Annoying Bees/Wasps

It is important to read labels and warnings before using any chemical around your house and/or children and pets. There are many brands on the market that claim to eradicate wasps, bees, and hornets. 

Spectracide is found on Amazon and a few select home & garden stores should carry it. It should be used when children and pets are not around but has great reviews and a jet spray of 27 ft which is good because you would want to be able to be as far away from the nest as possible when spraying as they could become aggressive and attack. You can buy it here.

Raid is a trusted brand with an excellent product for killing wasps/hornets and bees, but it isn't safe to use around pets and children. It has excellent reviews and Raid is available at most retail stores like Target and Walmart.

If the bee/or wasp problem is beyond an occassional couple of bees/or wasps flying around the garden and it has become difficult to go about your day-to-day activities without having to fend them off and/or you've already removed the nest but they keep returning and rebuilding, it might be time to call a professional bee/wasp removal service. It would be the safest and most efficient option to get rid of them once and for all.

Terminix has over 865 locations worldwide and offers bee/wasp removal/extermination services. Find an exterminator here.

Bees and wasps are highly attracted to the colors light blue and yellow. If you are planning on being outside for any length of time try to avoid wearing light blue and yellow.

Also, it might be a good idea to keep a neutral beige/white colored apron near the front door/or inside the garden shed so that you can just grab it and throw it on over your clothes. For example check out this one.

Don't wear perfume/or fragrance including lotion and scented deodorant. Bees and wasps are attracted to things that smell like flowers, so don't smell like one!

Bees and wasps are heavily attracted to sugary drinks and foods such as fruit and baked goods.

If you're having a picnic make sure to keep food covered, e.g. with those lids, and when you're finished make sure to store it (i.e. cooler) or throw it away.

Wasps and yellow jackets are very territorial and do NOT like competition in what they view as their 'neck of the woods'. If you install a fake nest near an existing nest, the wasps will likely leave and find another spot to build. 

Installing a fake nest at the tail end of winter in a location where wasps will likely build their nest would also be a great way to deter wasps from building their nest.

Fake nests are easy to make with a brown paper bag and some string/twine. Crunch up the bag and wrap the twine around it securing it to anything from a tree branch to a rain gutter. Make sure the bag is visible enough to be seen by the wasps going in/out of their nest. See how to create one:

There are also fake nests that can be purchased online. There are a variety of nests, including nests made out of reusable glass containers and disposable paper. See this one.

At the end of spring and the beginning of the summer wasps are looking for protein. They are attracted to meat (i.e. burgers, hot dogs, etc.) and other smaller bugs. They bring this food (protein source) back to their nest to feed to the larvae. The larvae excrete sugar which the older wasps then feed on. As summer turns to fall, the larvae are now feeding on their own and are not excreting sugar for the older wasps to eat. The older wasps then go out and are seeking sugar sources instead of protein. 

Using the above information should help you to determine which kind of bait you should use if you decide to try out a wasp catcher like the one found here. 

Note: This method will rarely work on bumble bees/carpenter bees and that's actually a good thing because bees are beneficial for pollination and it is best to attempt to avoid and/or relocate instead of kill.

This method of getting rid of annoying wasps is considered 'old-fashioned' but it is appealing to some because it doesn't use toxic chemicals and it is effective. If you are possibly allergic to bee/wasp stings, this method isn't for you. 

 -Locate the nest. 

- Put on protective clothing (long sleeves, pants tucked into socks, etc.)

 -Wait until its night/dark outside and dump a bucket of boiling water (add some dish soap!) onto the nest.

 -Wait 48-72 hours before you do it again. At this point the nest is destroyed and the wasps are either dead or have relocated.

Note: This method isn't recommended by many professionals, however, if you are brave enough to try it, make sure to have protective clothing on AND have a first aid kit nearby.

If you find you have wasps inside your house, you need to find out which room they're finding an entrance in. Get an old jelly jar/mason jar and fill it with water and jelly or mix honey and water. Leave the jar open in the room and close the door. The wasps should be attracted to the scent and get stuck in the mixture when they fly over to investigate. This may need to be done a couple times and the entrance the wasps/bees are getting into--needs to be sealed off with some type of caulking/drywall repair. 

See video tutorial here: