Thanks.

I keep a boat on my local lake and have a constant problem with MUD DAUBERS making nests in all kinds of obscure areas. Some have been found under the boat tarps, inside cup holders, just inside vents and even in the bilge and motor compartment. As a general rule I have never sprayed anything liquid on my boat for both the fear of damaging the finish and contaminating the lake water. And since aerosol products tend to go on too greasy I've avoided them too. They typically contain all kinds of solvents which could affect the gel coat of my boat decking so I've stayed away from these products as well.

But that changed last year. Turns out one of the new aerosol products we have is ideally suited for boats. PT PHANTOM features a dry aerosol formulation that goes on without making a mess. I've used several cans of it on my boat the past two years and it's not made a mark. My boat is mostly white and I don't wax it but only a few times a year. However, it's not showing any signs of being "sprayed" like one commonly sees with many liquid formulations when used in such areas. More importantly, it's easy to apply and I find that treating in the spring through the summer will both stop and control nuisance boat pests like spiders, wasps, mud daubers and roaches. I apply some every 2-3 weeks; you may have to use it more frequently since your jet ski will get "wetter" through and through and this will depreciate the treatment faster. But you have a much smaller area to treat so one can should last a good long time.

Here is a direct link to this item in our catalog:

Mud Daubers:  http://www.bugspray.com/articles99/muddauber.html

PT Phantom:  http://www.bugspray.com/item/phantom_aerosol.html

Wasp in ivy are easy to control. Just treat it with some of the CYPERMETHRIN we have featured in our WASP CONTROL article. This will both kill any nesting there as well as repel new ones from the area.

Open areas are a bit harder to protect. The deck can be treated with the Cypermethrin which should keep them away. But the pool cannot be sprayed. If they are coming around or into the water for gathering water, we recommend setting up one of the WASP REPELLING NESTS to keep them away.

Any ideas about how to identify where they are coming from or to find a nest?

Thanks. You have a great website.

There are many species of black wasps which "over winter" or hibernate. Log cabins are classic structures where they like to spend their winters. The logs tend to attract many types of insects including bees and wasps. In the fall they find small cracks and crevices in which to hide and live throughout the cold winter. Come spring, they'll emerge back to the wild but during the winter months, some will find their way into the living spaces.

Unfortunately, there isn't really any main location where they are coming from. During the winter, they don't form a nest. They simply find cracks and hide when it's cold. Unfortunately, some of these cracks will lead to the living area so some of the wasps that are on your cabin will find their way inside seeking relief from the cold of the winter. That being said, there are two things you can do which will stop this from happening.

First, you should get some Drione and do a thorough dusting this spring. The drione will kill off any that are hiding in the cracks. A few weeks later you should do a good spraying with the Cypermethrin mentioned in our wasp control article. This will help keep any from forming nests this spring and summer. Next fall, you should again dust and spray with the Cypermethrin to stop any from hibernating on the cabin. This approach will keep your living area wasp free during the winter.

This will depend largely on where you live and when the mud daubers get active. It's important that you get it out early enough to help keep them away during the beginning of the season. For us here in Georgia, that would be this month as flying insects are already starting to move about and start new nests. A good dose of Cypermethrin now will really help. Mud Daubers do start early too so don't let them get started ahead of you; a good rule is to treat at least one month before you normally start to notice them.