What Are Paper Wasps And How To Get Rid Of Them

First, you need to figure out if you have paper wasps in your yard. If you do find that you have paper wasps, and they are not in a location that's safe for you, then you can follow the natural remedies provided below.

1. Natural Insecticide Spray

Use natural insecticide spray just like a poisonous spray. When reading over the instructions for the use of this spray, you will see that you use this just like the typical poisonous spray.

So if you want to simply treat it the same way as usual but with a more natural spray, this may be your best bet. It will smell quite strong, like essential oils, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

2. Drowning 

Place a cloth bag over the entire nest and quickly tie it off at the top; pull the nest free as you draw in the tie. The bag should be well sealed.

Set the bag in a pail of water; drop a rock on it to submerge it. However, they caution against removing nests in walls or underground yourself, but suggest hiring a professional in these cases.

3. Grow Decoy Plants

Keep wasps from coming near high-traffic areas of your yard, like the pool, garden, and patio by planting decoy plants elsewhere on your property. Wasps are attracted to herbs like fennel or ornamental plants like goldenrod and thistle. Planting these in spaces you don't often frequent can keep wasps further away from your garden.

4. Hanging False Nests

Something else you can do to prevent a wasp problem is to hang a false wasp nest by your house. There are various products for this, some look very much like a paper lantern, and others look similar to a real nest, but they get good reviews online.

They are supposed to work because wasps are territorial, and they won’t build next to another nest. 

5. Essential Oils

Certain scents like peppermint, glove geranium, and lemongrass are proven to kill wasps. Mix several drops of each oil with water and dish soap in a spray bottle and coat areas on the outside of your home where wasps like to build nests under eaves, porch roofs, and other ledges and crevices.

6. Keep Trash Covered

Wasp problems are usually worse in backyards that have lots of food sources in the form of exposed garbage, recycling bins, and composting food matter. Make sure to tightly seal the lids to your garbage bins. Bins with a secure locking lid are ideal, but a pair of bungee cords should also do the trick. 

7. Clean up the Garden

Wasps are attracted to the sweet juices found in different fruits, from apples and peaches to berries. If you're growing fruits and veggies in the backyard, make sure anything that falls from trees or bushes is promptly picked up. Consider removing all the mentioned things that attracts waps in your residence.

8. Vacuum

Filling the vacuum using a shop vacuum or portable vacuum can also be a good solution, but you'll need to take extra precautions to make sure the bugs are dead and to thoroughly clean the vacuum afterward.

This technique is especially helpful for controlling infestations in certain sections of your property or on a smaller scale. 

9. Pepper Spray

If you're feeling a bit adventurous, apply this technique. Whip up some homemade pepper spray and watch them flee in terror.

Put on your gloves and safety goggles, and finely chop enough habanero peppers to fill half a cup. Crush six garlic cloves, and then blend the peppers, garlic, 2 cups of water, 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, and 1 teaspoon of dish soap.

10. Encouraging Natural Predators

Insects and several spider species, along with birds like gray catbirds, naturally feed on wasps. You can facilitate the management of wasp populations by establishing an environment that draws these predators.

Planting native plants, providing water sources, and providing water sources are some ways to do this. 

Alternatively, since repelling measures function passively and can be easily disrupted or if you have a massive infestation of paper wasps then it may be time to take a more active measure as it can be hard to gauge how effective the passive repellents are considering the infestation.

11. Sticky Bands

If you know that certain areas are gathering places for paper wasps, wrap stocky bands around them. When the nymphs and adults try to climb, these bands catch them. It's crucial to often inspect and replace these bands. Cover the adhesive bands with wire mesh or other obstacles that allow paper wasps to be captured.

12. Bug Zapper

At night, placing insect zappers in your yard will draw adult paper wasps and destroy them. These gadgets kill insects with an electric grid after luring them in with light. Though it is not so big in size but useful to erase some sort of waps in a small proportion. To guarantee the zapper's efficacy, regular upkeep and cleaning are required. 

13. Plastic Bottle Trap

The use of a plastic bottle trap is an easy-to-use but efficient way to catch paper wasps. To make one, use a clean, dry plastic container with a wide opening, such as a soda or water bottle.

To get a better look inside the bottle, remove the label. Place the bottle beneath the wasps. To get them to drop into the bottle, lightly tap the area where they are resting

14. Create a Vinegar and Meat Trap

A unique and highly effective wasp trap involves using a combination of vinegar and meat, which appeals to wasps’ strong attraction to protein, especially in late summer and early fall. To make this trap, take a large container, such as a plastic jar or bottle, and fill it with a mixture of water, vinegar, and a few drops of dish soap.

Then, hang a piece of raw meat, such as chicken or fish, just above the liquid, using a string or wire. The scent of the meat will lure wasps into the container, and once they touch the liquid, the dish soap breaks the surface tension, causing them to drown.

15. Unique Traps

There are also a variety of glass wasp traps that many claim help reduce wasp populations in their area. The trick is to make sure you keep replacing the bait.

These glass traps are very pretty, but you can also make your inexpensive version out of any type of plastic bottle.  If you've got a cardboard box lying around, consider making a wasp trap.

16. Vinegar

Vinegar kills paper waps instantly after spraying them. You may use apple cider vinegar for this. You can spray them with the dilute beforehand.

But keep in mind that vinegar can destroy some plants, so avoid spraying it on those that could be at risk. Although it's not stand stand-alone remedy, using vinegar can be a component of a pest management approach for paper wasps.

17. Soap Water

Paper wasp control may be achieved with an eco-friendly and successful spray combination of soap, water, and vegetable oil. In a spray bottle, mix one tablespoon of vegetable oil, one to two teaspoons of mild liquid soap, and four cups of water to make this combination. To make sure the components are fully combined, give the bottle a good shake. 

18. Chemical Spray

The easiest solution is to simply use a wasp-killing spray available in most grocery stores. They’re not everyone’s favorite because the spray is very poisonous, and some people leave the house after they spray to avoid breathing in the chemicals.

Though it has some problems regarding its smell buy nevertheless, it is an effective option.

19. Windex

Another chemical option – although one that is much less toxic to humans and available all around the home is Windex. Windex is very effective for killing most types of bugs inside of the home.

It’s a bit less effective on Wasps for some reason, but many will die and those that do not will be slowed enough that you can easily trap them or slap them.

20. Hair Spray

If you are comfortable getting near a wasp to kill it/trap it, you can also try hair spray. Hair spray covers a Wasp’s wings making flying impossible so that you can kill the wasp or trap it easily.

It is the easiest and most budget-friendly way to get rid of paper wasps in your residence. Some hair sprays will kill the wasp on their own.

21. Call a Pest Control Company

If you’ve tried the above methods and the wasps persist, it might be time to call in the pros. Large nests bigger than a grapefruit are worthy of immediate professional attention. And if family members, particularly children, are a risk of being injured by any number of wasps, it makes sense to seek help. 

You can determine whether wasps have set up nests on your property by looking for a few signs.

1. Increase in Wasp Activity

Seeing the occasional wasp here and there may be no cause for alarm, but if you see a lot of wasps flying around your home, chances are they have established a nest somewhere.

2. Wood Damage

Wasps create their nests by chewing up wood to create pulp. If you notice small holes in the exterior parts of your home, it could be wasps.

3. Nests

Wasps' nests are made of either mud or particles of wood. Some wasp nests look like a large ball of paper about the size of a basketball. Wasp nests made from mud have a vase-like shape and are typically stuck in a niche, such as the corner of the ceiling on a covered porch.

4. Buzzing Noise

 Wasps that are building a nest make a telltale buzzing noise. If you hear this noise, try to locate its source to determine if a nest is nearby.

5 Aggressive Behavior

Wasps can become more aggressive if their nest is disturbed. If you experience unprovoked attacks or increased aggression from wasps, it may signal a nearby nest.

6. Wasp Sightings Indoors

Finding wasps inside your home, especially in large numbers, can indicate an indoor nest or entry points where wasps are getting in.

Preventing wasps from returning involves a combination of certain measures and some guidelines to follow. Though they may not vanish completely as they are creations of nature but can be controlled. Here are some measures that can be followed to prevent them.

1. Remove Attractants

Keep food and drinks covered when eating outdoors. Clean up all the utensils and materials properly after using them. Ensure trash cans have proper lids and are maintained regularly. Keep compost bins securely closed.

2. Seal Entry Points

Be sure to seal cracks all the in walls, around windows, doors, and vents to prevent wasps from entering your home. Be cautious to ensure window and door screens are intact and fit properly.

3. Manage Outdoor Lighting

Wasps are attracted to light, so reduce outdoor lighting or use yellow-toned bulbs, which are less attractive to insects. Consider these steps to follow to prevent the wasps from entering your residence.

4. Remove Nests Early

Regularly inspect your property for early signs of nest-building. Remove small nests before they become established. These will help prevent wasps from making nests in your residence and stop establishing on it.

1. Yellowjacket (Vespula spp.)

Their body color is an alternating black-and-yellow pattern that runs the length of their bodies, which typically measure about ½ inch long.

Their habitat is spherical nests built from paper-like material that can reach the size of a basketball. Yellow jackets nest in shrubs, high in trees, and near the ground in logs, or even underground.

2. European hornet (Vespa crabro)

Their body size is usually ¾-inch long in adults. Their body color is brown with yellow stripes on the abdomen and a light-colored face.

They usually build their paper nests in tree hollows, attics, wall voids, and other sheltered areas. In general, hornets typically build their nests, which can reach up to 24 inches in length, in elevated places, such as trees and overhangs on buildings.

3. Mud dauber (Sceliphron caementarium)

Their body is Slender, delicate-looking are usually black with light-colored markings and a metallic sheen. Daubers are ¾-inch to 1-inch long. Mud daubers do not live in colonies.

Instead, the females typically build a nest of small 1-inch-long tubes from mud. Their nests can usually be found under roof eaves on porch ceilings, or in garages, sheds, barns, or even inside homes.