Garden

[Mom2Dogs]

We have a small water feature in the back yard, the wasps are already flying around the water and stones - I am allergic and if I get stung I really suffer.  There are no nests in the area, I think they are attracted to the water.

Does anyone have any suggestions to get rid of them?

[PickyPicky3]

There is a nest in your area. Otherwise you wouldn't have wasps. Keep looking.   (Not the answer you wanted.) 

[gardenman]

Wasps build mud nests. To make mud they need water. That's why they're hanging out at your water feature. They'll build nests anywhere. I've found them under lawn chairs before. To find their nest just watch one and follow it from a safe distance as it leaves your water feature and you should find the nest.

[geezerette]

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@gardenman wrote:

Wasps build mud nests. To make mud they need water. That's why they're hanging out at your water feature. They'll build nests anywhere. I've found them under lawn chairs before. To find their nest just watch one and follow it from a safe distance as it leaves your water feature and you should find the nest.

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If you really want to get rid of them, get rid of the water.

You can find and destroy the nest(s), sure, but if you continue to keep a water source, you'll be fighting other wasps, mud daubers, hornets, bees, etc. who will move in for the water.

[Mom2Dogs]

Fudge - I thought they just wanted the water - now I have to look for the nests.  

We have a small garden shed across the yard from the water feature, where their nests are visible and we can easily see those nests...under the large pavers, won't be as easy.  Thanks!

[Scorpio1971]

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@Mom2Dogs wrote:

We have a small water feature in the back yard, the wasps are already flying around the water and stones - I am allergic and if I get stung I really suffer.  There are no nests in the area, I think they are attracted to the water.

Does anyone have any suggestions to get rid of them?

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@Mom2Dogs 

My suggestion...get an exterminator.  They are nasty.  Had a nest a couple years ago in logs used as a retaining wall.  Was walking by and they attacked me chasing me around the house & out to the street.  Thankfully I already had a pest control service plan so I called & they sent someone ASAP.  Let the professionals deal with them.  And make sure they have a return service plan in case they are not fully removed...the company should come back within a certain length of time if you contnue to have a problem.  Good Luck!

[silkyk]

You might want to hang up some wasp traps (lots on Amazon) and these are the ones we use. Works great! No stings when I go to fill up my hummingbird feeders.

[Still Raining]

Another thought is that if they are ground dwellers, fur babies can get paws stung.  A sad, sad affair 🦟

[Carmie]

We get wasps at our summer place.  They build their nest in a tree.  We buy a can of wasp spray and spray them at night, by the morning, they are dead.

Usually, they just build another nest in the same tree and we repeat the process.

One  year we had a nest that was so huge that somone from Penn State Univ came to pick it up for study.  We also had a huge nest wasps built in a plastic lidded trash can that we didn't often use.

If you have wasps, there is a nest nearby. Not all wasps use mud.  Some use chewed wood.

I have also seen their nests built in bushes.  It is best to find the early before they have offspring and the nest gets big.

[Carmie]

@silkyk   I have never heard of wasp traps.  Thanks is for the info.  I  am going to order some.  We are guaranteed to get wasps every summer and have to kill wasps and remove the nests several times before they move on.