How to Get Rid of Wasps (Nests & Foragers)

To get rid of wasps, deal with the nest directly — treat it after dark when the wasps are inactive, or call a professional for large or hard-to-reach nests — and use traps only to thin out foragers around your patio. The most important rule is safety: wasp and yellowjacket stings are dangerous, especially for anyone allergic, so never disturb an active nest in daylight.

Know which wasp you’re dealing with

Treatment depends on the species and nest:

• Paper wasps build the open, umbrella-shaped combs you see under eaves and railings. They’re relatively docile but will defend the nest.
• Yellowjackets nest in the ground or in wall voids and are aggressive, especially in late summer. They’re the most common stingers at picnics.
• Hornets (like the bald-faced hornet) build large enclosed paper nests in trees and shrubs and defend them vigorously.

Knowing the type tells you where the nest is and how cautious to be (University of Minnesota Extension: Wasps and Bees).

How to treat a wasp nest safely

1. Wait until after dark. Wasps are least active at night, and nearly all of them are back in the nest, so you treat the whole colony at once.
2. Wear protective clothing — long sleeves, pants, closed shoes, and ideally a hat and gloves.
3. Use a wasp spray with a long-distance jet so you can treat from several feet away, and aim for the nest entrance.
4. Have an exit planned. Don’t stand on a ladder where you can’t retreat, and don’t shine a bright white light directly on the nest (it can draw wasps); use a red light if you need to see.
5. Don’t seal a wall-void nest until it’s dead — trapped wasps will chew their way inside the house.
6. Leave it to a pro if the nest is large, inside a wall, high up, or if you’ve ever had a serious sting reaction.

Traps and foragers

Wasp traps lure and drown foraging wasps, which helps reduce the numbers around a patio — but they don’t eliminate a nest. Place wasp traps at the edges of your yard, away from where people gather, so you’re drawing wasps away rather than toward your seating.

Preventing wasps

Stopping nests before they establish is easier than removing them:

• Inspect in early spring and knock down small starter nests before the colony grows.
• Seal entry points — gaps in siding, soffits, and around utility lines where wasps get into wall voids.
• Keep food and sweet drinks covered outdoors, and secure trash cans — yellowjackets scavenge.
• Don’t leave pet food out, and pick up fallen fruit.

For lower-toxicity options and what actually deters wasps, see our honest take on natural wasp repellents.

When to call a professional

Call a pro if the nest is large or enclosed, located in a wall or the ground where you can’t fully treat it, high and unreachable safely, or if anyone in the household is allergic to stings. The cost is small compared with a swarm of defensive yellowjackets.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best way to get rid of wasps?

Treat the nest directly after dark with a long-range wasp spray, wearing protective clothing — or call a professional for large, enclosed, or hard-to-reach nests. Traps only reduce foragers; the nest is what you have to eliminate.

When is the best time to spray a wasp nest?

After dark or in the very early morning, when wasps are inactive and almost all of them are inside the nest. Treating in daylight leaves many foragers out and provokes the active colony, which is far more dangerous.

Do wasp traps get rid of wasps?

Traps catch foraging wasps and can thin the numbers around a patio, but they don’t eliminate a nest. Use them as area relief at the edge of your yard, and treat the nest itself to actually solve the problem.

How do I keep wasps from building nests?

Inspect eaves and railings in early spring and remove small starter nests, seal gaps where wasps enter wall voids, keep food and trash covered outdoors, and pick up fallen fruit. Catching nests early is far easier than removing established ones.