Consider mixing 2 tablespoons (30 mL) of shampoo or dish soap in to help the peppermint stick to the application area and suffocate the wasps.
Only spray nests at night and cover your light source with a cloth or use amber or red bulbs to prevent the wasps from attacking you.
Never spray near candles or a lit grill. Avoid burning the nest after spraying WD-40—this is extremely risky if you cannot control the flame.
Apply insecticides directly to any individual wasps or to the entire nest, as directed. Work fast and try and apply the insecticide at night when the wasps are less active.
Hire a professional exterminator if you are on a limited timeframe—they have access to stronger chemicals, so the wasps might die more quickly.
Don’t attempt to swat wasps if you have slow reflexes or haven’t practiced swatting, as you are likely to get stung when the wasp flies away and tries to defend itself.
Choose a vacuum that has a removable bag. Vacuum wasps as spring arrives, right when they start coming out of hibernation. They tend to be slow and sluggish, making it easier to catch them and sweep them away.
Move potted flowers away from your house and avoid using sweet or floral perfumes, shampoos, lotions, or soaps. Do not let food linger outside, especially in the heat.
Lure traps can be purchased from department stores, big-box stores, and online suppliers.
Wipe a layer of cooking oil around the edges of the trap so that it becomes too slippery for the wasps to stand on. Before emptying the trap, freeze it or pour boiling water into it to kill any remaining living wasps.
Bait stations can be purchased form big-box stores or online suppliers.
Use glue traps during the early stages of nest development, when the wasp population is smaller at this point and more easily controlled. Purchase glue traps from big-box stores and online suppliers.
Use drinking stations early in the summer for best results. Keep adding fresh water every 1 to 2 days to attract more wasps, and repeat the whole process every 3 to 5 days.
Purchase fake wasp nests from big-box stores and online suppliers. You can also use a paper lantern or brown paper bag.
When the wasps are alive, you must knock the nest down on a regular basis to discourage the wasps. Expect to knock the nest down several times before the wasps give up and find somewhere else to build. If you have applied in insecticide and most of the wasps are dead, saturate it with insecticide spray after knocking it down and then break it apart.
Always wear protection and be careful—this method can trigger a mass attack.
Only attempt to capture wasps in late October or after the first hard freeze, which is at least 4 hours in a row of air temperatures lower than 25 °F (−4 °C). Make sure the plastic has an airtight seal.
