Wasp or Yellow Jacket Repellent

Wasps and yellow jackets are common outdoor pests that can become a nuisance during outdoor dinners and activities. These insects can also pose a danger for people who have bee allergies. If you have a bee allergy or are tired of swatting wasps away from your food, consider implementing one of these wasp and yellow jacket control methods.

Wasps and bees are beneficial insects because they play a large role in the pollination of plants and flowers. Without these insects, gardens and crops would suffer. Despite the important role these insects play in nature, wasps and yellow jackets are frequently viewed as pests in the home and in personal gardens because they hover around food and may sting when disturbed by humans. Wasp and bee allergies are also common, and so for many people, repelling these insects is a necessity. If you are thinking about using one of these wasp control methods, consider first whether it is really necessary.

Some of the most effective methods of repelling wasps and yellow jackets are quite simple. Seal any entry points into your home, such as doors, windows and vents, to prevent wasps and yellow jackets from building an indoor nest. Outdoors, be sure not to leave out any scraps of food or open drink containers, and remove any fallen fruit from fruit trees as soon as possible. By removing the main sources of food for wasps and yellow jackets and by preventing them from building nests, you can successfully repel them from your home.

Wasps and yellow jackets are territorial insects, and typically they will not build a nest near another nest. Take advantage of this fact and repel these insects from your home by hanging a false wasp nest under your deck or in an area where you have previously found a nest. A fake nest may be enough to deter wasps and yellow jackets from building new nests, but it may not be effective against existing nests. To get rid of an existing nest, you may need to execute an alternative method of wasp control.

Homemade traps are an effective way to repel wasps and yellow jackets from one area by luring them to another area. Cut the top off a plastic soda bottle and insert the top upside down into the body of the bottle to create a funnel. Fill the bottle with several inches of sugar water, and hang it from a tree or post around your home. Wasps will be attracted to the sweetness of the sugar water and, once they enter the trap, they will be unable to get out. Add 1/4 cup of vinegar to the mixture in the bottle to discourage honeybees from entering the trap, as these insects are beneficial in the garden environment and should not be killed.

Aerosol wasp and hornet sprays are generally effective against both wasps and yellow jackets. Commercial insecticide sprays are typically used to spray and kill nests, though some can also be sprayed directly on the insects to kill them. The most effective commercial insecticide sprays to use against wasps and yellow jackets include ingredients such as carbaryl, chlorpyrifos, acephate or diazinon. Once a nest has been killed, it should be removed and disposed of so other colonies of insects cannot use it in the future. Read the labels carefully when using commercial pesticides or insecticide sprays, and do not use more of the product than necessary.