Wasps under Decks

[beenthere]

TMcD's deck reminds me of a question. How do you folks keep the wasps from building nests under these decks? I find they like to do that, and they are a pain to crawl under, risking more 'pain', to spray the nests. Never know where the next one is, when trying to destroy them.
Any ideas?

 

[Pilot]

Depends on how big the deck is. They used to nest somewhere in my tractor & every year they would be buzzing around me when I first started up the tractor. So I got a very large plastic tarp, put it over the tractor, sealing it around the edges by laying my garden hose on it, then setting off a bug bomb underneath it. Each time I would find several bugs dead under it the morning after. Eventually they gave up & haven't bothered the tractor again.

 

[TMcD_in_MI]

We haven't had much of a problem with wasp nests under the deck. My previous house had a big old cedar deck and we had quite a few wasps around it, but when I tore it off to rebuild it, I didn't see many nests under it. They did love the eaves in that house, though, and would build a dozen or so nests every year. Luckily, they were usually small ones.

Strangely, when the new deck was built, the wasp population went down a lot. I thought maybe it was because they were using wood fiber from the old cedar to make their nests and the new pressure-treated lumber wasn't to their liking.

I've found that the brown colored paper wasps we have around here are pretty mild mannered. I've opened up LP gas lids, bathroom vent covers, and electrical box covers, all with active nests inside. Usually the wasps just stay on the nest, or, at most, fly around a little. I've never been stung by one unless I really threatened it by putting my bare foot on it or getting one inside my long johns (true story). Maybe northern Michigan wasps are just more mellow than your average wasp. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

Tom

 

[PBMAX]

Beenthere, our back deck is 14'x28' and 15' high. We have small swarms of the Red wasp's (10-30 of them at a time) and they will chase you and can be tempermintal. A few times a year during the warmer months I spray the area using one of those hose despencers and some consintrated bug killer. I last bought "Diazinin" (spelling) and use it in its weakest sulution and whose down the under side of the deck and along the eves of the house. Leaves a faint smell for a couple of days, but eventually the wasp stop coming around for weeks a time. Been using the same 20oz bottle for 2yrs now it doesn't take much.. I also keep a spray bottle with some for those occassions when I gets really warm(70 deg's) during the winter months for a few days they come out of know were. I just spray around the back doors and lights and such to keep them away from traffic areas...

 

[beenthere]

Guess I will just have to raise my deck about 10' so I can walk under it and spray. Should work /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Thanks for the spray tip.

 

[Donman]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( They did love the eaves in that house, though, and would build a dozen or so nests every year. Luckily, they were usually small ones.
)</font>
I always had that trouble too,especially under the porch ceiling where they found a small hole. They would come and go out of that hole about 20 to 25 per minute until I had an idea. My old shop vac had the inlet hose on top of the unit and two extension tubes plus the crevase tool came within 1 1/2 inches of their hole. It was funny to see their flight path speed up and curve towards the inlet of the vac. During one 15 minute session I had over 350 wasps in the barrel.

 

[PineRidge]

Here's my secret for eliminating wasps and hornets.

For several years we paid a local exterminator to free us from wasps and hornets. Every time we called it cost us $85.00 to $110.00 depending on how many nests that we had under our deck.

I was talking with the guy that was spraying our deck on one of the visits and he was mixing a batch of the chemical in the back of his van that he was getting ready to spray. The chemical that he was getting ready to use was called Cynoff EC.

So I searched the web and located the very same chemical that he was using at the time. The information that I found on Cynoff EC was that the active ingredient that it used was Cypermethrin. The odorless, general-purpose insecticide contains the best active ingredient for elimination of German roaches, wasps, hornets, ants and other insect pests. Leaves no visible residue and the residual effect lasts for months. The recommended mixing rate was 1/2 ounce per gallon, each quart makes 64 gallons.

So I purchased a quart to try it for myself. Now, I normally mix up a gallon of the chemical using 1 ounce of Cynoff EC per gallon of water. I apply it with a pump-up sprayer and hit all the shutters, the soffetts, and under the deck. If I see a nest anywhere else I soak it down. Any insects that get hit with it quickly die and those that come back to a nest that has been sprayed quickly die. I don't need to re-spray for a couple of months after the initial application.

The last time that I purchased a quart of Cynoff EC was 3 years ago and it cost me then $80 for a quart. I still have over half left and I have saved lots of money over using the exterminator that we used to call once or twice a season. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Here is a link where I found the chemical. Cynoff EC

Try it, you might like it! We do.....

 

[OKnewguy]

Cynof is great, I use it too!. I found a place called doityourselfpestconrol.com. I think it was about 50 bucks.
It is also great for spiders and scorpions.
dave

 

[Pilot]

I used Diazinon under my eaves where I was getting wasp nests every year. One applicaiton took care of the problem until we repainted about 6 or 7 years later. Too bad they banned Diazinon. Probably banned it because it worked so well.

 

[HRS]

TM, the wasps down here in Georgia are about the same. Now I know that there are different types, but those that build under my deck, etc. never bother me. I've been out working on the deck, turned around and discovered a wasp nest just inches from me. And they never even flew off the nest. They will just shift back back and forth and keep an eye on you. The only time I have ever been chased by them is when I've knocked them down with spray. So now I don't even bother with them. Just knock down their old abandoned nests when I find them. I have been stung, but again that was years ago when I felt the need to wipe them out. They will fight back.