Wasp's nesting - how to deter?

[Harry Bloomfield]

The hut has a very large wasp's nest in it again this year, as it has had for the past few years. Other than setting fire to the hut, what would work to deter them from making a new nest next year please?

[Chris Hogg]

Find out where they're coming in and put a fine mesh screen over the hole, or block it completely with e.g. foam filler, this winter. But I guess you've already tried that, as it's a pretty obvious thing to do!

The textbooks will tell you that every nest is started from scratch by a new queen after she's emerged from winter hibernation, and that old nests are just empty shells with no live or active wasps in them. But if you've been getting nests in the same place for several years in succession, something must be attracting them to the site. Do you clear out the old nest every year before the following Spring? It may have a residual smell that attracts a young queen looking for a nest site in Spring. Painting the hut with smelly creosote, Jeys Fluid or diesel may repel them, but will probably repel you as well!

[ss]

"Wasps do not generally return to the same place year after year, however some roofs are favoured for their position and habitat."

I have had for a couple of years wasps trying to build a nest in my shed, I catch them early and use a fly spray, then run like hell. I do this a couple of times when there are few wasps around and it just kills them off and stops the nest building. I think you need to catch them at the beginning of the season before the colony builds up as they are agressive little s....!

[Tim Lamb]

In message , Harry Bloomfield writes

My wife has great faith in the imitation wasps nest hung under our eaves. I think the theory is that the new Queen sees this humungous established nest and decides to try elsewhere.

It didn't work very well this year:-(

They need a source of softened wood to chew up for the nest. Perhaps your hut has reached the appropriate stage of decomposition:-)

I find Nippon nest destroyer effective if the nest is in sight. I also try to kill the young Queens when they feed on the Cotoneaster blossom just outside my office window.

With the funny spring this year, there were lots of alternative food sources so we had several nests.

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[Tim Streater]

Prolly takes them a while to get aggressive. Other day I was emptying the grass box off the lawnmower in a new spot only to see, towards the end of the cut, a number of wasps obviously stacked by ATC as I'd covered the entrance with grass cuttings.

I have killed off a mature nest by using that foam spray stuff from a distance of 10 feet or so, seemed quite safe.

[Tim Streater]

Doesn't need to be that soft does it? They can scrape it off shed doors and suchlike.

[Bob Eager]

We've been free of wasps for the last three years, since we put up a Waspinator.

Not that it proves a great deal!

[Bill]

In message , Chris Hogg writes

The diesel will certainly make setting fire to the hut easier, but may take a bit of explaining to the insurance company. I'm sad to say that both Jeys Fluid and Creosote would both probably attract me, does anyone else like the smell of these?

If you remember take a look at the beginning of next year and try to spot a new nest in the making. We regularly had them in the stable at home and the first time I'd notice them they were only the size of a ping-pong ball and easily destroyed, preferable with the queen at home. Any product with pyrethrin in it does a good job and is harmless to people.

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[Broadback]

3 find that once the wasp nest is established the best thing is to go out after dark and spray with one of the wasp killer products. Has worked a number of times for me with not ill effects, except on the wasps!

[Tim Lamb]

In message , Tim Streater writes

Weathered? They seem particular about which wood will suit.

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[Ian Jackson]

There are several YouTube videos about the Waspinator.

I note that it seems to be something like 'sage green' in colour. I have a garden seat painted sage green, and on a sunny day, it gets covered in loads of small flies. I presume that there's something about that colour that attracts them (possibly their eyes are particularly sensitive to it?). As others (and the videos) have said, the wasps are probably fooled into thinking that there are others already in possession of the territory, so they look elsewhere to build their nest.

[michael adams]

I've had successive wasps's nests in my shed and in my roof space for years now and have never been troubled by them. If there are babies or young children around who might be at risk then obviously things would be different. But I find their nest building activity a source of inspiration myself, same as the did the Chinese with the invention of paper, supposedly.

michael adams

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[www.GymRatZ.co.uk]

Leave the old one in place. Simple.

[Brian-Gaff]

Block every hole with narrow mesh, ie smaller than a wasp. Brian

[Dave Liquorice]

Aye, getting at 'em at the ping pong ball stage is the easiest. Also note the hibernation bit, the queens may well be hibernating in the shed/hut/WHY, a good dose of wasp 'n fly killer a couple of times in the winter will put paid to them.

[Andy Burns]

Not from the same manufacturer as the Moleinator, I presume?

[Tim Lamb]

Umm.. I've found them under the lap on big 6 roof sheets.

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[Tim Lamb]

Look up rodenator pro for the ultimate solution!

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[Dave Liquorice]

If the wasp can get in so can the fly killer. It's pretty toxic stuff, even domestic grade. Give the recomended few seconds spray in the middle of a normal sized room with doors and windows shut and any flys/wasps in there will be dead or dying in 30 mins.

[Ian Jackson]

You used to be able get those adjustable Vapona slow-release devices - but apparently the EU decided they were too effective/useful for domestic purposes.

I have a fair bit of moss on the roof, and in April, the tiny yellow flowers attract the wasps. They then make their way into the loft. To deter them, each spring I used to install three or four Vapona devices in the loft (which would also do for any woodworm in the fly phase of their lives). Several month later, I would replace them. I now have to simulate them by spraying fly/wasp killer onto an opened-up newspaper, and then re-folding the newspaper.

Unfortunately, fly/wasp killer doesn't seem to deter those pesky 'daddy-longlegs' spiders.