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How to Exterminate Wasps From Walls

Tim Anderson
Wasps are pesky bugs that need to be eliminated if they invade your home.

Wasps are, for the most part, harmless insects that are nothing more than a nuisance to human beings, with the exception being if a person is allergic to their sting. As a general rule, they won’t bother people unless they are threatened. However, if you are faced with wasps that have set up a base of operations in your home, it becomes a battle of turfs. As much as a spider’s nest is off-limits for wasps, so is your home. It’s best to remove wasp nests as soon as they become evident, to keep them from growing too large.

Step 1

Determine the location of the wasp nest. If it is not clearly visible on the exterior of the home, look for cracks or holes where the wasps are entering/exiting the building as this will be near the actual nest.

Step 2

Wait for nightfall. Wasps are less active at night and are sluggish in cooler weather. Put on your safety gear and clothing. Cover the lens of a flashlight with red tape as science shows that wasps cannot see red light.

Step 3

Drill a hole near the entry where you saw the wasps entering. Alternatively, do not drill a hole if the entry hole is large enough. Use the red-tape flashlight to peer into the hole to ensure you can see and have access to the actual nest.

Step 4

Insert the tip of the powder insecticide container into the hole. Direct it toward the nest and squeeze the trigger. Coat the entire nest and area around it by moving the tip in a circular motion during squeezing. Cover the entry/exit with tape and wait 24 hours.

Step 5

Repeat the process the following night to ensure that you have killed all the wasps. Patch the entry/exit hole with caulking when you are sure no more wasps exist. Alternatively, remove the wall paneling or cut out the drywall around the wasp nest and remove the nest completely, if you don’t mind a remodel job.

Tip

Insect sprays are best reserved for small nests on the exterior of the home or individual wasps inside the home. The best choice for dispersal and removal of larger nests inside the walls or eaves of the home is a powder-based insecticide.

Warning

Hornet and yellow jacket nests should be left to the pros as they are far more aggressive and dangerous than wasps.

Warning

If you are allergic to wasp stings, do not attempt to remove a wasp nest. Instead, call a professional.