How to get rid of wasps outside

Plants like spearmint, thyme, citronella, eucalyptus and wormwood are all considered effective natural repellents. Similarly, peppermint oil and essential oil blends, like lemongrass, clove and geranium can also repel worker wasps.

There are several essential oils you can use to safely and effectively repel wasps. Peppermint oil on its own has been shown to keep wasps and bees at bay, or you can use a combination of clove, geranium, and lemongrass essential oils as a natural pest control method.

Consider herbs and essential oils:

Wasps don’t like peppermint oil, either, so you can use that as well! You can also plant spearmint, thyme, citronella, eucalyptus and wormwood in your yard or garden to stop wasps from coming in.

During the late summer and early fall, bees and wasps can become even more of a nuisance than in the deceased of summer. The air is getting colder, which means these stinging insects are looking for their last meals before the cold of winter sets in.

In spring and early summer, wasps are attracted to protein foods. Any food left outdoors, such as pet food, picnic scraps, open garbage containers, or uncovered compost piles should be removed or covered. Open cans of pop, fruit juice, fallen apples beneath fruit trees, and other sweet food sources will attract wasps.

Homemade spray: Mix one teaspoon of dish soap with two cups of water and spray this solution on the wasp and wait 10-15 minutes until it dies.

Dryer Sheets – Bees and wasps dislike the scent of dryer sheets. Spread them around the picnic area, give them to guests to put in their pockets or rub the scent on skin and clothing. Hanging them around the picnic area will warn bees and wasps to keep away from the site.

They are also sensitive to vibrations, according to Dr. Golden, an associate professor of allergy and immunology. “They don’t need that much provocation, so if you are running a lawn mower or a hedge trimmer, that can make the whole nest attack you,” he said.

Wasps are generally more active during the warmth of the day. They get less active at night and dusk. So, you are more likely to be attacked by a swarm of wasps when it’s daytime and the workers are out and about and more likely to see you as a potential threat.

So although the morning hours can seem busy, most beekeepers would tell you that the early afternoon is the real deal in terms of hive activity. Conversely, in the evening hours (sometimes as early as 4pm) you can expect bee activity to drop off quite significantly.

While a bee can only sting once because its stinger becomes stuck in the skin of its victim, a wasp can sting more than once during an attack. Wasp stingers remain intact. Unless you‘re allergic, most bee stings can be treated at home.

Spray soapy water at the nest to kill existing wasps, then spray essential oils around your porch to keep them from coming back. Warm, soapy water kills wasps. Fill a backpack hose (the bigger the better) with a dish-soap-slash-water mixture and spray it at the nest.

Clove-Geranium-Lemongrass Oil Blend

You can try applying these oils by mixing several drops of each with water and dish soap in a spray bottle and coating areas on the outside of your home where wasps like to build nests: under eaves, porch roofs, and other ledges and crevices.

Best Spray for Removing Wasp Nests

For a quick knockdown you can spray the wasps you see with a contact eliminate insecticide such as Stryker Wasp & Hornet. It can also be used to eradicate nests that are visible and easily accessible by spraying the nest from a distance.