How to Handle Wasps in the Wildlife Garden

Paper Wasp Photo by: Jerry A. Payne, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Bugwood.org

Guest post by Debbie Hadley

How to Relocate Wasps in the Wildlife Garden

I received this question from Mike K. in Iowa through the Ask Carole feature:

Carole: Is there any safe way to relocate wasps that are accumulating in a place where I have to mow? I’m conflicted … Raid or possible hospital trip. This nest is above my head which makes it extra tricky. I don’t want to kill them but they could kill me so I don’t like their odds but I’m trying because I know that in a couple weeks it will get cold enough for them to leave. Thanks!

And since I am not a wasp expert, I found an expert to help us answer this question. Debbie Hadley writes the About.com Guide to Insects and graciously consented to write this answer for us.

Vespid wasps – paper wasps, yellowjackets, and hornets – will defend their nests vigorously if disturbed. Wasps can sting multiple times, and pose a serious threat to someone who is allergic to their venom. Unfortunately, wasps often build their nests on homes, decks, and other places near people, making them a nuisance.

Unless a wasp nest is located in an area where there’s a good chance you’ll disturb them, you should leave the wasps be. Vespid wasps are beneficial predators and scavengers that keep pest populations in check in the wildlife garden. They won’t bother you unless you bother them, and they’re doing a lot more good than harm.

In some cases, such as when a wasp nest is near a high traffic area or entrance to your home, you may need to remove the nest. It’s important to know what kind of stinging wasps you’re dealing with before attempting a nest removal. Yellowjackets are the most aggressive of the Vespid wasps, and hornets have rather large colonies that can be challenging to remove.

Regardless of the type of wasps you need to remove from your wildlife garden, you should never attempt to treat or remove a nest during the day. Wasps are most active during the warm, sunny part of the day, and will be much more aggressive in defending their nests then. Wait until dusk or dawn, when the wasps tend to be calmer and less active.

It’s easiest to control wasps early in the summer while the colony is still small. Only the queen survives the winter, and she will begin building a nest and raising a colony in spring. Check for problem wasp nests in June, and remove them before they become too large.

You won’t be able to relocate a wasp nest as you can with honeybee swarms. Wasp control, unfortunately, usually involves destroying the problem wasps. For exposed, aerial nests, you can tie a plastic bag around a wasp nest at night, when the wasps are calm and inside the nest. The wasps will die and the nest can then be safely removed. For ground dwelling yellowjackets, try pouring a solution of dish soap and water down the nest entrance (again, do so at night). The adult yellowjackets will move out, since they don’t like a damp nest.

Artificial wasp traps will not work with paper wasps and hornets, because these insects are predators. You can use a trap with yellowjackets, however, as these insects are scavengers, and are attracted to sugars and meats.

Stinging wasps are most active and most aggressive at the end of the summer, when the colony is at its peak. I would not recommend attempting to remove wasps this late in the year. Remember, only the queen will survive the winter, and the wasps giving you trouble now will be gone in the fall.

If you are allergic to wasp venom, I would strongly discourage you from attempting any kind of wasp control on your own.

Debbie Hadley, About.com Guide to Insects. Debbie writes about insects, spiders, and other arthropods on About.com, where she has been the Guide to Insects since January 2008. She works as a naturalist in her home state of NJ, where she leads wildlife walks and teaches classes on gardening for wildlife. Her own 1-acre organic garden is both a certified Backyard Habitat and Monarch Waystation. Follow @AboutInsects on Twitter

Ask Carole–Have a burning question about your wildlife garden? Or Ecosystem Gardening?  Or habitat gardening for wildlife? Sustainable landscaping? Or attracting more wildlife to your garden? Ask your question here, and I’ll post the answer so that we can all learn more about our wildlife garden.

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