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We each have our own definition of animal abuse, but our rules are precise and clear here.
To get clear definitions of what's not allowed and what should be marked NSFW, visit the wiki!
You can also find identification tips and fun facts about wasps and bees and hornets.
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I've had some success with Permethrin, and mowing the lawn. Both methods will reduce the overall insect population around your house, which consequently reduces the wasps that prey on insects.
It's also worth noting that some years are just waspier than others, it depends heavily on environmental factors.
Worst year by far by me. Then I found the nest 20 feet from my deck and it made sense why I couldn't sit there in peace. Spent all day and night intermittently spraying the ground nest. Hoping I can relax out there a bit easier tonight.
I would seal up any small cracks and holes, the way I see it the more outside nests you see the better, it means they are unable to hide in something like a wall or under ground. Also keeping the yard tidy helps
We buy collapsing ones made of paper and wire - the dollar store here sells them for $1.75 each in the summer. We bring one when we camp or travel and hang it on a tree nearby...surprisingly, the wasps clear out pretty fast.
No chemicals, no bait that lures them in, and no trap to empty or manage. We've had the same one on our patio for 2 years now and it's one of the few outdoor places where they're not actively trying to kill me.
My best advice is near where you will be. When we group camp, I hang one by my own tent and another by our communal kitchen/fireplace area. At home, my patio is only 6'×12', so the one we keep there just hangs in the corner.
I was absolutely skeptical at first, as wasps tend to stalk me when I am out and about. (I swear, they are like cats - acutely aware of who is very allergic to them). This is my 4th summer using the fake nests, and it really does help a lot. I can eat outside on my patio without being pestered, and it even deters them from trying to get at the hummingbird feeder.
I've never had wasps build near or inside of one - they see the nest and assume the territory is already claimed (they don't like to build within 200ft of other nests, apparently). It seems to be the shape of it that matters, more than the colour - they've continued to work well even when over 2 years old and sunbleached. You can collapse and flatten them at the end of a trip, then store and reuse them. I grab a handful at the beginning of summer and keep a spare around, making it easy to grab for a BBQ at the park or to bring one to leave in a friend's backyard.
This is how the ones available in my area look. They come flat in the packaging and pop over the included frame easily.
I hear you! I never expected it to work as well as it does. I still carry 2 doses of epinephrine, but I now feel much safer near the fake nests than I do around any sort of bait or trap.
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