Dealing With Wasps Around Your Home Without Getting Stung

1. Don't Panic Over One Wasp

Seeing one wasp doesn't necessarily mean there's a nest attached to your house.

It may simply be looking for:

• Food
• Water
• Nectar
• Nesting material
• Another insect to eat

Watch from a safe distance.

If wasps repeatedly fly to and from the same hole, roofline, wall opening or structure, that's more suggestive of a nearby nest.

One visitor is a visitor. Air traffic is more interesting.

2. Don't Swat at Wasps

When a wasp flies near you, your instincts may suggest frantic arm waving. Your instincts are not helping. Stay calm and move away.

Don't swat at or deliberately provoke the insect.

This is especially important near a nest, where defensive behavior can involve more than one wasp.

Backing away calmly isn't cowardice. It's excellent insect diplomacy.

3. Figure Out What's Attracting Them

If wasps keep visiting your patio, deck or picnic table, look at what you've provided.

Common attractions include:

• Sweet drinks
• Food
• Garbage
• Pet food
• Fallen fruit
• Open compost
• Outdoor cooking areas

You may not be hosting a wasp party intentionally.

The wasps haven't received that message. Remove the buffet and you may dramatically reduce the visitors.

4. Cover Food and Drinks Outdoors

5. Clean Up After Outdoor Meals

When everyone finishes eating, clear the table rather than leaving leftovers sitting outside. Wipe up:

• Spilled drinks
• Sticky sauces
• Crumbs
• Food scraps

Take dishes indoors. Close food containers.Wipe the table. You don't need to sanitize the patio like an operating room. Just stop advertising dinner.

6. Keep Garbage Cans Closed

Outdoor trash can be extremely attractive to wasps. Use garbage cans with secure lids.

Clean sticky spills around the rim and outside of the container. If bags tear or leak, clean the can.

The same applies to recycling containers holding soda cans, juice containers or other sweet residue. A quick rinse can make the recycling bin much less interesting.

7. Pick Up Fallen Fruit

Fruit trees can create a wasp magnet as ripe fruit falls and begins to ferment. Regularly pick up fallen:

• Apples
• Pears
• Plums
• Peaches
• Other fruit

Also harvest ripe fruit rather than leaving it to fall. You're removing both food and an excellent wasp gathering place.

8. Don't Leave Pet Food Outside

If your dog or cat eats outdoors, pick up leftover food when the pet is finished. The same goes for dishes containing sweet or protein-rich scraps.

Water bowls may need to stay outside, of course. Just keep them clean.

Wasps have enough restaurants available without opening one beside the dog bed.

9. Watch Where Wasps Are Flying

10. Don't Block an Active Nest Entrance

If wasps are entering a wall, roof space or another cavity, don't simply seal the entrance while the colony is active.

Trapping insects inside a structure can create another problem. They may search for another way out. That alternative route could be toward the interior of your home.

This is a particularly good situation for professional advice. Your goal is to get wasps out of the house.

Not redirect them toward the family room.

11. Be Careful Around Ground Nests

Some stinging insects nest in the ground. These nests can be especially easy to discover accidentally while:

• Mowing
• Gardening
• Raking
• Playing
• Walking through the yard

If you notice repeated wasp traffic entering a hole in the ground, keep children and pets away.

Mark the general area from a safe distance if necessary so nobody accidentally steps on or mows over it.

Do not stand over the opening to get a better look. This is one mystery that does not require a close-up.

12. Keep Children Away From Active Nests

Children may not understand why the interesting papery structure hanging from the shed shouldn't be examined.

Explain that they need to stay away.

Move:

• Toys
• Bikes
• Sports equipment
• Outdoor play activities

away from the nest area when possible.

If the nest is near a doorway, play area, pool, patio or another heavily used space, professional removal becomes much more reasonable.

13. Keep Pets Away Too

Dogs are enthusiastic investigators. This is not always an advantage.

Keep pets away from known nests, especially ground nests. Move food, toys and bedding away from the area.

If your dog believes every flying insect deserves personal inspection, use a leash until the problem is resolved.

Curiosity may have a reputation involving cats. Dogs are perfectly capable of participating.

14. Seal Nesting Gaps When They're Inactive

Prevention is easier than removal. Inspect the outside of the house periodically for gaps around:

• Siding
• Eaves
• Rooflines
• Utility openings
• Screens
• Vents
• Doors
• Windows

Repair damaged screens and seal appropriate exterior gaps.But timing matters.

Don't seal a hole if wasps are actively using it. Wait until you know the area is inactive or have the colony professionally dealt with first.

15. Check Outdoor Structures

Wasps may choose sheltered areas around:

• Sheds
• Playhouses
• Decks
• Patio covers
• Outdoor furniture
• Eaves
• Garages

Give these areas a visual check periodically, especially during seasons when wasps are active.

A tiny beginning nest is easier to notice than a mature colony. You don't need to conduct a weekly military inspection.

Just look up occasionally. Most of us could stand to do this around the house anyway.

16. Don't Assume Every Nest Needs Immediate Removal

If a nest is well away from people, pets and frequently used areas, it may not always require immediate intervention.

Wasps play useful roles outdoors, including feeding on other insects. The practical question is location.

A nest at the far edge of a property is one thing. A nest beside the front door is another.

Location, activity and household risk matter more than simply declaring:

Wasp!

Destroy!

17. Be Very Careful With DIY Nest Removal

An active wasp nest can contain many insects capable of defending it.

DIY removal becomes especially risky when a nest is:

• Large
• Hidden inside a structure
• Underground
• High above the ground
• Near a doorway
• In a frequently used area
• Difficult to approach and retreat from safely

Do not climb a ladder to deal with an active nest.

You don't want to combine angry wasps with falling. One household emergency at a time.

18. Know When to Call a Pest Professional

Professional help is the better choice when:

• The nest is large or highly active
• You can't identify where the nest is
• It's inside a wall or other structure
• It's high up
• It's underground in a heavily used area
• It's near a doorway or play area
• Previous attempts haven't solved the problem
• Someone in the household has a history of serious reactions to stings
• You simply don't feel safe dealing with it

There's no prize for removing a difficult wasp nest yourself.

Professionals have equipment, protective gear and experience. You have a broom. Let's respect the difference.

What About Wasp Traps

Traps may reduce some wasp activity in certain situations, but they aren't a magic solution for an established nest.

If you use a trap, follow its directions and place it where it won't draw insects toward doors, patios, play areas or places where people gather.

Think about placement. You don't want your wasp solution functioning as a wasp welcome center beside the picnic table.

What About Fake Wasp Nests?

You'll sometimes see artificial nests marketed as a way to discourage wasps. I wouldn't make these the foundation of your wasp-control strategy.

Reducing food sources, securing garbage, maintaining the house exterior and dealing appropriately with actual nests are much more practical places to focus your energy.

You already have enough decorations to store. Your garage does not need ceremonial wasp architecture.

If a Wasp Gets Inside the House

One wasp indoors doesn't necessarily require chemical warfare. Keep people and pets away. If possible, isolate the insect in one room.

Open an exterior door or window if doing so safely provides a clear route outside. Avoid chasing and swatting at it.

Often, given a route toward daylight, the insect may leave.

If it doesn't—or if you're seeing multiple wasps indoors—look for the larger reason they're getting inside.

One wasp can wander in. A committee deserves investigation.

What to Do After a Wasp Sting

Move away from the area so you aren't stung again. Wash the sting area with soap and water.

A cold pack wrapped in cloth can help with pain and swelling. Some redness, pain and localized swelling can occur after a sting.

However, a severe allergic reaction is a medical emergency.

Call 911 or seek emergency medical help immediately for symptoms such as trouble breathing, swelling of the tongue or throat, faintness, widespread hives or other signs of a serious allergic reaction.

Someone with a prescribed epinephrine auto-injector should follow their emergency treatment plan.

Don't wait around to see whether severe symptoms become more interesting. This is one situation where fast action matters.

How to Make Your Yard Less Attractive to Wasps

You don't need a wasp-proof fortress. Focus on the basics:

• Keep garbage covered
• Clean recycling containers
• Pick up fallen fruit
• Remove leftover outdoor food
• Clean spills
• Maintain screens
• Seal appropriate exterior gaps when inactive
• Watch for developing nests around structures

Most of this is ordinary home maintenance. Which is good.

The best pest-control chores are the ones that also make the house cleaner and better maintained.

Don't Try to Eliminate Every Wasp

Wasps aren't simply outdoor villains plotting against your barbecue.

Many are predators of other insects, and some contribute to pollination.

The goal isn't to eliminate every wasp from your property. It's to prevent dangerous conflicts between wasps and people.

If they're minding their business far from the house, you can often mind yours. If they've established headquarters above the front door, negotiations have broken down.

The Five Rules for Dealing With Wasps

If you remember nothing else:

1. Don't swat at them.

Move away calmly instead.

2. Remove what attracts them.

Food, sweet drinks, garbage and fallen fruit can keep wasps coming back.

3. Watch from a distance.

Repeated flight to one location may reveal a nest.

4. Don't take unnecessary risks with an active nest.

Especially if it's large, hidden, high up or near people.

5. Know when to call a professional.

Getting rid of a wasp nest is not worth getting badly stung—or falling off a ladder.

The Bottom Line

Dealing with wasps doesn't mean declaring war on every yellow-and-black insect in the yard.

• Start with prevention.
• Cover the food.
  
• Clean up spills.
  
• Close the garbage.
  
• Pick up fallen fruit.
  
• Repair screens.
  

Watch for repeated activity around possible nesting sites. And give active nests plenty of space.

If a nest is small, remote and not creating a risk, you may not need to make it your immediate summer project.

If it's beside the front door, inside a wall, underground where the kids play or hanging somewhere that requires a ladder and courage you probably shouldn't be using, call a professional.

Your goal is not to establish dominance over the wasp population. It's to enjoy your house and yard without anyone getting stung.

Preferably while keeping your lemonade to yourself.

Keep Going

Once the wasps have stopped dominating the patio, keep working on the outdoor areas of your home with Home Maintenance.

If your garden seems to be hosting an entire insect convention, see Most-Wanted Good Garden Bugs and The Dirty Dozen Bad Garden Bugs to help sort the useful visitors from the troublemakers.

And for more practical ways to keep the house and outdoor spaces under control, continue with Cleaning and Organizing.