Wood Piles or Debris

As we mentioned earlier, wasps like to nest in areas that are not disturbed. Huge winter woodpiles and yard debris provide the perfect place for a wasp colony. To deter wasps from nesting on your property, you’ll want to remove any debris that may house a wasp nest.

 Before you remove woodpiles and debris, take extra care to look around for any signs of new nesting as to not get any nasty surprises.

Make Your Home Difficult for Wasps to Access

If you’ve found wasps in your home, there are things that you can do to keep them from entering so easily:

 

• Always close doors behind you as you or your family walk in and out of the home. Doors that are left open for extended periods of time are an open invitation to the wandering wasp.
• Keep your windows closed at all times, and if you prefer an open window, be sure that you have a protective screen secured to the window frame.
• Check around your home for cracks in the walls, windows, or doors that are exposed to the outside. Wasps can easily squeeze through small spaces. Use a sealant like caulk to tightly seal the cracks.
• Repair gaps in the walls of your home. Wasps are notorious for building gigantic colonies inside exposed walls of buildings. Keeping up the repairs on your home is a surefire way to avoid a painful infestation.

Clean Up Around Edible Vegetation in Your Yard

For those who have fruit trees or berry bushes, it’s a good idea to collect ripe fruit before they fall and remove any fruit that has already fallen on the ground and begun to spoil. Fruit is an extreme attractant for wasps, and yards with fruiting vegetation makes the perfect home for a colony.

And though wasps and other insects are naturally attracted to the trees and bushes, themselves, by removing easy fruit access, you’ll be making life just that more difficult for the wasps.

Outdoor Wasp Traps

Earlier, we mentioned that you could kill a rogue wasp in your home by making your own wasp trap.

 But you can also disperse wasp traps throughout your yard, preferably away from any outdoor seating areas such as porches or decks, as well as away from any flower gardens or vegetable gardens that see a lot of human or pet traffic. 

 There are a plethora of options that you can find online through Amazon or purchase at your local home and gardening store.

FAQ

Q: Is it best to hire a professional or deal with the wasp problem yourself?

A: Of course, if you have any doubts about your ability to properly dispose of a wasp nest, it’s in your best interest to call a professional. However, with a strategy of removal, as we’ve outlined throughout this article, many homeowners should be able to achieve a quick and painless nest removal on their lonesome.

Q: How often should I tend to my yard to keep wasps at bay?

A: Generally speaking, you should always keep your yard relatively free of debris such as woodpiles and remove, or occasionally treat with pesticide (as instructed by the product), any items that wasps could use to build their nest inside. This includes children’s toys (playhouses, slides, covered swings) and storage sheds.

 

Depending on the rate of growth of your vegetation, you should also cut back any fast-growing bushes or plants as to not give wasps an easy nesting place.

 

Q: Do unprovoked wasps attack? Do I have to remove the nest or kill them?

A: A single wasp will not usually attack you if you aren’t making any sudden moves, and it doesn’t see you as a threat - which, you don’t know when or if they will. 

 

A nest can absolutely be dangerous, no matter where it is on your property. Which is why we’ve made it a point to reiterate that fact throughout this article. Wasps are frenzied creatures and will attack to protect their nest. This includes any children or pets who wander too close in play.

 

We always recommend that you kill and remove any wasps nests that you see near your home. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

 

Q: Can I kill a wasp in my home with hairspray?

A: If you’re facing a single wasp, yes. You can use a hairspray to kill a wasp in your home. The reason this works is that the stickiness of the hairspray coats the wasp’s wings and body, making it unable to fly and, eventually, unable to breathe. 

 

Be careful, though. If you miss, you may get the surprise of your life.