Buzz
Yellow wasps are flying insects with stingers that build nests both above and below the ground. You can prevent these pests by eliminating food sources that may attract them, such as uncovered trash bins, sugary drinks, and overripe fruit that has fallen in the garden. Try to stop yellow wasps from nesting around your home and destroy any active nests you come across using insecticide.
Steps
Preventing Wasps from Accessing Food Sources
Use sturdy trash bins with tightly sealed lids. Household waste often attracts yellow wasps in search of food rich in protein and sugar. Always keep outdoor trash bins securely covered. Each bin should have a solid lid that shuts tightly to prevent wasps from getting inside.
- Trash areas should have heavy-duty spring-loaded doors to remain securely closed at all times.
- Avoid overfilling trash bins outside, as this will prevent proper sealing. If necessary, consider getting more bins.
Clear Fallen, Overripe Fruit from the Base of Trees. Your home is more vulnerable to yellow wasps and other insects if you have fruit trees planted in your yard. Regularly check your fruit trees and remove any overripe or rotting fruit. Collect fallen fruit around the base of the trees and dispose of it immediately.
- Place discarded fruit in sealed plastic bags to prevent attracting yellow wasps.
Bury Food Scraps for Compost at Least 7.5 cm Deep. Avoid placing fruit or vegetable scraps directly on top of the compost pile's surface, as the moisture from the scraps can attract yellow wasps. Instead, cover them with a few centimeters of brown composting material to seal the scraps. Materials such as dry leaves, wood chips, straw, dry grass, or shredded cardboard can be used for this purpose.
- To keep yellow wasps and other pests away, it's best to compost in a container rather than leaving it in an open pile.
Use a Covered Cup While Drinking Outdoors. Yellow wasps are often attracted to many types of beverages, especially sugary drinks like soda or fruit juices. To prevent these insects from flying into your drink, use a cup with a lid. Be sure to dispose of your cup right after use to avoid attracting wasps.
- You could be stung on the lip if a yellow wasp flies into a drink can you're using.
Prevent Wasps from Nesting
Fill Holes Dug by Rodents to Prevent Yellow Wasps from Nesting There. Unlike other flying insects, yellow wasps sometimes build their nests underground. To prevent this, thoroughly check for any gaps in the ground caused by burrowing animals or pets. Fill these holes with soil and compact them tightly to seal them off.
- Underground yellow wasp nests can be dangerous, as even simple tasks like lawn mowing can provoke an attack.
Seal Gaps Leading into Your Home with Caulking Material to Keep Wasps Out. Inspect the exterior of your house for cracks, gaps, or wear, as yellow wasps and other insects can squeeze through small openings to enter and build nests inside. Use a caulking gun to seal any cracks, holes, or fissures around your home. Hold the gun at a 45-degree angle and squeeze the trigger to apply caulk to the necessary spots.
- Acrylic caulk is ideal for holes smaller than 0.6 cm, but larger gaps should be sealed with polyurethane caulk.
- You may need to call a pest control expert if your home has already been invaded by yellow wasps.
Hang a Fake Wasp Nest to Deter Yellow Wasps. Wasps are territorial and typically will not build a nest within about 100 meters of an existing wasp nest. You can purchase a fake wasp nest at a hardware store and hang it in a visible spot near your house to scare away yellow wasps and other types of hornets.
- Choose a durable, weatherproof fake wasp nest.
Eliminate Yellow Wasps
Find and Destroy Small Wasp Nests in Late Spring or Early Summer. Yellow wasp nests begin to form at the end of spring or early summer when the queen starts creating small nests for new worker wasps. You can prevent this by locating these small nests hanging under eaves, railings, entryways, and corners around the house. Wear gloves or use a long stick to pull the nest down and crush it immediately to destroy the eggs inside.
- The queen is the only member of the colony to move during late spring and early summer.
- Once the nests have developed and worker wasps begin to emerge, it can be dangerous to destroy them this way.
- Yellow wasp nests are round, papery, and have a small entrance at the bottom.
Spray Cabaryl Pesticide at the Entrance of an Underground Wasp Nest at Dusk. It's best to treat a wasp nest at dusk when the wasps are less active. Sprinkle cabaryl, a powder pesticide, on a piece of cloth or an old paintbrush. Gently apply the pesticide around the entrance at the bottom of the nest, being careful not to block it.
- Avoid shaking the nest, as this could provoke the wasps to fly out and attack.
- Yellow wasps will come into contact with the pesticide as they enter and exit the nest and will ingest it while grooming themselves.
- The process of completely destroying the nest may take about 5 days.
- To protect yourself when approaching the nest, wear protective clothing such as a high-neck suit, long sleeves, gloves, and a head net or scarf.
- Cabaryl pesticide can be purchased online or at stores that sell pest control products.
Pour Diazinon Pesticide into Underground Wasp Nests and Cover with Soil. Approach the yellow wasp nest in your garden at dusk. Carefully pour liquid pesticide into the nest entrances. Quickly cover the opening with a shovel of soil to prevent the wasps from climbing out.
- Diazinon can be purchased at stores selling pest control products.
Do not crush yellow wasps, as this will provoke other hornets to attack. Avoid harming yellow wasps when you encounter them. Instead, move away or stay still as they approach and wait for them to fly away.
Use Non-toxic Hornet Traps to Eliminate Yellow Wasps Without Chemicals. Fill the water compartment of a hornet trap with an attractive liquid like sugar water or soda. Exhausted yellow wasps will be drawn to the trap as they search for food and will become trapped. Clean and replace the trap every few days to dispose of the insects.
- You can purchase non-toxic hornet traps at garden centers, home goods stores, or online.
- At least four traps are needed to handle one yellow wasp nest.
- Since the bait attracts wasps, place the traps at least 6 meters away from frequently used areas.
Make Your Own Wasp Trap Using a Large Plastic Soda Bottle. Open the soda bottle cap and cut off the tapered top of the bottle. Invert the top and fit it back into the bottom of the bottle. Fill half of the bottle with soda, sugar water, or another liquid that attracts wasps.
- The hornets will fly into the trap and struggle to escape, eventually falling into the liquid and drowning.
- Regularly replace the liquid and clean the trap to dispose of the trapped insects.
Tips
- Cold weather is typically enough to wipe out an entire yellow wasp nest, after which you can destroy the nest.
- Yellow wasps are actually beneficial to gardens as they feed on other pests, such as caterpillars.
- Be patient when a yellow wasp lands on you, as it will only sting if provoked. The wasp will fly away within a few seconds.
Warning
- Remove any hummingbird feeders – which mostly contain sugar water – if you are dealing with a yellow wasp problem.
- Avoid wearing bright clothing in areas with many yellow wasps, as it may attract them.
- Other insect repellents may actually attract yellow wasps.
- Don't apply excessive perfume, hairspray, or deodorant when heading to areas with yellow wasps, as wasps are attracted to sweet smells.
