How to Get Rid of a Wasp's Nest

Wasps are a crucial part of the eco-system, but don’t let their day job (pollination) fool you. They are vicious insects with powerful stingers. Unlike bees that faithfully die as martyrs after one sting, wasps can sting repeatedly. A wasp nest is a potential threat to everyone around it. If you have seen a wasp nest around your house, read this blog before taking any action.

Cal-Rid Exterminators Inc is an expert in pest control. Our blogs have information on how to tackle various pest infestations. Let us tell you how to and how not to go about wasp removal.

Wasp Nest Removal Instructions

People always try to figure out how to get rid of pests on their own. Wasps are actively dangerous pests, so knowing what works and what doesn’t work will help you avoid risks. Here are a few methods that have been revealed to be unreliable, followed by a detailed account on how to handle a wasp encroachment on your property.

Don’t do this:

Hit it
You cannot hope to get rid of a wasp’s nest with blunt force. Using a baseball bat or any such “weapon” will only, at best, partially damage the nest, killing one or two dozen wasps. Damaging the nest without killing all the wasps only compounds your problems. You will be left with thousands of aggravated homeless wasps that cannot be targeted.

Set it on fire
Wasps ingeniously make their nests. They chew out wood and produce a paper-like pulp that they use to construct their nests that makes these nests highly susceptible to fire. But, the potential risk to your property is too great to try exterminating them with fire. Wasps are also very quick to respond to danger, and they evacuate as soon as they sense the temperature rising. A swarm of wasps with no nest can be dangerous to anyone in the vicinity.

Soak it
Using hot water or soap water is the most effective among these methods, but it is still far from a complete solution. Pouring hot water can kill a lot of wasps, but it won’t kill all of them. Furthermore, if the wasp nest is inside the house or on the house, flooding the nest with water might cause water to soak into your building structure and cause rot.

Do This:

Identify
Wasps nest on tree branches, wall cavities and roof spaces; anywhere they can find shelter. Some species even burrow into the ground. Observe the wasp traffic and identify the direction they are headed towards and follow them to find the nest.

Prepare
You will need a big plastic bag with no holes and an insecticide spray. Wasp stings are highly painful, as you can imagine, so cover yourself from head to toe in multiple layers. Wear a mask, goggles, a big hat, turtle neck, bandana, gloves and tuck your pants into your socks. Leave nothing exposed. Plan your approach and exit strategy in case something goes wrong.

Attack
Wasps are known to be docile at night when they are resting in the nest. Inform everyone in your home to stay indoors while you carry out your mission. Flashlights can alert the wasps, so don’t use them. Carefully approach the nest and cover it up with the bag. With the top of the bag carefully wrapped around the nest, pull it away from the base and let it drop inside the bag. Spray the insecticide through a tiny opening and tie up the bag. Respray it in a few hours and dump it in the trash.

The method mentioned above only works if the nest is in an easily accessible place. If the nest is hard to reach, do not attempt to do this on a ladder. The risk of falling and causing yourself serious injuries is high. Finally, if you are allergic or if you are unaware of whether or not you are, then strictly avoid any contact with the wasps. A wasp sting could send you into anaphylactic shock and, in extreme cases, cause death. Removing a wasp nest is not a mission worth dying for.

The safest, quickest and most effective way to get rid of a wasp nest is to hire a pest control expert in your area. They are knowledgeable in wasp behaviour and use that knowledge to take care of the nest and all its residents quickly. Wasps look for small nooks and corners in and around the house, which can be tough to access. A pest control expert will be experienced in dealing with such issues. The equipment that they use is not widely available in the market and is far superior in its effectiveness in ridding your house of such pests without compromising the safety of the home or its inhabitants. Cal-Rid Exterminators Inc also offers a seasonal guarantee on our treatments so you have nothing to lose.

Cal-Rid Exterminators Inc has been providing pest control services throughout Calgary since 1958. We have experts with more than 10 years of experience in dealing with all sorts of pests, from birds and rodents to wasps and bed bugs. Contact us today for a quick wasp removal from your property.