Paper Wasps

[JAK]

I have a small paper wasp nest in my shed. About the size of a grapefruit at this point. I got stung twice before I ran away. I didn't swell up at all and the stings went away surprisingly quick. I am thinking of just hosing it down, rather than buying a can of Wasp Raid. Is this advisable. I am not worried about getting stung, but will they die or go away or just rebuild?

[Deberosa]

I've used a hose but not on nests as big as you describe. You of course will not be killing them, simply relocating them with the hose. It's the one chemical I use around here because those wasp/hornets can be nasty! You are lucky they didn't affect you that much! Around here they can get agressive.

If you do this, you probably already know it but do it after dark so they are not as active.

[WileyCoyote]

They. Will. Not. Die. A few might drown but the rest will rebuild - sometimes in the same spot, sometimes in a hidden spot where they may be an unwelcome surprise to you.
Deberosa is right - I poison few things but those are the things I will poison heavily - right at dusk as they come home. Two days later I use the hose only to knock down the nest and destroy it.

[MadTripper]

I'm not sure if its true but I've heard the more you are stung, the more likely you are to become alergic. Just FYI. Additionally, you can use hairspray (preferrably aerosol not pump) or wd-40 to kill them instead of buying wasp and hornet killer. Hairspray is actually pretty cool as it keeps them from cooling themselves off and flying so they get to crawl around for a little while.

[AlchemyAcres]

No need for spray...wait until dark as Debbie suggested, so they're all 'home' LOL

Squarsh (sic) the nest good with a board or something. LOL

~Martin ;)

[annabella1]

Okay, this is probably too late but wait till night knock the nest into a cloth sack (Pillow case will work) tie up the open end quick, then drive over it with your car a few times. This will kill the adults and the larva and the eggs. If you want to burn the whole thing for good measure be my guest.

[jim]

An uncle of mine used to calmly walk up to those "yellow jackets" nests, pull them off bare handed and drop them into a can of gasoline. He was the only one in the family that would try that. The rest us us kids used rocks and sticks, and the adults used a gasoline soaked newspaper to burn them out. I still shudder thinking of him just pulling the nest off. Wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it.

jim

[chorlton]

Paper wasps are supposed to be good for controlling other insect pests, but like most of you I have a bit of a dislike for them! I've seen people use gasoline but obviously thats inadvisable in a shed :-/ I'd use the raid :-[

[PK.]

Annabella isn't just wanting to get rid of the things, she's wanting to absolutely destroy them. Is there some hidden rage toward wasps there?

[annabella1]

I just don't believe in messin around, get it done right the first time. I just saw in a magazine fake wasp nests you can hang where you don't want them. The idea is that they are territorial and will not build a nest where there is one already. I don't know if it works or not, But it would be worth a shot.

[flatwater]

The hair spray works well especially after you light it. Be sure and carry a fire exstinguisher with you in case the barn starts on fire. You ain't been stung untill you have been stung by a baldfaced hornet. I think they have a turbo charged jackhammer for a stinger.
Flatwater.

[cubcadet]

Paper wasps are on the benign side in my opinion. They`re fair pollenators too. It`s the yeller jackets that`re the bad guys. They have some sort of mystic connection with the hive so that when one of them is killed, the rest know it. They have one mind, sort of like the Star Trek episode. Landrew. Anyone remember that one? They attack as a body. Bad thing about them as opposed to hornets is they`re so small, it`s sometimes too late to run when they nail you. Victor puts out a non- toxic wasp killer that I also use to evict mice from my shed. It`s made from peppermint oil.

[jjspirko]

Death, Death, Death!

I hate those things by August we end up with hundreds of them under our deck and they get sprayed with the heavy stuff. They are mean, they bite and my wife is allergic to boot.

I don't even kill snakes, "rescued" a rattler last year but those wasps (especially they paper and red ones) must die. >:(

[walls0stone]

you save snakes...ok no more stone help for you!

[B00kW0rm]

Paper wasps are the ones that we HAVE to get rid of, DH is highly allergic. We have epi-pens here at home and his work to counteract symptoms of anaphylactic shock. Just to make sure it's done right we usually have someone else come and remove the nest.