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Wasp Warnings & How to Exterminate Them

A Wasp Warning
by Zeroflex
Aug 15/10

As we enter the dog days of summer and the overnight temperatures remain greater than the day time highs of April and May, it is important to note that temperature affects wasps just as it does humans. The later in the season it gets and the hotter it is, the more aggressive they become.

To compound the problem, that once baseball sized nest in May has now grown to basketball or even beach ball size and has gone from a population of a few dozen to a few hundred or more. What seemed in the Spring as a few docile black and yellow pollinators buzzing about the garden, have become nothing short of warriors defending their nest with kamikaze like attacks on anything threatening.

When a wasp stings it leaves behind a pheromone marker letting the others know where to attack. Multiple stings can be life threatening to anyone even if you are not allergic. If you get stung within the vicinity of a nest it would be wise to leave the area quickly.

So What Now?

Chances are that if you haven't exterminated the nest by now, it's probably not in an area that poses any danger to humans and can be left to die on its own (which they do every Autumn anyway).

However, if the nest is in an area where it poses a threat to human safety, it must be exterminated and you can do it yourself with these tips. (If you are at all nervous about this or your palms are sweating just thinking about it, it would be best to hire a professional exterminator because the margin for error is thin and the results could potentially be catastrophic)

Nest Extermination

If you can not see the actual nest but rather a hole where the wasps are going in and out of (eg. soffit of the roof or wood siding) it is best to call an exterminator because this can be more involved.

If you can see the nest and it's within reach you're already half way done!

It is important to know that I am a professional exterminator and this is the method and techniques I use on most wasp nests but your situation may differ.

Step One: Observing The Enemy
From a safe distance just stand for a few minutes observing the flight path of the wasps as they fly in and out of the nest as if they were using an invisible runway. Never stand in the flight path!

Step Two: Approach With Caution
Approaching the wasp nest from the back side of it is always best as this will put you out of the flight path. If the rear is not accessible approach from the side that gives you the best escape route should you need it.

Step Three: A Time To Kill
How close you should get depends on how much activity there is around the nest. (Once treatment begins there will be an explosion of wasp numbers and at this point there's no turning back). Only get as close as you need to.

I use a Pyrethrin based aerosol can with the red straw attached. The can is attached to a pole (There is a special tool for this but an extendable pole, some tape and a length of string will allow you to make your own) so you can treat the nest from a safer distance.

This is the one I use
Some folks like to treat the entry hole of the nest but I don't. I make my own hole by puncturing the nest at the top with the red straw and fill it with aerosol until the nest is saturated and then clearing the area. You're done!

Successful elimination of all wasps will occur within the next 24 to 48 hours. If activity remains after 48 hours a second treatment is necessary.


A final word:
Time of day, temperature, weather conditions and actions of the exterminator are all factors in the decision of when and how to eliminate a wasp nest. Under ideal conditions this job is done just before dawn or just after dusk when it is cool and clear outside.

In the real world as a professional it rarely if ever happens that way. This is not meant to be a comprehensive guide but rather a view into how a professional exterminator eliminates a wasp nest.

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