This is an easy one. There are many wasps that will forage on trees and become a nuisance. Some can damage the tree but most are feeding on sap or some kind of insect that might be foraging around. In other situations they could be harvesting some part of the tree for nesting. Girdling is when they peel away bark and other tree parts and over time this can become a problem. To keep them away, you have two effective spray options.

The first is to treat the trees with CYPERMETHRIN. This is a highly repellent product wasps don't like. They'll avoid treated areas as explained in our WASP CONTROL ARTICLE so you can use it on your house and plants. Though Cypermethrin will repel, it will also kill insects that land on it repeatedly. That means they should move off and away from your trees after you spray them but if they insist on still landing on treated surfaces, they'll die.

If you don't want to kill them, you can opt to spray with the INSECT REPELLENT. This product is commonly mixed with paint and stain then applied to homes for the sole purpose of repelling insects. But it can also be mixed with water and sprayed on plants. When used this way, it will work as a repellent and not kill anything but it will keep the yard wasp free.

Both products can be applied using a PUMP SPRAYER or a TROMBONE SPRAYER. Treatments should last several weeks but just reapply as needed. And do the spraying in the evening, close to sunset, so you don't bother any leaves on the plants being sprayed. Vegetation can be hurt when sprayed in the middle of the day when it's hot and in direct sunlight so wait till later.

Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:

Cypermethrin:  http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page154.html

Wasp Control Article:  http://www.wasps.net/wasp-and-hornet-control

Insect Repellent:  http://www.non-toxic-pest-control.com/repellents/nbs-repellent-insect-spray

Pump Sprayer:  http://www.gotosprayer.com/sprayers/pump-sprayers/one-gallon-solo-hd

Trombone Sprayer:  http://www.gotosprayer.com/sprayers/pump-sprayers/trombone-pump

If you read our WASP CONTROL ARTICLE, you'll learn wasps do this for a few reasons. If you see this behavior in the summer, it's usually because they are expecting a major weather event like strong rain or wind. Another reason they'll bunch will be if their nest was destroyed. Being social and communal, if the nest they built elsewhere was destroyed by weather or some animal, the inhabitants will be forced to move. Before doing so, they'll group up to make sure their community is somewhat safe. When doing so, they'll meet in a group. This will many times be on a tree or nearby structure. Based on the commonality of similar reports your local store cited, I'm guessing you're seeing something weather related and not because all of these wasps were suffering from nest destruction.

Also in our article you'll learn wasps commonly do this each fall as they prepare to overwinter. During the cold of the winter they'll locate a tree or structure on which to live and hide when it gets cold. Normally we don't see this behavior till October in the Southeast and Southwest regions of the US so I would say it's a bit early for them to be thinking about the winter. But I have seen where the scent from past winters that's still left on a structure can attract and cause wasps to group at any time. So if you've seen them congregate or suspect some might be hibernating on your home when it's cold outside, the latest activity you've noted could be nothing more than local wasps smelling the past activity and coming around to investigate.

If you decide you want to get rid of these guys for good, you'll need to apply more than just your average "off the shelf" wasp freeze. As our article explains, the best product for long term control is our DRIONE DUST. When applied up under siding and other cracks and crevices where these guys like to nest and hibernate, you won't have to worry about them anymore. Drione will last 6-12 months and a good dusting now will easily protect the home from any fall invasion. Using it once or twice a year is one of the best ways to keep out wasps, bees, ants, roaches, scorpions and just about any perimeter invader the average home in the south might see.

Another product you should apply after dusting is the CYPERMETHRIN. Highly repellent and long lasting, it will keep wasps and just about any pest off treated surfaces. For this reason it's a great product to spray on house siding where you see wasps grouping and gathering. Cypermethrin won't last as long as the Drione but it's easier to use and is good for when wasps are randomly foraging around and on a home since it can be applied most anywhere you see them.

Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:

Wasp Control Article:  http://www.wasps.net/wasp-and-hornet-control

Drione:  http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page31.html

Cypermethrin:  http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page154.html

If you read through our WASP CONTROL ARTICLE, you'll learn there are several kinds of wasps that use plants as a normal part of their day to day operations. The most common use is for making their nests. Plant leaves make an excellent raw material for wasp nests and paper wasps in particular will harvest certain plants when readily available in some regions. Another reason why plants can sometimes get targeted is when fruit or vegetable growth yields certain necessities like sugar, water or other nutrients they're not able to find so easily in their day to day foraging of the area. It's not uncommon for blueberries, apples and all kinds of berries to be targeted for their moisture or nectar and in this case, it sounds like you have a local nest or two zeroing in on your strawberries.

The good news is you do have some treatment options. The first order of business is to try and locate any nearby nests that might be hosting the foraging wasps. I suggest you do a thorough inspection on your home and property to see if you have any nests nearby you can treat. I have found that many times wasps will congregate in one area and by eliminating these wasp nest "clusters", you can dramatically reduce the amount of plant and fruit destruction going on around the area. Remember to look on the house, in nearby structures and all your trees and bushes. Paperwasps will many times hide their nests so they could be real close and within reach but easy to miss. Any nests you find should be treated as described in our article and the benefit will be immediately realized. More importantly, you won't be creating a local population that will grow to be dependent on your crop from year to year. In other words, if you allow the ones currently active to prosper feeding on your plants, there is no doubt these same wasps will multiply and over time establish more which will become tough to handle and control. Unfortunately the control methods discussed in the article are for use on just about everything except vegetable and fruit gardens. For them you'll need to employ some other options.

After inspecting the local area for nests and treating any you many find, you can focus your attention on your garden and do some treating with a product or two from our NON TOXIC PEST CONTROL site. This site features several organic sprays which have 1 day to harvest guidelines so they're much more safe to use compared to sevin (which we don't recommend). For wasps, we've found the MULTI PURPOSE INSECT KILLER and the GARDEN DEFENSE to be excellent wasp repellents. These products can be used up to the day before you harvest but in most cases, treatments will last 5-7 days. This will largely depend on the local wasp population and how badly they want your fruit so be sure to watch and see. And of course, heavy rain or constant irritation will take away from the treatments longevity so take this into consideration. But compared to sevin, you'll find either organic option safer and more effective.

Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:

Wasp Control Article:  http://www.wasps.net/wasp-and-hornet-control

Non-Toxic-Pest-Control:  http://www.non-toxic-pest-control.com/

Multi Purpose Insect Killer:  http://www.non-toxic-pest-control.com/concentrates/multi-purpose-insect-killer-24-oz

Garden Defense:  http://www.non-toxic-pest-control.com/concentrates/garden-defense-neem-concentrate

As our online WASP CONTROL ARTICLE explains, wasps like to live up under the eaves and basically any space that is both open and somewhat protected from the rain and weather. Most all fireplaces that use an exhaust pipe will have a perfect void between the square build of the siding and the actual flue which runs through the center inside the "box". Wasps will commonly access this space from the top  and once they start using it, they'll return every year.

There are several ways you can treat the area to both control and repel the unwanted nesting. The first thing you might consider is to burn something in your fireplace. We have customers do this during the winter when wasps were found invading their home and if the nest is on the inside of the flue, this will usually knock them out immediately.

Now if the nest is located in the void of the chimney box, the "fire" treatment probably won't help. If you see them entering a certain location over and over, you can spray either CYPERMETHRIN or INSECT REPELLENT over the entire area to keep them out. The Cypermethrin is a true pesticide in that it will kill them as they forage over the treated wood. This won't happen immediately so you should expect to see some entering and leaving for a few days after the treatment. But eventually they should succumb to the spray over several days if you saturated the area good. The Insect Repellent is the paint additive "organic" option that you can either add to paint or stain when finishing your house to keep pests away. It can also be sprayed in the same fashion as the Cypermethrin. Though it won't kill anything, wasps and several other invasive pests don't like it and will stay clear of treated surfaces.

Lastly, if the fire and liquid options don't get rid of the problem, you'll need to dust the area with some PYGANIC or DRIONE DUST. These can be applied with a DUSTICK so you don't have to worry about getting right up on the chimney to treat. You can also use a HAND DUSTER if this area is reachable and you're comfortable working around the wasps. As a general rule we don't recommend this tactic but some people are braver than others and willing to take a chance. Remember, bad things can happen when you're up high and if you're working on a ladder, it can be especially dangerous so be careful. The Dustick enables one to treat safely away from the nests and in most every case well worth the investment.

Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:

Wasp Control Article:  http://www.wasps.net/wasp-and-hornet-control

Cypermethrin:  http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page154.html

Insect Repellent:  http://www.non-toxic-pest-control.com/repellents/nbs-repellent-insect-spray

Pyganic Dust:  http://www.bugspray.com/item/pyganic_dust.html

Drione Dust:  http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page31.html

Dustick:  http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page1413.html

Hand Duster:  http://www.gotosprayer.com/dusters/hand-dusters

There are a few options here that can help. The first is to do a thorough spraying of the area where they're landing. The goal of the spray is to both kill any nests in the area as well as prevent new nests from forming. Wasps will detect these products and tend to stay away from where they find them applied. These sprays will last anywhere from 1-2 weeks to 1-2 months depending on the local environment such as rainfall and sunshine.

The strongest spray would be our CYPERMETHRIN. You can read about this in our WASP CONTROL ARTICLE where you'll learn it's good to spray on the home to prevent new nests as well as control existing populations. It can be sprayed directly on most everything you mentioned with the only exception being the barbecue gas grill. Expect to get 3-6 weeks of protection from a single treatment; most homes will need 1-2 gallons applied when treating.

Another product we've had good results with is our INSECT REPELLENT. This is mostly used as a paint additive and applied when painting or staining the home. But it can also be sprayed on the home. Keep in mind it's not an insecticide like the Cypermethrin so it won't kill anything. But it is highly repellent to the wasps and they'll stay away from where they detect it's presence.

In between liquid sprays you may want to keep a can of AQUACIDE AEROSOL. This is a Pyrethrin based spray which is highly repellent to wasps. Treatments won't last long; they'll be gone in a day. But this spray can kill them and it should be used to help steer them clear for a few hours when you might want to be entertaining some guests, using the barbecue or just using the pool.

Lastly, installing at least one of our FAKE WASP NESTS can help set up a territorial repellent which will alarm any new to the area that this land is taken. Wasps usually recognize other nests and won't come around where they thing some are living.

Here are direct links to the products and information posted above:

Cypermethrin:  http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page154.html

Wasp Control:  http://www.wasps.net/wasp-and-hornet-control

Insect Repellent Spray:  http://www.non-toxic-pest-control.com/repellents/nbs-repellent-insect-spray

Aquacide Aerosol:  http://www.bugspray.com/item/aquacide_aerosol.html

Fake Wasp Nest:  http://www.accountwizard.com/clients/shop.asp?web=bugspray&outsidelink=item&value=826460

Thank you.

This is actually a common behavior out in the woods. Wasps will forage for cellulose (wood) which is in fact used for nest making. Decks and house siding make an excellent source of this much needed resource and when left unprotected, most any deck will be targeted.

Stopping them is easy. As detailed in our WASP CONTROL ARTICLE, you have two options. The CYPERMETHRIN sprayed onto the deck will stop them immediately. It's easy to use and can be applied as needed. I use it on my deck 1-2 in early spring and that seems to do the job for the summer. Gallons will cover 500-750 sq/ft so it goes a long way. The second product is the INSECT REPELLENT. This can be used in either stain or paint used on the deck. When applied this way, as an additive, treatments with it will last 1-2 years making it the best long term resolution. But you can also spray it like the Cypermethrin onto the deck surface. When used as a spray, it will only last a month or so.

Here are direct links to the information and products mentioned above:

Wasp Control: http://www.wasps.net/wasp-and-hornet-control

Cypermethrin:  http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page154.html

Insect Repellent: http://www.non-toxic-pest-control.com/repellents/nbs-repellent-insect-spray

I hope this is still an active email address for you. If so, I need some advice.
We have a bald faced hornet making a nest on the inside of our bathroom window. There is a screen protecting us from them coming inside, but I want to know if I should destroy it right away, or wait till it’s bigger (possibly containing larvae). I want to get rid of the hornets building it and prevent them from rebuilding under our soffits, etc.
Right now the nest is about three inches in diameter,  it just appeared two days ago and growing daily. It’s actually been interesting watching the hornets building the paper nest.
And advice?

In most cases, there is no reason to allow a nest like this to continue. There will only be more and more hornets over time and with the increase in colony size an ever increasing chance of someone getting stung. I suggest you take care of it ASAP and be done with it for the season.

If you read our WASP CONTROL ARTICLE, you'll see we mostly recommend the DRIONE DUST when treating nests directly. And when nests are built on windows, the Drione is usually the way to go. But your situation sounds different. Being the nest is built on the window screen, you may be able to directly treat it from inside the home with the screen being able to serve as protection between you and the hornets. If this is true, injecting them from inside the house may be the way to go. I've done this a few times using an serosol known as BAYGON. It's fast acting and comes with a thin injecting tube you can use to distribute the aerosol through the screen directly into the nest. This will provide instant control and shut down the nest in minutes.

In the times I've been able to use this approach, I was able to treat without the need to wear any protective equipment since the hornets couldn't access me through the screening. They did attempt to sting me but could not reach. A good soaking of the nest killed all occupants in less than a minute and within a day, all workers and scouts returned and died. If you can treat the same way, you'll be able to remove it within a couple of days and not have to worry about it for the summer.

Here are direct links to the information and products mentioned above:

Wasp Control Article: http://www.wasps.net/wasp-and-hornet-control

Drione Dust:  http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page31.html

Baygon Aerosol:  http://www.bugspray.com/item/invader_hpx.html

By the way, I am an older woman who wants the dealer or an exterminator to do this.

If you read through our WASP CONTROL article, you'll learn one of the best products to use on wasp nests is in the form of a dust. In fact, a quick dusting into the crack where you see them foraging will take care of the nest and any future attempts to make new nests. As you can see in our dust video, when applied the dust is like smoke and tends to filter all around insuring you'll get the required coverage.

The only problem is the normal size of DRIONE DUST is way too much for this job. Fortunately we have an alternative which comes in a small size. The MOTHERS EARTH DUST comes nicely packaged in it's own applicator so all you need to do is squirt some into the crack of the mirror. I would recommend doing this in the middle of the day. Just a few squirts is all that will be needed so it won't take a lot. When the nesting wasp comes back and tries to go into the void, the treated surface will either die or be so repelled they'll fly away and stay away.

In some cases the use of an aerosol would be suggested but because the car has a finish, you don't want to risk the aerosol hurting the paint on the car. The dust won't have any impact and a few days later, after you treat and know the nest is gone, you can wash the car clean with no risk of hurting any of the paint or finish. Using an aerosol could cause a problem so don't try it.

Alternatively you can call a pest control operator and have them apply the dust behind the mirror as a service. They'll probably want to charge a lot more compared to doing the work yourself but this is a decision you'll need to make.

Here is a direct link to the information and products mentioned above:

Wasp Control Article:  http://www.wasps.net/wasp-and-hornet-control

Drione Dust:  http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page31.html

Mothers Earth Dust: http://www.non-toxic-pest-control.com/dust/mothers-earth-diatomaceous-dust

If you read through our GROUND WASP CONTROL article, you'll see there are a three main products to use. The first is the DELTAMETHRIN DUST. This can be directly applied to any active hole and will result in immediate control of the wasp or wasps living there. Within a day they'll be dead.

The CYFLUTHRIN GRANULES are better suited for treating a large area and most definitely need to be used when you have a big infestation. However, they don't work quickly. In fact, by themselves they might take 4-8 days to work so if you only use them, be sure to water them in for faster results and be patient. Also, be sure to treat every 30 days for at least 3 months to insure you get them all. We've seen attempts at using the granules alone mostly result in failed effort. To help counteract these failures, we suggest spraying over the top of the granules for long term results.

For this, the ESFENVALERATE works well. It will act quickly, like the dust and within 1-2 days most that have hatched will die.

Remember too, as our article explains, the pupae of these wasps will be hatching daily for the next 2-4 weeks so expect to see surges in populations even after you start treating. This is because nothing can kill the pupae so even after your treatment kills the ones active, new ones will hatch out following their death for awhile. This means you'll be seeing "replacement wasps" till the cycle of the local population runs out. If you've done a good job of treating, in the end they won't be able to continue their cycle since your effort should stop them. The key here is getting them early on, like now, when they first get active and then to remain on them while their hatching out.

Here are direct links to the information and products mentioned above:

Ground Wasp Article:  http://www.bugspray.com/articles99/diggerwasps.html

Deltamethrin Dust: http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page1268.html

Cyfluthrin Granules: http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page1271.html

Esfenvalerate: http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page537.html

There's loads of wasps hanging around my windows and door in back garden. Everytime I open the window I get around 1-3 come inside. They seem to be very attracted the my garden wall. Can you recommend anything to get rid of them? Thanks

There could be several reasons why they're hanging around your garden wall. One is they may have been hibernating in cracks and crevices and are finally emerging now with the change of seasons. Another could be they are forming nests close by and are using the wall as a staging platform. Or there could be some kind of food in the garden they're attracted to which is keeping them around. Regardless, they can be intimidating and based on your message, I think you  need to do some kind of treating if you want them to go away.

If you review our WASP CONTROL ARTICLE, you'll see we have two sprays you might consider using. The CYPERMETHRIN is a true pesticide and will both repel and kill them if they land on treated surfaces. This would be what most people will spray around the house for keeping wasps and other invasive pests away. It's an excellent repellent and works on just about anything that might try to get on or in the home.

The other option is the INSECT REPELLENT. This product is not an insecticide but rather a simple repellent. Made with food grade ingredients, it's mostly used as a paint additive to help repel insects but it can also be used as a spray. Like the cypermethrin, it can be applied over plants and buildings without any risk or danger of hurting them.

Lastly, the FAKE WASP NEST is a visual repellent we've had great success using around the home to ward off unwanted wasp activity. Set one out per side of the home where you see them active and the nest should deter the activity.

Here are direct links for all the information and products mentioned above:

Wasp Control:  http://www.wasps.net/wasp-and-hornet-control

Cypermethrin:  http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page154.html

Insect Repellent:  http://www.non-toxic-pest-control.com/repellents/nbs-repellent-insect-spray

Fake Wasp Nest:  http://www.accountwizard.com/bugspray/shop.asp?outsidelink=item&value=826460

jonathan

www.bugspray.com