Wasps in veggie garden. Nest VERY near garden, what do I do?

Question

Previously asked about wasps & bees being in my veggie garden, I got some very good answers. Best said that I want the bees, but get rid of the wasps - they are eating my plants. To use raid on the nest to kill & get rid of them. I went out to find the nest & it's right above the left hand corner of the garden on the outside corner of the garage. This is literally right above the garden, so if I spray that area some of the raid will get into the garden - will that harm my garden? Also, When I go out to water the garden their are sometimes at least 20-30 wasps in the garden and they all start flying around because of my spraying the water, is it true about them having a sensory type thing to where if I was to spray raid onto the nest the ones from the garden will now and come after me? What is the best way to handle this? I can't even go into my garden to get my veggies, de-weed, & sometimes their are so many I can't even water. Hoping for solution that doesn't involve xterminator & $.

Answer 1

Buy the Raid that is made for wasps and bees. It will shoot a stream 15 to 20 feet so you don't have to get up close and personal with them. You can buy it at Home Depot. Wait until almost dark or get up early in the morning and all the wasps should be on the nest.

Answer 2

In the late evening wasps are less active than during the day.

Get a "Wasp" spray and spray into the opening to the nest.

Also you can try the fake nest thing. Wasps are territorial and will move if there is another wasp nest in their area, I know that sounds weird but it works for us.

You may be able to buy a fake nest and your local big box store, but small paper bags work well.

Get two or more brown paper bags the size of the take out bags from the fast food outlets. Stuff the bags with plastic grocery bags to keep them filled out then tie them up around your garden with at least on close to the existing nest. Do this just before dark and see what happens over the next few days. You may be surprised.

Good luck.

Answer 3

Call a professional exterminator.

Answer 4

O.K...wasps are never fun, but stop with the raid!! It won't work any way!!    And yes it will make the stuff in your garden toxic....I just tend to think this way when working with stuff that's going to go on my table:  "would YOU drink the stuff coming out of the can?? "

Also....if you are spraying and it hits the plants down wind from your nest....don't you think it will kill the bees that land there to pollinate those plants as well??  And they didn't do anything to you.....  O.K., O.K......I may be stuck in the organic groove, but.....there are a lot of ways to handle wasps that are better for YOU; better for your GARDEN, and better for anyone/thing/body that enters your yard; now or in the future....

Let's get a couple things straightened out first:    

Wasps don't eat your plants.  

In fact, they, too, can be benificial as they are carnivorous.   They love aphids and other small leaf borers!

During the larval stage, they are parasitic and usually only consume their host; and during their adult stage, they consume nectar; just like the bumble bees.  (you know...the things you DO want in your garden!)



They can and will consume juices from fruits and veggies that have already been damaged or have started to rot on the vine though, so when you see them perched on a brown, squishy end of a tomato or pepper: they didn't cause it; they are just benifiting from your misfortune.

Now: how to get rid of them so you can enjoy your garden.

Depending on the type: and from what you've said you have the "social" wasp, there will be a bunch of them in the nest.....a WHOLE bunch!!  I've taken to knocking them down with the pressure washer, (from a distance) so.....the reason they are swarming around when you do your thing with the hose is that they know that water will take out their home.  They get very, very angry.....just like elmer fudd!!

I knock them down, run like heck, and then just keep watering it down until the queen figures out that you mean business and leaves the nest.  If the queen doesn't leave; they won't leave!!  Then take the empty nest and burn it.  Now....they will keep trying to re-build it in the same spot: let's face it; there was something about it that made it an attractive "neighborhood".....like an overhang that protected from the rain, and on the side of the building that gets the least wind......sound familiar??  

Just keep knocking  it out/down and drowning them out before the whole neighborhood moves in!  Now I have looked at something: but never tried it......it's called "The Waspinator"...it makes sense, but never having used it; I'm not vouching for it...and no...I didn't invent it, don't get residual payments, etc.....

http://www.treehelp.com/itemdesc.asp?ic=...

Other than the hose/water/and maybe that: the only thing that takes them out  for sure......is fire.  You said it's attached to your garage though, so.....  We used to burn them out from the under of our eaves (house) in Florida....but with a very controled torch.....I don't recommend it....

Now: if you want a spray to do the job, try this:

http://www.domyownpestcontrol.com/ecopco...

It may take a while to get there, so....in the meantime....just tell them that they are "hosed".....the exercise will be good for you too!!