How To Remove A Wasp Nest Without Getting Stung

1. Call for a Professional Assistant

The wasp nest removal is a highly risky and dangerous task to perform. No matter, if you are an allergic person or not, even a small mistake can lead to fatal injuries which might put your health at risk. It is always better to play it safely and call for the professionals to assist you.

If the nest is very large and has existed for a long period then you might not want to get involved in this very risky job. Also, keep yourself away from the nest if its location is quite unachievable with your effort or is in difficult-to-access areas. Make sure to identify the wasp species before you make any move.

2. Protective Clothing

If you are taking the job into your own hands, it can turn into a critical issue if you negotiate for your protection. You shouldn't leave any of the potential exposure and fully cover your body with the beekeeper's suit with an additional layer for extra caution.

If you can't afford the protective suit, you might want to wear long jeans, boots, jackets, gloves, and glasses with a covering for your head as well. Make sure to wear long socks and tuck your pants into them. Do not forget to wrap a scarf around the lower half of the face.

3. Safely Use the Spray

You should be careful while using the insecticide or wasp spray. Make sure you follow the labeled instructions properly, it would be best if you get prepared to handle the sprays quite early. Extra care should be taken to keep your pets and children away from the site at least for a day.

Also, you should be aware that inhaling the strong insecticide is poisonous to our health. So, proper orientation of the spray and the procedure is very essential during their use.

4. Allergy Considerations

Many people are allergic to wasps and bees. Actually, the venom of their sting can be very fatal to these allergic individuals. Therefore, you should know yourself first. If you are allergic to the wasp sting then it would be best for you to keep yourself away from the site.

You might want to call an exterminator for this job, in the meantime, you should be carrying an EpiPen with you in case of emergency. If you are an allergic person then it wouldn't be a good time to showcase your heroism.

5. Avoid Using a High Ladder

If the location of the wasp nest is at a certain height, you might think of using a tall ladder to reach there but it would be the worst of your idea because it wouldn't help you when you have to retreat or escape quickly. In many cases, a stepladder might become helpful since it has a small height and you can easily hop down.

While attempting to remove the wasp nest, there is a high possibility of wasp swarming, so it is equally important to plan for your quick retreat preventing the potential injuries resulting from the fall off the ladder.

Wasp is generally a useful insect that creates a balance in the natural ecology by controlling the population of pests, which are the drivers of serious diseases and infections in nature. However, humans and wasps find it difficult to live side by side and if you are allergic to wasps then it certainly requires immediate action.

The nest of wasps too close to human activity can be hazardous leading to several fatal encounters. They usually build their nest in the trees, under the eaves, or porches seeking a safe sheltered spot. They often get agitated and aggressive during the late summer or early fall increasing the risk of attacking and stinging.

If your house, yard, or porch has been providing shelter for the wasps, then before you do anything a proper assessment and scanning of the nest is mandatory. You need to consider every aspect for the safety and effectiveness of the nest removal process.

Firstly, figure out the size of the nest. The larger the size the more established the nest with a larger colony of wasps. This is a sign of difficulty and risk. Also, you need to inspect the location of the nest whether it requires climbing or any other essential tools. In the end, assess the wasps so that you can figure out their tendency of aggressiveness and potential hazards.

If you've decided to take things into your own hands, then you need to make the arrangements for special protective clothing for your safety. Make sure to wear long pants, gloves, boots, and jackets. If you don't own a beekeeper's suit then consider wearing multiple layers of clothing for added protection.

Be very careful with your head and eyes by covering them completely and do not forget to wrap a scarf on the lower half of your face. Grab a wasp spray and equip yourself with other essentials such as a flashlight, a stepladder, and a container to dump the nest.

You need to be certain about the right time to perform the wasp removal process. It has been suggested to perform the removal attempt when the wasps are less active with minimum risk of aggressive response. Usually, the right time to remove the nest of wasps is at night or early in the morning.

During this period between sunset and sunrise, the wasps are more likely to be in the nest and their activity level is also comparatively lowered. You should be aware that attempting to remove the wasp nest in daytime or windy conditions might lead to wasp swarming and ineffective wasp spraying.

After you have made all the necessary preparations, proceed toward the intended nest calm and composed with minimum movements and noises. The loud noises and sudden movements are likely to agitate the wasps. Make sure to plan for an escape route in the case of unanticipated events.

You need to gather all the patience and calmness while performing the wasp removal attempt. Make sure not to perform any sort of activity that might irritate the wasps, it could agitate them increasing the risk of attacking and stinging.

People often try nest-eliminating attempts by adopting three potential methods which are discussed below with proper instructions:

Using Wasp-spray or Insecticide

You can try saturating the whole nest using wasp spray or intended insecticides. Carefully, spray the nest aiming its entrance, and continue spraying until the whole nest is soaked. Make sure to spray from at least 10-15 feet away for the precaution.

Depending upon the size of the nest, you might need to apply the spray multiple times for an effective result. Upon direct contact with the spray, wasps might get killed or get saturated completely. After completing the spraying, you need to evacuate the place as soon as possible.

Using Insecticidal Dust

It has been found that insecticidal dust is more effective in penetrating the wasp nest. You need to purchase a bag of effective insecticidal dust from the nearby store and place about 30g in a disposable container. Make sure to apply it to the opening of the nest very carefully without blocking or covering the entrance.

Evacuate the place immediately after applying the dust. Now, as soon as the wasps pass through the opening, their wings and legs are likely to get coated with the dust contaminating the whole wasps through contact, eventually. The contaminated wasps are likely to die off within a day or two.

Using Dish Soap

This method is rather simple and effective to use for the elimination of the wasp nest. You need to prepare a solution mixing nearly 60ml of liquid soap with 1 liter of water. Place this solution in a spray bottle. Make sure your spray bottle is powerful enough to target a 10-15 feet away nest.

Depending upon the location of the nest, use this solution directly at the entrance of the nest until the wasps are in contact with the soap. The soap-water solution coats the wings of the wasp preventing them from flying and eventually saturating.

After the successful application of wasp spray, insecticidal dust, or soap-water solution, you need to quickly escape from the periphery of the nest to a safer spot. Now, you have to wait and monitor the nest for any potential activity.

It is suggested to wait for at least 24 hours before returning to the spot where the nest has been. Make sure all the wasps are dead or have left the nest. If you still encounter possible activity around the nest then you need to reinitiate the preferable elimination approach until everything has been settled down.

Now, you've made the nest free from the active wasps. You can pull or remove the nest from its location using a long rigid stick or handle, as per your preference. Pick a bag and dump the nest into it tightly covering the entrance. Keep in mind to use the protective gear all the time until all the tasks have been completed.

After that, it has been suggested to place the bag in a bucket containing water immersing it completely, and placing a stone over it so that any alive wasps will also get drowned and dead. Leave the bag immersed for at least 8 hours. In the end, abandon the bag away from your home.

Wasps are more likely to sting you if they feel threatened or disturbed around their nests. They can sting multiple times and release a venom while stinging which can be painful. The case could be more severe if you are allergic to the venom of the sting.

The seriousness of the sting, however, depends upon several factors such as the location, frequency, and the sensitivity your body reciprocates to the venom. Therefore, the allergic person might find it more painful.

Wasp Sting Pain

The sting of wasps may result in sharp pain with a deep cut or tear of the flesh, known as a laceration. You might experience a local toxic reaction at the site of the sting with a burning sensation.

In most cases, they cause minor discomfort with some common symptoms such as intense pain in the sting area initially, swelling and redness, itching, and some sort of heat at the site. The pain is immediate lasting only for some minutes which gradually becomes less intense over time.

Wasp Sting Homemade Treatment

Yes, you can treat the wasp sting on your own and it is not much of a serious concern, however, some people might experience horrible reactions, more particularly if they are allergic to the venom that needs urgent treatment.

We have provided some home remedies for you to alleviate the pain of the wasp sting below. Please follow our instructions very carefully to minimize the potential threat of the sting.

1. Wash the Area: At first, you need to properly wash the stung area with warm soap and water. The cleaning of the affected area will ensure the removal of potential bacteria or venom.

2. Apply Ice: After the cleaning, you need to wrap a thin, soft cloth around a small block of ice and place it in the affected area for about an hour. Do it at intervals of 10 minutes on and off to reduce the swelling and pain of the sting.

3. Take Anti-inflammatory Medicine: If you are in severe pain, you might want to take medicine to help soothe the pain and reduce the swelling. It is suggested to take anti-inflammatory medicine like ibuprofen.

4. Use an Antihistamine: You might experience itching, pain, and swelling at the affected site and surrounding area. In this case, the use of an antihistamine can help you cope with the problem.

5. Baking Soda and Water: You might as well want to prepare a solution mixing baking soda with water. Applying a thick layer of this solution to the stung area is found to neutralize the venom of the wasp sting helping to reduce the pain, itching, and swelling.

6. Use of Honey: Honey is also found to be effective while treating the wasp sting. You should apply a small amount of honey to the stung area. Now, pick a bandage and gently place it above the honey-applied area for about an hour. You will see the result within a few minutes.

7. Use of Vinegar: The acidity of vinegar is found to neutralize the alkalinity of the venom sting. You need to pick a soft cotton ball and soak it in the vinegar. Now, gently press the soaked cotton ball on the affected area. It will help to minimize the pain and swelling.

8. Use of Cucumber Slices: The cucumber helps to contact the skin cells and other tissues, known as astringent. You can slice the cucumber and gently rub the slice around the stung area until the pain subsides.

9. Use of Garlic: Garlic cloves besides having several health benefits can also be used to relieve the pain of the wasp sting. You need to crush the garlic cloves and apply their juices over the affected area with the use of a bandage.

These methods can certainly help to soothe the pain and swelling that has resulted from the wasp sting. The pain shouldn't last more than a day, however, if you are encountering severe problems and the pain doesn't go away then it would be better to call for a doctor or professionals. Don't hesitate to call for help!