Way, Way OT: Dealing with a Wasp Infestation? HELP!

Long story short -- I have a wasp nest inside the soffit of my home's roof. (Not visible from the outside, but you can see them entering and exiting thru the soffit holes.) From there many (about 30-40 in the last 2 days) have gotten into my bedroom. I THINK that I have cut off their route into the bedroom (taping over a very small hole that was on the ceiling, but their still entering/exiting the soffit from the outside.

I have trouble getting up a ladder, so I'm wondering whether there is some kind of wasp killer compound available to spray the soffit from down below (street level) strong enough to reach into the soffit. (Those Raid cans don't spray far enough vertically...... Just killed another wasp as I type this....). Perhaps there's something that works with spraying thru a garden hose? My home is two floors and the roofline (ie - the soffit) is just above the second floor.

The estimate I got from Orkin over the phone is $325 to remove the nest (Yikes!), so I'd love to hear any suggestions on how to deal with this!

HELP!

Thanks!

Contact an independent exterminator to check their price, independents are often cheaper and do just as good a job, or better. Barring that, see if a neighbor or a handyman would be willing to help, with compensation on par to the risk involved.

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Originally Posted by BoilerAnimal

Contact an independent exterminator to check their price, independents are often cheaper and do just as good a job, or better. Barring that, see if a neighbor or a handyman would be willing to help, with compensation on par to the risk involved.

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I was hoping to be able to do something myself to at least take care of the worst of it until the end of the Holiday weekend. All independents in my area seem to be closed until Tuesday.

Thanks.

How high is your soffit? Some have a spray killer have a distance of 27 feet. Or get up on a ladder far enough away and spray the area. Or use a pole that can trigger the spray from ground level

I just did a wasp spray around my garage where they were entering and that stuff worked great.

Will someone in your area help you out??

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTGYTICA_m4

Spectricide seems to work well in my case. May want to do multiple sprays..

If you know where they go in and out, spray the hole full of Bengal Foaming Wasp and Hornet Spray. It has a little tube to help aim it, and it goes in the hole, then foams up real big. Kills them on contact. I wiped out a whole colony of underground yellow jackets with 2 cans of that stuff. The yellow jacket nest was about 4 feet across and underground. I just found the holes they were going in and out of and foamed them until the can was empty. It works, and it will stay there long enough to get them all.

Foam them very early in the morning before the sun comes up. Foggy morning or misting rain would be best. They will all be on the nest because they don't fly when it is wet. If you spray them in the middle of the day, the ones that are away from the nest will escape and move in some other place.

The wasp spray we use at the barn shoots out at a very long distance. Get some help to shine a flashlight at night to get the majority of wasps. They seem to come home to roost at night. You can always spray a test shot (woods?) to judge the distance needed to reach your nest. Good luck!

Could you get access thru your attic?

DO NOT, repeat, DO NOT spray the out side into the soffit. Best to access the nest from the attic. Or spray up into the hole in the ceiling. Spraying the soffit will close off the entry and exit. They then will go berserk and look for another escape. Like a hole in the ceiling. This is best left up to the pros. :thumbup: Tom :spyder:

Will watch this one carefully. Catching them in the nest at night is the best time to take action.

The foaming and instant killing is a good idea, but carries some risk factors with it. If a bunch of them get out during the "kill," then you are going to have some very mad wasps.

The advice to find an "independent" exterminator is probably best if you do not want to spend the $325. Enough stings, and you could be severely injured or worse.

I'm going to follow the advice of getting an independent guy. Trouble is that nobody is calling me back (Labor Day).

I've been killing a bunch again today (swatting one by one). Lucky that they congregate near the window, wanting to get out. Makes it relatively easy to swat.

Lucky that I slept in a different room last night. This morning there were at least 20 of 'em either buzzing around or sleeping on the ceiling or window screen.

BTW - Now that I look more closely, I think they're actually yellow jackets......

I routinely use insect spray bombs in the house. I don't know if they are effective on wasps or yellow jackets. They are inexpensive and can be bought at Lowes or Home Depot. Come in a package of 3 cans. I usually buy 2 sets and set off 6 cans then leave the house for a couple of hours. No bugs at my house. Worth looking into. Good luck..... Jim

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Originally Posted by ARtraveler

Will watch this one carefully. Catching them in the nest at night is the best time to take action.

The foaming and instant killing is a good idea, but carries some risk factors with it. If a bunch of them get out during the "kill," then you are going to have some very mad wasps.

The advice to find an "independent" exterminator is probably best if you do not want to spend the $325. Enough stings, and you could be severely injured or worse.

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True that, I got stung about 30 or more times when I pushed the tree over with my tractor. Left the tractor and ran.

Waited a couple of days while they settled down and enough swelling went out of my face that my eyes would open again. Put on heavy leather racing suit, boots, gloves, and head net. Taped up all the joints with masking tape. Went back with Bengal foam for my revenge.

http://www.tanwater.com/pics/yellow%...nest%20007.jpg

http://www.tanwater.com/pics/yellow%...nest%20001.jpg

http://www.tanwater.com/pics/yellow%...nest%20002.jpg

http://www.tanwater.com/pics/yellow%...nest%20004.jpg

http://www.tanwater.com/pics/yellow%...nest%20009.jpg