Can I get Rid of a Wasps Nest Myself
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- 01-11-2021
If you notice a wasps nest on your property, you may be considering: can I get rid of a wasp nest myself? We look at DIY wasp nest removal and why hiring a professional may be the right choice.
Wasps are some of the nastiest insects you can have the displeasure of finding in nature. They sting, they buzz about and are an all-around nuisance that you are going to want gone as soon as possible. You might even get the idea to just remove the nest yourself. In theory, it's simple to get rid of wasps, just take a bat or long stick and destroy the nest or use some sort of pesticide that kills wasps and spray it.
That would be a grave mistake. Under no circumstances would we advise you to get rid of a wasp nest by yourself. While individual wasps are not a serious threat to a human so long as you are not allergic to them, large numbers of wasps can repeatedly sting you, and even if you are not allergic to them, a swarm of wasps can grievously injure or even kill a fully grown adult.
When a wasp nest detects a threat, such as being hit with a stick, the wasps inside will inevitably swarm out and attack en masse, and this outcome is to be avoided at all costs.
Therefore if you want to get rid of wasp nests, it's important you search for a professional to perform the wasp nest removal for you. Professional pest controllers have extensive training and experience in handling problems like these safely and effectively. They also have access to equipment and pesticides that are far more effective at dealing with the nest.
DIY wasp nest removal
Regardless of the risks involved, you may end up deciding to attempt a DIY wasp removal anyway. If that's the case, then understand that there is a right and a wrong way to go about doing this, and the right way involves a lot of forethought and planning.
When removing a wasp nest, safety is paramount. Whether you are allergic or not, wasp stings are quite painful and, in large enough numbers, are enough to cause serious damage to you or even death. That's why some precautionary measures are necessary, such as ensuring you wear protective clothing and an escape route for if things go wrong.
Ensure the clothing covers all of your exposed skin, in particular your face. Goggles are a good idea to protect your eyes. It is also a good idea to perform the wasp nest removal at night as wasps are typically more docile by then and are less likely to sting you.
When you are ready, you can follow the steps below:
- Quietly, so as not to alert the wasps, approach the nest at night while they are less aggressive.
- Carefully cover the wasp nest in a bin liner.
- Detach the wasp nest from whatever it is attached to.
- Use a can of insecticide to spray the nest inside the bag before sealing it shut.
- Put the bin bag with the nest inside into a bin or some other container that has a lid that you can seal tightly. It's best if this is some distance away from your house.
If you have followed all five steps correctly, then you have most likely dealt with your wasp problem. You may still have gotten stung, but now all that's left is to wait for the wasps to die, which can take quite a while, even months, depending on circumstances.
Is removing a wasp nest necessary?
It may seem like common sense that to deal with a wasp problem, you should strike at their nest, but in reality, that is not the case.
Destroying a wasp nest without killing the wasps is not only an ineffective solution that will simply result in the wasps making another one, but it is also potentially dangerous.
When a wasps nest is destroyed before the colony is killed off, it mainly just makes the wasps mad and more likely to sting anyone and anything.
Therefore when dealing with a wasp nest, all you need to do is kill the wasps themselves. Leaving the nest itself alone is fine if you want too as other colonies of wasps will not recolonise it.
Best ways to get rid of a wasp nest
It may seem cliché, but the best method of removing a wasp nest is to pick up the phone and call an exterminator. Dealing with a wasp nest is simply the kind of job that is best left to the professionals as there is a lot that can go wrong with the removal otherwise. Not only are exterminators trained and experienced in wasp removal, but they also have access to professional-grade equipment.
This sort of equipment includes full-body protection suits that have respiratory protection included, as well as chemical solutions far more powerful and effective than anything available to the general public.
How to get rid of a wasp nest in the roof
The roof is often a difficult area to access, and using a ladder while being assaulted by wasps can be dangerous.
Therefore the best way to remove such nests is by using tools that extend your reach or by using smoke or gas-based pesticides such as a wasp smoke bomb.
How to get rid of a wasp nest in a bush
For those pesky wasp nests camouflaged in your shrubbery, a spray should be your weapon of choice.
There are a variety of commercially sold sprays that are designed to kill wasps quickly. Simply coat the nest by blasting it from a safe distance and if that doesn't work, spray it some more.
How to get rid of a wasp nest in a loft
The enclosed space of a loft is a wasp nests greatest strength but also its greatest weakness. While the relative inaccessibility of the loft will make methods such as sprays harder to use, it's perfect for something like a wasp smoke bomb.
Simply set one off in the enclosed space, and so long as there are no holes for the gas to escape, the nest should be sufficiently fumigated to get the job done.
How to get rid of a wasp nest in an air brick
An air brick makes the wasp nest tricky to reach, but there are powder-based pesticides that are well suited for this job.
Wasp killing powder duster and either apply the pesticide powder directly to the nest if possible or to the entry points the wasps are travelling through.
How NOT to remove a wasp nest
If, for whatever reason, you decide to act against our advice and attempt to remove the wasp nest yourself, either for monetary or other reasons, then we implore you to read on and learn what not to do.
Burning a wasp nest
One of the first things you might think of to remove a wasp nest is to kill it with fire. This is a bad idea for two reasons.
Firstly, the material that wasps build their nests out of is made from chewed up wood pulp. This thin, paper-like construction is therefore extremely flammable and can be a serious fire hazard if you light it up.
Assuming you can control the spread of the fire, this method might seem like it could be effective then. It will certainly destroy the nest after all. That might be the case if it weren't for the second issue.
Burning the wasp's nest doesn't kill all the wasps. In fact, it only serves to make the surviving wasps even angrier and even more aggressive than they already were.
These aggravated wasps will likely spread out into a wider area to forage and, in doing so, will end up stinging more people.
Water
So fire is a bad idea. If fire doesn't work, then what about its opposite, water? Funnily enough, the same problems that would occur with using fire apply to using water to destroy the nest as well.
Flooding a wasp nest is possible, but doing so will most likely cause damage to your property as well, depending on where the nest is located.
Plus, while wasps can drown pretty easily, flooding their nest is only going to drown a few of them. The rest are simply going to get mad and end up stinging you and everyone else in the vicinity, too, purely out of spite.
Destroying with a bat
So with fire and water not being effective DIY solutions to your wasp problems, what else is there that comes to mind? If you are thinking of taking a bat or some other blunt or bladed instrument, then allow us to stop you right there.
The only more dangerous and less effective method of removing a wasp nest than using a bat would be to crush the wasp nest with your hands like some sort of furless bear. In general, any DIY removal solution that takes you close to the wasp nest is a bad idea.
Wasps are easily agitated in general, but close to their nest, they get territorial, and you will almost definitely be getting stung on approach, let alone by the time you take the first swing.
Wasps may be small and annoying, but it's important they be treated with the respect and caution they deserve. If you absolutely must remove a wasp nest by yourself, then at the very least, do not do any of the things listed above.
Are you looking for wasp nest removal in Bedfordshire or Hertfordshire? Our wasp pest control experts offer nest removal services for Milton Keynes, Stevenage and the surrounding areas. To learn more about our wasp pest control and nest removal, feel free to follow the links below.