Deterring wasps

[dustboy]

I have a lot of wasps visiting my pond to drink and pick up mud. Most are mud daubers and paper wasps. I don't want to kill them as they are non-aggressive but one of my kids in the wrong place at the wrong time could change their mood. Killing them would be pointless because they appear to be flying in from all over the neighborhood.

Any ideas to encourage them to get their mud and water elsewhere?

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Nope.

 

[cas]

I had a problem with a lot of wasps coming to my pond last year and then realized I had a nest some where in my house - saw them coming and going in a small opening by the gutter. I had someone come and spray the house and it got rid of the wasps by my pond. This year I have an occasional wasp, but nothing like when their nest was right next to the pond! So maybe check where the wasps are flying to - it may indicate a nest where you don't want one.

 

[dustboy]

Yeah there's at least one big mud dauber that flies off over the fence. I did have a nest of paper wasps in my nearby shed but I think I killed them off, the nest is in a cardboard box and I'm afraid to open it. I did blast at least one of them with bug spray, somehow they did fly away but I'm guessing it succumbed to the poison since I haven't seen them.

 

[Lisak1]

You need to be really careful with wasps and hornets - they can be SO aggressive. We always watch for signs that they are starting nest near the house and break up the party right away. They can build an ENORMOUS nest in a matter of hours. I never mind them visiting the pond, but they can't live in my yard. If you have a sizable nest or hive I would really recommend professional help to get rid of it. Not something to fool around with, in my opinion.

 

[Faebinder]

Try using wasp traps from online. You're gonna need to kill them after you trap them though.

 

[Nanner]

I agree about the nests around the house...they must go but I try not to kill them anymore unless it's a must. I use to kill them all and started doing some research on types. There are some very beneficial wasps out there. Great against most garden pests. I have a lot that visit my pond and they were starting a small nest that I removed with a large hand gripper. I still get some but no more than when I just have the hummingbirds feeders and flowers.

 

[AlyssaFish]

Some chemicals ward them off a little. I carry fabric softener sheets with me when I'm doing work out in the pond sometimes.

What might work in conjunction with a chemical deterrent would be to create an alternative water source you aren't worried about your kids hanging around--like a bird bath kinda thing but for wasps.

I had about 10+ paper wasps swarming me while I was working in my bog filter the other week. That was terrifying! Violently uprooting plants in the same place a bunch of wasps are getting a drink is not my idea of a good time!

 

[Lisak1]

If you can catch the nests/hives when they are small, they are manageable. But after a few nasty stings to the face, I am VERY wary of hornets and wasps. If we can live together peacefully it's all good.

 

[addy1]

A lot of wasps eat up a lot of the grubs that eat up our plants. The only ones I remove, if I see a nest, are yellow jackets, those suckers are nasty!

 

[MitchM]

If you put out coloured construction paper, you can have some rainbow coloured wasp nests.
http://www.boredpanda.com/colorful-paper-wasp-nests-rainbow-mattia-menchetti/

 

[Lisak1]

That's beautiful @MitchM ! Creative little critters... I like their use of colors!

 

[budgenator]

I've heard the peppermint oil is a strong deterant to both wasps and mice, I going to try it myself this year. I'm a firm believer in traps as well, I withh use beer as bait to see how well that works.

 

[adavisus]

Vespa, can kick ass. Always be very polite and calm, teach your kiddywinks to be nice....

If a hornet is killed near a nest it may release pheromones that can cause the other hornets to attack. Materials that come in contact with this pheromone, such as clothes, skin, and dead prey or hornets, can also trigger an attack, as can certain food flavorings, such as banana and apple flavorings, and fragrances that contain C5 alcohols and C10 esters

A sugar bait with a dab of boric acid can bump off all the local ants wasps and hornets

 

[addy1]

A sugar bait with a dab of boric acid can bump off all the local ants wasps and hornets

If you have honey bees around it will wipe them out also. They will go for the sugar bait fast. So be careful using it.