What's the best way to get rid of wasps building a nest under a porch soffit?

Patricia H
by Patricia H
  6 answers
  • Just keep spraying with wasps spray...they will likely come back a few times to rebuild
  • Best time to spray is late in the evening when they all return to nest. The cooler the evening the better as cool weather will also slow them down. Remove the old nest the next day. Wasps tend to nest where protected from elements. Depending upon the type of nest you have. Be sure not to have any standing water near by. This will attract them. Also purchase wasp traps at your local hardware store. Fill them with soda or any sweet sugar and water or even an old apple. Place them away from where you sit and be prepared to change it out every few weeks or so.
  • Patricia H Patricia H on May 14, 2012
    Thanks everyone! I will keep spraying with water as I've been using the spray from Lowe's and it's not working. Maybe just destroying the nest is the way to go... The problem is I can't see it to know if I'm even damaging it...
  • I assume that the nest is behind something, such as a soffit or fixture? They make a foaming wasp spray that expands when it comes into contact with the surface. We use this a lot as it covers over the nest and prevents the wasps from even dropping onto the ground. If your not sure if your hitting the nest or not this may be of some use to you. In any case, I would suggest that an exterminator come in and correct this issue for you. They use a powder that when it comes into contact with the wasp will kill it. They puff this powder into the holes where your seeing the bees and the powder gets onto all the surfaces within the nesting area. AS the wasps enter the hole and walk to the nest they come into contact with this poison and simply die off. Treatments are not that expensive and are really worth the expense knowing they have properly removed the bees from the house cavities.
  • Jennifer Baldwin Jennifer Baldwin on Apr 22, 2014
    There is an native trick that works great for repelling yellow jackets. Get a small paper lunch bag and fill it with a crumpled piece of paper so it keeps it's shape. Tie a string to it and hang it from a corner of your house or tree where you want to work. Wasps are territorial and visual in nature, they mistake the paper bag for another nest and will stay away.