Natural Repellent For Wasps

By

Pattyjm59

This sounds awful, but I am so relieved to read stories of folks like me who are terrified of wasps. I thought that I was the biggest baby in the world (my husband adds to this emotion!) because I too am afraid to even step outside at times, and working in my gardens can be a nightmare! I usually work on them early in the morning or while it is raining, because then the evil little beasts are not active. I came here to see if the fake wasps nests actually work, and have read over and over that yes they do. I am willing to try anything!

I am learning to "live with" the red wasps up to a point, and the mud dabbers don't bother me as much once I found out that they do not sting. But the hornets and yellow jackets - especially the yellow jackets because you don't know where their nests are until you disturb them, and then you'd better be able to outrun them! I hate them! And even though I may end up on PETA's most wanted list, if I knew of a way to kill every yellow jacket and hornet within a 10-mile radius, you can bet I'd do it! Anyway, just wanted to say "thanks all!" because it's nice to know that I am not the only one who is frightened.

I have spent a fortune on Wasp and hornet spray. I had a BAD infestation. I have a garden shed with a Cupola on top. The wasps return every spring and thousands inhabit that Cupola. It is a giant nest. I have tried sealing the cracks between the roof and Cupola but they bore through. I just got a twin pack of BeeFREE. They are big fake paper wasp nests that look like Chinese Lanterns but colored and shaped like beige wasp nests. Wasps and hornets are territorial and if they see an established nest they leave, since they fight to the death. I hung the fake nests under my eves in plain sight and today, NO wasps! They left--seriously! Now I can enjoy my yard!

By

durkink

I just read one persons suggestion to use household bleach as a means of killing wasps. I was stung 3 different times this summer while cleaning my composite deck with bleach water. I was not spraying them, just cleaning the deck. Obviously, they don't like the smell of the bleach water, but in my case, the wasps got angry enough sting. I'm not sure I would recommend this method.

By

SARAH80

I have loads of wasps around my house this year and dare not even open my patio door as they keep flying into it. When its open i can get as many as 6 in my living room at the same time - with a baby and young daughter I just cant risk it. I'm scared to even go and peg my washing out because of them. However, I have been told that 'nippon' works a treat (used to kill ants) it is sweet and they take it back to the nest and kills them all - hooray! It is in liquid form so you just squirt some on a small plastic tray and leave it.

By

rattlesnake28977

I don't know about repellents but a good way to kill them with cheap household products is with regular laundry bleach. It doesn't drop them right away unless you get a good blast on them and soak them with it but it does kill them within a few minutes.

By jesse (Guest Post)

All I can say is buy a can of starting fluid for cars. This will kill any nest or bee, it drops them as soon as they are hit.

By Jerry in CA. (Guest Post)

I found that plain baby powder works better than any bug spray and stays around for months or until it rains. Harmless to humans, great deterrent to buggy bugs of all forms. Ants, fleas, termites, all bugs, will not cross over it, if placed on the floor, near door entries, ant holes, fences, walls, invisible to the eye, but no more bugs, spiders, bees, wasps. Put Powder on your kids hair & skin when camping or at the beach and yourself, in the car, everywhere, it really works. So does garlic and onion plants in your yard, keeps all bug life away, even mosquitoes.

By Monty (Guest Post)

The suggestion to breathe on a bee to repel it, is a bad idea. Discovery had a documentary on killer bees, where they were attempting to determine what it was that caused them to go swarm and attack. Low and behold, it was the human breath that triggered the nasty assault.

By dee (Guest Post)

How about keeping the bees off the hummingbird feeders?

By The Flying Deacon (Guest Post)

I've heard that dryer softening sheets (ie. Bounce) will repel wasps. My sister in law stuffs them into small vases at picnics and it seems to work.

By Noel (Guest Post)

We have a pool outback and as you probably know it needs a lot of attention. I am scared by wasps (which we have plenty of) and they are always flying by me near me ear so I freak out and run inside. I really need to keep the pool in good condition but the wasp are keeping ME from that. We have set up EVERYTHING from bowls to the ones you hang to the fake GIANT wasp nest (it works because if a wasp sees that there is already a nest, it won't built one). And the GIANT nest worked for about 1 or two months-- but it has now been a year or so. PLease help with anything-- I really do enjoy my pool but it's so hard to with them around. Please and thank you.

By Sue (Guest Post)

I'm on the third floor of my college dormitory and there are rather large wasps that try to get in through the side of the screen. There is a small space between the screen and the back pane of the window (the glass doesn't go all the way up because of rust), that they can get through. It gets very hot in the room and my only defense is closing the window which makes things uncomfortable.

Any suggestions how to keep these guys away? I don't know if there is a nest near the window, as the area around my dorm is wood-sy in the first place, so I can't hunt-and-kill. There is also no sill outside the window, so I can't put out any set-ups like bowls. Help, please!

By Mafa Decay (Guest Post)

Low and behold within 30 mins of writing my last post my 3 YO son got stung by a wasp. He seems fine just swelling and puncture hole. Chemist said antihistomine should help.

By Mafa Decay (Guest Post)

P.S. I tried Vinegar and the wasps seemed to like it rather than repel them it attracted more. They were not bothered and even landed in it.

By Mafa Decay (Guest Post)

I am super uber phobic about wasps. I once got stung 9 times by 1 wasp that got down my top when I was a child and I was rather ill, vomiting etc but not allergic (I think) perhaps it was just the amount of venom I had that time. I have since been stung with no major symptoms. I go to pieces when they fly by me and feel the colour drain from my body, my heart pumps fast and I feel faint. I think this is just my adrenaline. Everybody thinks I am a big baby but I can not help myself.

I saturated our window with wasp killer (this was accidental over-kill for one particual wasp) I noticed that upto 2 weeks later any wasp (and some flies) that land there seem to fit and promptly die. So I got two more cans and did all windows.

Today its slightly warmer and there are more wasps than ever indoors and out. With one flying round and landing on me every two minutes or less. My three YO had them on his face but I can not do anything to help. Luckily my partner is not normally phased by them and helps. She also thinks I am a baby but today even she said there are hundreds and are a right pain.

Here is that wasp allergy website for the UK http://www.allergy-clinic.co.uk/wasp_allergy.htm

I need some good solutions and fast as I am staying indoors until winter! Please report back once you try something.

By WASPWATERWARS (Guest Post)

Powerful super soaker water gun. Pump and blast-away the nest, then they will return for more. Give them more. And more and more, to let them know this will not stop till there is a shortage of water and your time!
(This is a non lethal war over territory, a human should win!)
No poison mix.Just h20 and pump pressure, with good aim and cover.Lol!

By Anne (Guest Post)

Dave; I think you may have "dirt dobbers" cause they build mud like nests.

We have them all over the south. They don't sting and are harmless.

By Dave (Guest Post)

Noticed a wasp building a nest in the corner of my front doorframe, and I used the Clorox spray bottle approach while he was out collecting materials.

It is working like a charm so far. He came back with a new glob to add on, could obviously smell it (his little antenna were going furiously), flew off hoping when he came back it'd be different, no banana, repeated this about 10 more times, and then left permanently. The Clorox was like a force field. Really neat to watch.

It's a weird mud-like nest he's building. Doesn't look like the papery stuff I'm used to. Not sure what kind of duder he is, but he has a long, super darn skinny bit attaching his abdomen to his head.

By Lab Tech (Guest Post)

Use Malathion & Sevin. These are minimally toxic & work great.

By Sherry L (Guest Post)

Victor Poison Free Wasp & Hornet Killer or Soap water in a sprayer works.
SL