The sight of a swarming writhing cluster of yellow, orange or brown stinging insects taking up a corner of the yard or home is enough to strike fear into the stoutest hearts. Ferocious little beasts like wasps and bees have a considerable upper hand in any head on confrontations and the methods you choose to address this issue will decide if it is resolved without injury.

The first thing you will want to do is decide if you are facing a throng of wasps or a full on swarm of bees. Your approach to these two very different species will decide which tactics would be the most effective and allow you to go on living in your home without fear.

There are solitary wasps and the more social type the construct condominiums and rally to each other in times of needs. This later sort is the more obnoxious type and calls for special means to eradicate. A solitary wasp will rarely do any harm as they are not highly aggressive and a benefit to reducing real pests in the area.

There are many different kind of wasps and then there are hornets, yellow jackets and many other individual species it would be superfluous to mention here. Needless to say, you can expect the same basic reaction from any of these insects and it is particularly painful and potentially fatal.

Taking a slow intuitive approach based on solid information will allow you to gain the upper hand and eliminate these invaders without casualty.
Step 1. – Reconnoiter

Grab your bird watching field glasses and begin to scope out your property. If you have noticed excessive wasps in your vicinity there is a chance they have a nest somewhere close by and it must be located. Check under the eaves and window frames and all other small ledges where a nest can be constructed. While you are at it, check to make sure there are no standing puddles or open garbage cans that could be fueling their airborne assaults.

Step 2– Avoid Confrontations

As mentioned, you will be severely outnumbered in a direct confrontation. So, once you have found the nest don’t attack it directly. Better to begin by clearing up the yard of places they can hide and keep the garbage cans closed to minimize their activities close to their nest.

Step 3 – Smoke the Nest

The nest must be removed, but first the defenders must be cleared out so your actions can be taken with impunity. Smoking the nest is the best way to accomplish this task and works the same no matter the size of the nest. You may consider wearing protective clothing to ensure that no insects have access to your flesh.

Smoke the wasps out of their home by lighting a fire in the grill just below the nest. A bee smoker is the perfect instrument for this task if the nest is indoors. The process may take some time and you will need to apply smoke abundantly until every last wasp has left. As the process progresses you will be able to move closer to the nest without fear of assault. Got too fast and you may be stung, so keep plenty of smoke in that nest until they are all gone.

Step 4 – Remove the Nest

There is always a chance that there will be a few stragglers left inside with some fight in them. Arm yourself with one of the non-lethal hornet deterrents listed below and flood the nest with potent aromatics that repel and disorient their senses. The entire nest can then be safely removed and discarded.

When the hornets return their will be no traces of their home and no other places to hide. If you covered the trash cans and cleaned up the water, they will have no other reason to stay and move off to a better location.

If there are still wasps in your home and you have made sure there are no nests nearby, you may need other methods of dealing with them, try some of the following solution:

Non-lethal Wasp and Hornet Deterrent

Combine:
-20 drops of Peppermint Essential oils
-3 cups of water
-1 tablespoon of Dish soap

This aromatic solution is absolutely terrifying for the insect population and a great way to make them leave of their own volition. Spray this abundantly in areas frequented by wasps and hornets and directly on any intruders you find.