Hobbies And Interests
Instructions
The Natural Methods
Clean your front and back yards of any food sources for the red wasp. If you barbecue in your backyard and leave the bits and pieces from the meat juices in the bottom tray of your grill, it's an open invitation to wasps of all sorts to pay you a visit. Close and seal garbage cans as the sugary smell of empty jelly jars and soda bottles advertises a free dessert.
Caulk up any cracks around windowsills, repair torn screens and check the soffits, which are the panels that are used to seal off the roof crawl space area from the outside. If any are missing, replace them immediately. Keep in mind, though, that if the nest is already up in that crawl space, you will need to eliminate the nest before you block their only escape out of your house. They will find a new one and will often be driven further into your house to get there.
Create or purchase a "fake" wasp nest. These act on the wasps' natural instincts to avoid large areas around other wasp nests, usually 20 feet. Papier-mache and some light gray paint can help the DIY crowd. Just make sure you don't leave an opening in the nest for an actual colony to move in.
The Chemical Methods
Watch for the flying patterns of the red wasps, especially in the early morning and at night. If in the early morning you see the wasps flying in a straight line, they are likely headed immediately from their nest. Note the general direction they are coming from and wait until early evening. Follow them if you can to locate the nest. Once you find it, hose it down with the industrial strength wasp killer with a spray distance of at least 20 feet. Do not stand directly under the nest while spraying. They will die quickly, but will still be able to sting until they are dead.
Spray some Cyzmic CS or Cyper WP in the areas you have seen the wasps congregate. If you cannot locate their nest, the next best alternative is to spray an area you have seen them in and let them take the poison back to the nest for you.
Dust your lawn areas with some Delta Dust to get rid of the species of red wasp that burrows into the ground.
The Trap Methods
Use a commercially produced red wasp trap. These are often for sale at a grocery store or at a home and garden stores. Hang the traps in early spring to capture the newly hatched red wasps that are just beginning to build nests.
Create a do it yourself red wasp trap. Cut the top fourth of a two-liter bottle off. Fill the bottom portion of the bottle with a mixture of soap and water. Spread some sweetened jelly or jam onto the outside of the screw cap opening in the bottle and invert it, into the bottom half of the bottle.
Tape the inverted top to the bottom portion and set it out away from your house. The wasp will fly in when it smells the jelly and will not be able to find its way out. Empty the contents every other day.