So, the HOA sent someone out today to remove a paper wasp nest on my patio. From what I can tell, he sprayed something and knocked the nest down. I think he may have stomped on the nest and kicked it into the bushes too (not sure). Now, there are a bunch of wasps circling the place where the nest used to be.
So, will the wasps give it up and go away at some point? Are they going to try and rebuild in the same spot? Thanks.
Yes if enuff weren’t killed they will rebuild. They don’t know if the wind didn’t take it away.
queens start nests and other females build on.
those may just stay confused where things went.
Depends on the exact species, but generally speaking it’s a bit late in the season to rebuild (in the Northern hemisphere, that is). About this time of year the juvenile royalty will take off for greener pastures, the old queen will hole up for the winter, and the workers will begin to die off.
Whether you’ll have a nest in the same location next season depends (again) on the species: some queens rebuild the old nest while others pick a new site. Yellowjackets, the most prevalent ones hereabouts, go elsewhere — which I find comforting since we have a nest under some bushes next to the front porch that has defied everything short of tactical nukes.
Normal fly spray works a treat on paper wasps. They will go for you but if you step backwards while spraying they will hit the ground before they get to you. I have killed dozens of nests that way. It’s best to spray early evening when all the residents are home. That way you dont have the problem of confused displaced wasps returning to wheretheir hime ysed to be.
dont destroy nests during the day.
you should try doing it at night. wasps need sunlight to fly.:eek:
They will fly at night if it’s warm, and especially if their nest is threatened, so don’t assume you are invulnerable to them just because the sun is down.
Thanks for the responses. I’ll just spray any stragglers I see hovering around.
“Eh?” yourself. I wasn’t the one who destroyed the nest.
The BEST way to combat wasp nests is either a propane tiger torch, or good ol’ WD-40 and a lighter, (provided where it is will not flash up instantly in flames.)
Used on a wooden deck, a quick blast of flame won’t even leave a noticeable mark.
The flames will singe the wings of the ones that don’t die instantly, and they will not try to rebuild in the same spot. I’ve done it in an aluminum shed, and they have not seemed to come back for about 4-5 years now.
Used the tiger torch method on a mega-hive on the rooftop of a building I was working on, it was maybe four feet long, ranging from about four to ten inches wide at any given point along it’s length. Started at one end with a quick sweeping motion, I doubt any more than a hundred managed to escape. Scraped the remains off and chucked them in a contractor bag with a shovel, problem solved.
It’s also EXTREMELY satisfying.