Using homemade natural wasp killer spray or trap remains the safest and best means of controlling (or getting) rid of hornets, red wasps, ground wasps, and yellow jackets.
Here is a quick cheap yet effective way of killing wasps:
Materials needed: Large bowl, 1/4 to 1/2 cup, plus 2 tablespoons, liquid dish soap, 2 cups sugar, Clean, 16-ounce spray bottle, Scissors (optional), Wisk or stirring utensil, Clean, 2-liter, plastic, soda bottle, 2 cups apple cider vinegar and Heavy string (optional).
Directions:
- Mix 2 cups of sugar with 2 cups of apple vinegar in a water solution, in a large bowl.
- Stir or mix until the sugar is dissolved. The solution attracts the wasps.
- Add in 1/4 to 1/2 cup of liquid dish soap to the mix, then stir gently, preventing bubbles.
- Pour 4 cups of the mix into a clean, 2-litter, plastic soda bottle.
The leftover should be poured into a 16-ounce spray bottle, and you add in 2 tablespoons of liquid dish soap plus 1/2 water till it is full.
The 2-liter plastic soda bottle should be placed on the ground where wasps can easily get them.
Note: The area should be one that humans less visit and you can tie a heavy string around the bottle’s neck, and use the string to hang the bottle from a tree branch, railing or fence post.
The soda bottle’s cap needs to be off so wasps will be attracted to the mixture in the bottle.
Once the present mixture becomes overcrowded with dead wasps and is no longer effective, you’ll need to replace the wasp trap’s mixture.
Keep the spray bottle containing the mix with you as you work in your home and yard. Spray the wasps with the mixture as needed.
I also recommend spraying small nests that appear on and near your home, roof, deck, shed, or garage. Saturate the wasps and their nests thoroughly with the mixture until the wasps stop moving.
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Best Homemade Wasp Killer
Need more homemade wasp and bee killer ideas? Read on!
Non-Lethal Options
The methods described here will repel wasps from your home without necessarily ending the life of the intruders.
I know this sounds funny, but do you know that a bald-faced hornets’ nest looks like an inflated brown paper bag? Haha.
The trick here is to fool them by hanging an inflated bag up high in your building. The incoming hornet would think an honest is already inhabiting the space and would stay away.
See also When Is the Best Time to Spray Wasp Nest? FIND OUT!
A brown paper bag can keep some wasp species and other flying insects off your property. It worked for me and it can work for you.
How to Repel Wasps with a Paper Bag
- Inflate the brown paper bag and tie off the end to maintain a full shape.
- Hang the bag up high. That’s all!
What You’ll need.
- Standard brown paper lunch bag
- String or another item for hanging
This my friend is an easy natural wasp repellent!
Wasps detest the smell of peppermint oil. This is great news for us, especially people who like to use essential oils to make their home smell great!
This non-lethal solution can be sprayed on a wasp to drive them away without necessarily harming them.
What You’ll Need
- 1 tsp peppermint oil
- 4 cups of water
How to use Peppermint Oil to drive Wasp Away
- You should create a mixture of water and peppermint oil in a spray bottle.
- Slip-on protective clothing – wear a long-sleeved shirt and long pants tucked into your socks.
- Once it’s night, attack the nest by spraying thoroughly.
- Do this every day until the wasps become frustrated and abandon their nest.
It only took two days to chase mine off, haha.
If the peppermint oil spray fails in your case, then using other essential oils might work for you.
Like the oil recipe above, this solution should repel wasps without causing them any harm.
What You’ll need:
- 1 tsp geranium essential oil
- 1 tsp clove oil
- 1 tsp lemongrass oil
- 6 cups of water
How to Use Essential Oils to Keep Wasps Away
- Place all of the ingredients in a spray bottle, then cover and shake.
- Wear protective clothing, and only invade their homes when the wasps are sleepy, after dark.
- Approach the nest, and spray the nest thoroughly.
- Repeat this daily until the wasps abandon the nest.
My friend, Gina, said it only took 8 hours for the intruders to exit their homes.
This method of keeping wasps off your property is over-effective.
Why? Because if a wasp nest falls, the wasp inhabiting it will abandon it. Although there’s a good chance they will change locations to avoid similar issues in the future.
How to Knockdown a Wasp Nest
- Again, make sure you have protective clothing on.
- Approach the nest at night
- Stand at least 20 feet from the nest. Adjust the sprayer to shoot a single solid stream.
- Aim at the base of the nest, where it is attached to the house.
- The nest would soften and fall in a short amount of time.
Pro Tip: Only attempt this if you have adequate space to work and an exit route in case the wasps give chase.
Stand at least 20 feet from the nest. Adjust the sprayer to emit a single solid stream. Aim at the base of the nest, where it attaches to the house. The nest should soften and fall in a short amount of time.
See also Do Wasps have a Queen like Bees?!
Lethal Ways to Kill Wasps Safely
If you must kill the wasps in your house, here are some amazing home-remedy options for a natural wasp killer.
Lemon extract home recipe for wasps does not harm you, your pets or even the environment.
It is 100% eco-friendly and works amazingly well.
What You’ll Need
- 3 tbsp lemon extract
- 1 cup of water
How to Use Lemon to Kill Wasps
- Mix all ingredients in a plastic spray bottle
- Wear protective clothing
- Visit and spray the nests at night, when the wasps are slow and sluggish.
- Whichever wasp the solution hits will die, and the ones that smell it will exit the nest.
This is a great way to deter wasps from you or any area where you don’t want to see them.
To dilute the spray and make it non-lethal, simply reduce the extract amount to 1 tablespoon.
You can also spray the diluted mixture on any surface you want to keep wasp-free.
You can get rid of wasps by making a DIY Wasp Trap Recipe:
- Empty 2-liter plastic soda bottle
- ¼ cup of sugar
- A dollop of jam
- 1 cup of warm water
How to Build Your Own Wasp Traps
- Take away the top third of the plastic bottle.
- Smear a dollop of jam on the inside bottom of the bottle, spi=rinkle the sugar over the jam, and pour the water over both.
- Next, flip the top third of the bottle upside down, and fit in the lower two-thirds of the bottle, and secure the pieces together using tape or staples.
- Wasps will drop down to feed on the sweet bait and will trip into the water.
- Optionally, you can use apple cider vinegar/sugar mix in place of water and jam. If your local wasps aren’t taking the bait, try baiting a trap with cat food and water.
- Some wasp species prefer a high-protein diet to sweet food.
This trap works. You’ve gotta try it!
Sometimes, it is best to drown the wasp nest.
How to drown a Wasp nest
- Maintain a safe distance
- Turn on a hose=end sprayer
- Douse the nest plenty of times every 30 minutes.
- Stay alert as any resident will attempt to chase you off
It is a quick yet effective method of controlling a wasp invasion.
Using a plastic bag to suffocate the inhabitants of the nest gets rid of the problem once and for all.
How to Suffocate a Wasp Nest
- Use a heavy-duty plastic bag to avoid punctures and tears.
- Carefully secure the bag around the nest
- Seal it fully using industrial-strength duct tape.
- Ensure the nest is sealed for at least a day.
- You should only attempt to place the bag in the night when the wasps have quieted down and are less active.
- Remember to always have your protective clothing on.
This method should kill all the wasps and allow you to remove the nest.
Soapy water is an excellent homemade wasp spray. It’s quick and easy to make.
See also How Long Can a Wasp Survive Without Food/Water? FIND OUT!
I prefer it to commercial wasp sprays.
What You’ll Need
- 1 cup of water
- ½ tbsp of liquid dish soap, such as Dawn or Palmolive
How to use Soapy Water to kill Wasps
- Pour water into a spray bottle.
- Add in the dish soap and close the bottle.
- Shake real hard
- Spray any wasps you come across.
The soap weighs them down and cuts off oxygen so these stink bugs can die.
You can use soapy water to take care of your wasp problem, at the nest levels.
What You’ll Need
- 2-liter bottle of water
- 2 tbsp liquid dish soap, such as Dawn or Palmolive
How to Use Soapy Water on Wasp Nest
- Get a bucket and mix in both soap and water.
- Stir and once ready, pour the soapy water onto the nest.
- As always, remember to slip on your protective clothing before carrying out the nest attack.
You can even add in bleach to make it more potent
What You’ll Need
- 5 hot Chilli peppers
- 5 Garlic Cloves
- 5 Tablespoons of Vegetable Oil
- 5 Tablespoons of White Vinegar
- 5 Cups of water.
How to use Peppermint to kill Wasps
- Mix them all and boil for two minutes
- Strain
- Use as needed
You can spray directly on the wasps or areas inhabited.
How to Prevent Wasp Infestations
The best action you can take now is to prevent wasps from making nests in your home.
Here are some preventive actions you can take especially during the summer and spring months:
Repair any damaged surface of your home.
You should get rid of any source of food that might attract wasps into your home.
Leftover pet foods are easy attractants for wasp.
You need to cover the garbage cans and harvest fruits from many trees in your yard so they do not fall and serve as food sources for wasps.
Smells such as colognes and perfumes, or floral patterns clothing may mistakenly attract wasps because they think of them as nectar.
So, always wear shoes when you venture out.
Take special precautions if you have birdhouses on your property.
Seal under the roof with aluminum foil or rub some common bar soap to avoid nests in that area.
You can use a fake nest to serve as a distraction for the wasps since they think of it as a real nest of other wasps and tend to avoid them.
Use wasp-deterrent products to keep wasps out of your yard.
Flying insects and wasps are real pains to deal with, as most of us already know. We hope this guide has been helpful in helping you gain the confidence required to get rid of any wasps and take back your home.