We have wasps on our front lawn.  Not sure what they are doing,  getting water, food, etc?  They didn't do this last year.  In average at one time,  there may be 10 or so in various parts of the yard.  I have been very vigilant this year and have been watching for nests and getting rid of them.  What can I do to get them off the yard and why are they there?  Thank you.

Wasps forage in lawns for many reasons. In general we can be specific about what they're doing when we know the species involved. But when one describes the pest as a "wasp", that puts it in a category of hundreds and some of these go to lawns for different reasons. Here's the short list:

Water. If you water the lawn, it will no doubt attract all kinds of insects including wasps. But in general most any kind of turf will attract, collect and hold water over night even if you didn't water which in turn will attract many kinds of insect pests.

Food. Wasp food can be in the form of a particular insect. These could be dead or alive depending on the species. Untreated turf will harbor and host a long list of potential wasp food. Long story short; they could be foraging in your lawn for food.

Nesting material. Many wasps use organic matter to make their nests. In some instances, they'll find this raw material in the yard and when available, they're readily harvest it all season long to build and maintain their nests.

Ground nests. Some wasps live in the ground. In fact, the biggest segment of wasps are ground dwelling so maybe there are nests present in your turf and what you're seeing are it's occupants coming and going throughout the day.

These would be the more common reasons wasps would be active in your yard but the list is longer. The bottom line is most people don't want them around and if you're looking to repel them, there are two good products that will do the job. As explained in our WASP CONTROL ARTICLE, wasps can be repelled by spraying either CYPERMETHRIN or NBS REPELLENT. Both products should be applied over the area you're wanting to keep wasp free. Use either product at the rate of 1 gallon of finished product per 500 sq/ft of grass. The treatment should last 2-3 weeks  but treat more frequently if needed.

One special note; if you find the wasps are more concentrated and a bit stubborn not wanting to leave a certain area of the lawn, you might very well have some nests that will require a bit more treatment. Do this by concentrating your effort. Instead of dispersing a finished gallon over 500 sq/ft, instead use the entire gallon in just 100 sq/ft. This will make it harder if not impossible for them to use the treated area and usually after 1-2 applications, they'll either die or leave for good.

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.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/viper-cypermethrin

NBS:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/exempt/additive/nbs-paint-additive-16-oz

please reply,

thanks, Glenn

I believe you mean PERMETHRIN 10? If so, it should help. In our experience wasps are generally repelled by synthetic pyrethroids like Permethrin. That being said, in our experience we have found the CYPERMETHRIN to be about the best. It seems to last 2-3 times as long as the Permethrin so don't be too disappointed if the wasps return in 7-14 days compared to the Cypermethrin which can last a month or more.

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

Permethrin:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/permethrin-10

Cypermethrin:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/viper-cypermethrin

DRIONE would be a great choice. Use a CENTRO HAND DUSTER for areas you can reach; the DUSTICK will enable you to treat any high areas.

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

Drione:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/drione-dust

Centro Hand Duster:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/dusters/centrobulb-14-oz-w12-ext

Dustick:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/dusters/dustick

Both CYPERMETHRIN and NBS REPELLENT can be sprayed on the sides of homes, around windows, on cedar decks, etc. They both will repel insects but the NBS is only a repellent and can't kill anything. The Cypermethrin is a true pesticide and definitely will kill wasps that come in contact with treated surfaces.

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

Cypermethrin:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/viper-cypermethrin

NBS:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/exempt/additive/nbs-paint-additive-16-oz

If you read through our WASP CONTROL ARTICLE, you'll learn they commonly do this without forming or creating a nest. I suspect this is exactly what you have happening at your lodge each year. I say this because if they were forming or building nests, you'd have activity all spring and summer and most likely during the winter as well. That's the good news. The bad news is that local wasps in your region clearly overwinter or hibernate and at this point have marked your lodge as a great place to spend the winter. That means this trend will continue and no doubt get worse until you take a pro active approach and start stopping them from entering.

Though setting off TOTAL RELEASE AEROSOLS may kill some, no doubt there are a lot of wasps these treatments will miss. Additionally, more wasps can enter at will as long as the outside of the lodge isn't treated and protected. If you want better long term results, spray the outside of the lodge with CYPERMETHRIN as explained in our online article. This product is both easy to apply and highly effective on flying pests like wasps. It will not only kill any that attempt to enter but it will also repel them and other perimeter invaders that like to overwinter or hibernate on buildings.

Inside the lodge you can continue using Total Release Aerosols if you prefer but remember much of what they release is wasted. These products tend to spew chemical all over everything and in the long run aren't the best option to employ. No doubt some crack and crevice treatments with PT PHANTOM would prove to last a lot longer and affect a lot more wasps over time. Since it's mode of action is slow and deliberate, Phantom tends to affect "grouping up" pests like wasps or other insects which are coming inside to avoid the winter season because these pests like to gather in tight groups when hiding. This enables Phantom to infiltrate and kill so many more you cannot see so in the end, the net result is much better control.

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

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

Total Release Aerosol:  http://www.bugspray.com/item/indoor_insect_fogger.html

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

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

This is no surprise. In general, wasps will find these places attractive any time of year. As explained in our WASP CONTROL ARTICLE, they like sheltered spaces and voids for nest building so the sides of homes, up under soffits and roof lines, are perfect locations for them to live. But there are many homeowners who never see them during the summer and then in the fall they start to appear. So why only then?

Well, in the fall, many species of wasps are getting ready to overwinter or hibernate. As our article explains, they'll crawl up into small cracks and crevices most any home has along shingle lines, around window frames and where soffits, gutters and downspouts meet. In these cases the homes don't have nests; the wasps are simply foraging there to hibernate. And though most of these wasps will stay on the outside of the structure burrowing only deep enough to be protected through the winter, it's quite common to have some go so far into the home they end up in living spaces. If left untreated, these homes will attract more and more wasps over the years and eventually there will be nesting as well as periodic activity inside during the winter.

To stop this behavior, there are two things you can do. The first is to dust with DRIONE. I use it around my home twice a year; once in the spring (to stop new nests from forming) and once in the fall (to stop invading perimeter pests from hibernating on my house). As our article explains, Drione lasts a long time and is highly repellent to any insect. It's smokey like design enables it to filter up and into all routes of entry around treatment points making it highly effective when used around any structure. I find it's all I need to do at these crucial entry points but for some people, a topical treatment is needed as well. For that the CYPERMETHRIN is well suited. After dusting with Drione, spraying these same areas with Cypermethrin should be considered if you still see them around. Fast acting and highly repellent to wasps, it will last up to a month and can be applied to any side of the home where you see activity.

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 it's quite common to see wasps congregate this time of year. That's because like all insects, wasps are controlled by the local air temperature. As the air cools in the fall, it will slow most insects down. Eventually some of these insects will die as winter rolls around. But many others will hibernate on trees, rocks and houses and there are some species of wasps that do exactly this from year to year. I suspect you are seeing one of these species and they've marked your home as a good place to over winter. If left untreated I'm afraid you'll see more and more. Additionally, this can lead to wasps ending up in living areas as they forage through wall voids seeking warm air. In the process of moving about some can get inside and for obvious reasons you don't want a house full of these guys if you can avoid it from happening.

At this point I suggest you at least spray the sides of the home where you see them grouping up with the CYPERMETHRIN featured in our article. It will both kill what's there and prevent more from coming around. Wasps use pheromones to alert others in the area of a good nest site and over time more and more are likely to follow this scent. Once on the house, there are probably cracks and crevices they'll use for shelter and warmth during the coldest months. If you see cracks or spaces where any are traveling, be sure to dust them with DRIONE DUST. It's long lasting, kills on contact and will repel any insect from the area. It's ideal for this type of problem and should be applied once a year when invading perimeter pests like wasps try to use any structure for hibernating.

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

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

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 post which talks about WASPS AROUND A PICTURE WINDOW, you'll see what we recommend doing. The bottom line is you must be able to locate their route of entry if you wish to stop the invasion. Based on how many you've seen, I'm sure there is either a nest on the home or they are foraging inside some space or void in the home which is connected to your basement. Regardless, you'll have to seal the entry point and in order to do this, you will first need to identify the exact spot. At that time you'll be able to tell which treatment option to employ and then once the activity stops, you'll be able to seal it up to prevent this from happening again.

So read through the following post and try to locate the spot where they're entering and once you do, a treatment program can be initiated. If you have further questions on how to proceed after you locate where they're most active, give us a call toll free at 1-800-877-7290.

http://www.wasps.net/how-to-treat/wasps-around-picture-window.html