Notorious predators of annoying insects like flies, wasps can be helpful allies around your lawn & garden. However, they can be a potentially dangerous hazard, too. In addition to the occasional painful sting, wasps can pose a health risk to our children and pets, especially for those knowingly or unknowingly allergic.
Struggling with wasps but don't want to use toxic chemicals around your lawn, home, or family? We got you covered. Here are 5 tips & tricks for getting rid of wasps without harsh chemicals.
1. REMOVE ATTRACTANTS
Prevention is the most effective form of wasp control. Removing or sealing items that attract wasps like pet food, bird feeders, and food scraps is essential.
Similarly, maintaining or repairing common wasp nest locations like broken siding, panels, rain gutters and window sills is crucial.
2. REMOVE THEIR FOOD (other bugs)
Common bugs that live in our lawns form a large part of the wasp's diet, especially young, maturing individuals. By controlling and preventing these other bugs you can substantially reduce the number of wasps near your yard and home.
Using family and pet-safe Outdoor Bug Control (aka PCO Choice), spray your entire lawn, including shrubbery and bases of trees. Apply twice the first month, two weeks apart, and just monthly after that until winter returns. Then start applying again at the earliest signs of spring, when temperatures climb back into the upper 40s.
For best results, follow up by broadcasting all natural Cedarcide Insect-Repelling Granules throughout your lawn, especially in areas with high wasp traffic. Reapply every 6 weeks.
Not only will this help control wasps directly, but also other unwanted bugs like fleas, ticks, ants, mosquitoes, chiggers, roaches, Japanese beetles, scorpions and more!
3. GROW WASP-REPELLING PLANTS
Certain fragrant plants like mint, citronella, thyme, eucalyptus and wormwood are known to naturally repel wasps. Install them throughout high traffic wasp areas and wherever you and your family spend the most time outside.
4. SPRAY WASPS & THEIR HIVES DIRECTLY
With Cedarcide, controlling troublesome wasps is easy and doesn't require scary chemicals either. Using Cedarcide Outdoor Bug Control, thoroughly spray the areas outside your home that attract the most wasps to prevent nests from forming. Repeat monthly for best results, or more often as needed.
With Cedarcide, you can also kill wasps in just seconds with a direct spray. You can either spray their hives directly with Outdoor Bug Control during your monthly lawn applications, or just use Cedarcide Original directly on wasps and their colonies as needed.
5. HANG FALSE NESTS
Wasps are territorial and tend to avoid areas where other colonies have already built nests, which is why hanging a few false nests can deter wasps, and in some cases even get an active nest to relocate.
Make your own false nests at home by filling a brown paper lunch bag with crumpled newspapers. Tie off the top of the bags and hang them near known wasp trouble areas, such as patios, eaves, and doorways.