Hornet/ Wasp Problem..

green manalishi · Apr 14, 2025

So last summer when purchasing our new house, with a 24x28 shop in the back, I noticed a lot of yellow and black hornets/wasps (bigger than the standard yellow jacket, and also some black and red ones) buzzing around the shop area and back of the house...I really just assumed that they were kind of normal for the area we had moved too. Fast forward to this March, and I go out to the shop, and find a whole bunch (about 10) scattered across the floor of the garage or on the cars- they seemed dormant, like in that winter sleep they go into, or maybe they were dead. Anyways, I collected them, took em outside, and stomped em into oblvion thinking maybe it was no big deal, just a coincidence a few were in there. We lost power with a storm a few weeks back and I havent been out to the shop for a while, I go out there 2 days ago and find about another 15 of them again all over the shop and the cars, mixed between the black and yellow and black and red ones, and some are slowly moving/waking up, so I do the same routine of collect and kill.

I cleaned the shop gutters out last weekend since they needed it badly, hoping I would find a nest on the outside, but nothing. I have looked all along the ground, as I am wondering if these are the type that make ground nests outside (I don't really know what species these things are, and I have looked at pictures), but can't seem to find anything. The inside of the shop has fibreglass insulation, and vapor barrier, but that's about it- only part of the shop was covered with drywall, then they stopped, and none on the ceiling was done.

Wondering what my options are, as my concern is they have somehow made it through the vapor barrier and insulation and there is a nest somewhere I cannot see in the walls or ceiling. I was planning to get some drywall up to finish the shop, while also working on the cars, and now I am shifting my concerns to this as my 2 year old son likes to come out there with me a lot while also simultaneously playing in the shaded area next to the shop (where these pests seem to be hanging around) and I don't think its quite safe at this point. Has anybody dealt with this kind of thing before? Is my best bet to call a pest control company? Or are they not going to be able to do much for me?

wssix99 · Apr 14, 2025

Do you have any untreated wood laying around? I had a similar problem with some firewood that I brought inside the house. I was sloppy and some of it touched the ground while stacked.

They will bore into the wood, (looks like big termites) nest and then emerge. Some hornets also nest in holes in the ground. (If you have any exposed dirt.)

Identifying the exact species will help you ID where the nest might be and what it would look like.

green manalishi · Apr 14, 2025

wssix99 said:
Do you have any untreated wood laying around? I had a similar problem with some firewood that I brought inside the house. I was sloppy and some of it touched the ground while stacked.

They will bore into the wood, (looks like big termites) nest and then emerge. Some hornets also nest in holes in the ground. (If you have any exposed dirt.)

Identifying the exact species will help you ID where the nest might be and what it would look like.

I don't, although I did just last week put a few stumps by the garage from a tree I had to cut down due to it breaking during a recent ice storm. But it would seem, even based on what I saw last summer, that these have been here for a while.

I am worried about nests in the ground. From what I have tried to find, it seems I have yellow jackets, but they are much bigger than anything I have ever seen. However, I do know their nests are in the air, so that helps with that, although I have not seen or found anything upon looking...As for the black and red ones, I can't seem to figure them out. I am worried about ground nests, as having a 2 year old with a big open yard, he tends to run everywhere and anywhere, and I worry that there may be something in the dirt.

Im in Southwestern Ontario (Canada) so I have been trying to investigate based on species native to here.

dougf · Apr 14, 2025

I'll be following this as I have the same issue. I'll go out to my shop and have 10-15 buzzing around and pissed off. I'll kill them all by spraying a can or two of hornet killer (covering all my **** with the spray) just to have another 10-15 buzzing around in an hour. It's nearly consuming all of my time out there and I have no idea how to stop them.

green manalishi · Apr 14, 2025

dougf said:
I'll be following this as I have the same issue. I'll go out to my shop and have 10-15 buzzing around and pissed off. I'll kill them all by spraying a can or two of hornet killer (covering all my **** with the spray) just to have another 10-15 buzzing around in an hour. It's nearly consuming all of my time out there and I have no idea how to stop them.

I just called a Pest Control company from the next town over, who have been in business for 30 years. He essentially told me that the best treatment that can be done, is in the fall, and its a very short span of when it can be done (6-8 weeks). He told me if he sprays now, that it will literally not do anything besides take my money- and here I am thinking spring was the time to tackle this. His advice to me was be aware, keep my shop vac handy for the stunned and dead ones, and call him back in mid august. My shop has metal siding, so he said they are most likely between the siding and the insulation, and he deals with this problem in all the little towns nearby.

So essentially, I need to start looking for home brewed ways to keep these things away and kill them (preferably)....Because what you just described is exactly what I am dreading. I don't want to spend all my time in the garage dodging wasps or trying to keep the little guy out of a part of the backyard because of the danger

dougf · Apr 14, 2025

Thanks for the info, I wasn't aware there's an ideal window to treat and kill them, so I'll keep that in mind for this year. I've done everything i can short of purchasing a drone to fly around looking for the nests in trees and roof lines

RalphInCA · Apr 14, 2025

It’s war.

You have to hit them hard and hit them fast as soon as you see them.

I don’t have much property, but I walk it about every other day looking for wasp/bee encroachment.

Then I hit them. I remember that spot. I hit them again for a couple of days after the initial treatment.

You can’t let up.

Also, hitting the nest at night kills more because they have returned to the nest.

green manalishi · Apr 14, 2025

RalphInCA said:
It’s war.

You have to hit them hard and hit them fast as soon as you see them.

I don’t have much property, but I walk it about every other day looking for wasp/bee encroachment.

Then I hit them. I remember that spot. I hit them again for a couple of days after the initial treatment.

You can’t let up.

Also, hitting the nest at night kills more because they have returned to the nest.

What do you mean? What are you hitting them with?

The problem is I have no idea where the nest is. I think its in my walls, or ceiling, behind the insulation, but I am definitely not prepared to find out exactly where. I have had wasp nests that I have dealt with in the past at my previous house, and a night kill on the nest always worked. My issue is I have no idea where the nest is

Kaizen · Apr 14, 2025

Most hornets and wasps all die in the fall and the queen lays her new queen egg in the ground. In spring the new queen comes out and sets up shop. IMO you have two possible things going on. They are outside someplace not necessarily on your property, and getting into your shop somehow. Then at night they can't get out and without the warmth of the nest they either die or crawl like you are talking.
The other thing could be that she laid up a nest a month ago and these are the new babies (brood).
The good thing is they all have a nest and they constantly will go to a food source and back to the nest then out to food source.........all day long. So keep your eyes open and you should see some flying and you will be able to track them to nest.
Do you have a light on in your garage at night? It might be attrackting them.
If you can see the hole they are going in i recommend this spray that i get from home depot. So strong it knocks them right out of the sky. Whatever you do don't seal the hole. They will find another way out. If you find their nest in a wall you might need to rip some stuff off to spray them.
Ground dwelling ones are more difficult to find. I'd definitley keep kids and animals out of that area. ground nests can be huge and can kill. Same deal to find the nest and there are a few solutions you can find on youtube. I'm partial to dumping a half gallon of gas in at night and lighting it. Your exterminator guy basically poisons the soil in your whole yard so the winter queen can't survive the winter.

Spectracide PRO Wasp and Hornet Killer Aerosol 18 oz, Pack of 12

MACE7818826, HG-30110, SpectracidePRO Wasp & Hornet Killer is designed to kill wasps, hornets and yellow jackets and eliminate the nests where they live and breed. This product also kills mud daubers. Kills wasps, hornets, yellow jackets and mud daubers This product reaches nests up to 20 feet...

mrosupreme.com

b-boy · Apr 14, 2025

What's the shop made of? I have a pole barn with steel siding and a steel roof.

I have a lot of problems with yellowjackets. They like to get under the steel and setup nests in ribbing. They don't need much of an opening. I don't see them inside very often, but my walls are finished with plywood.

When I figure out how where they are entering, I usually douse it with hornet spray for a few days and then try to plug the entry point.

Yellow jacket nests keep growing during the warm weather, so Fall is when things get bad. If you can get them early they're easier to eradicate.

Now - if anyone has a way to get rid of carpenter bees, I'd love to hear about it.

green manalishi · Apr 14, 2025

Kaizen said:
Most hornets and wasps all die in the fall and the queen lays her new queen egg in the ground. In spring the new queen comes out and sets up shop. IMO you have two possible things going on. They are outside someplace not necessarily on your property, and getting into your shop somehow. Then at night they can't get out and without the warmth of the nest they either die or crawl like you are talking.
The other thing could be that she laid up a nest a month ago and these are the new babies (brood).
The good thing is they all have a nest and they constantly will go to a food source and back to the nest then out to food source.........all day long. So keep your eyes open and you should see some flying and you will be able to track them to nest.
Do you have a light on in your garage at night? It might be attrackting them.
If you can see the hole they are going in i recommend this spray that i get from home depot. So strong it knocks them right out of the sky. Whatever you do don't seal the hole. They will find another way out. If you find their nest in a wall you might need to rip some stuff off to spray them.
Ground dwelling ones are more difficult to find. I'd definitley keep kids and animals out of that area. ground nests can be huge and can kill. Same deal to find the nest and there are a few solutions you can find on youtube. I'm partial to dumping a half gallon of gas in at night and lighting it. Your exterminator guy basically poisons the soil in your whole yard so the winter queen can't survive the winter.

Spectracide PRO Wasp and Hornet Killer Aerosol 18 oz, Pack of 12

MACE7818826, HG-30110, SpectracidePRO Wasp & Hornet Killer is designed to kill wasps, hornets and yellow jackets and eliminate the nests where they live and breed. This product also kills mud daubers. Kills wasps, hornets, yellow jackets and mud daubers This product reaches nests up to 20 feet...

mrosupreme.com

Thank you for taking the time to reply and give me some of that info.

Garage is dark at all times when I'm not in there. I guess I will have to wait until I start seeing them fly around and then try to follow them, and hopefully in the process make sure they don't come after me.

I am shocked at how large these possible babies might be though...Where I was in the city, the yellowjackets were not nearly as long (still don't know if they are yellowjackets or hornets)

green manalishi · Apr 14, 2025

b-boy said:
What's the shop made of? I have a pole barn with steel siding and a steel roof.

I have a lot of problems with yellowjackets. They like to get under the steel and setup nests in ribbing. They don't need much of an opening. I don't see them inside very often, but my walls are finished with plywood.

When I figure out how where they are entering, I usually douse it with hornet spray for a few days and then try to plug the entry point.

Yellow jacket nests keep growing during the warm weather, so Fall is when things get bad. If you can get them early they're easier to eradicate.

Now - if anyone has a way to get rid of carpenter bees, I'd love to hear about it.

Its stick construction, with shingle roof BUT steel siding. Do you find them typically in the roof, or the walls? Part of me is thinking if I can get walls up quickly, maybe I won't get them in the shop since they won't be able to enter.

rlitman · Apr 14, 2025

green manalishi said:
...it seems I have yellow jackets, but they are much bigger than anything I have ever seen. However, I do know their nests are in the air, so that helps with that...

Every single time someone describes a stinging insect, spider or snake to me, the description is ALWAYS at least double the actual size. Perhaps it's the same mental illusion of the giant full moon near the horizon, but in any case, PLEASE take some clear pictures with something for scale and get back to us.

There is absolutely no way to give good advice with only the information we have so far. I can think of many different possibilities, each with different fixes depending on what you're dealing with. Oh, and your local pest control company's answer is also almost certainly wrong, though I do know that the pesticides available in Canada are very limited, so perhaps it is due to that.

green manalishi · Apr 14, 2025

rlitman said:
Every single time someone describes a stinging insect, spider or snake to me, the description is ALWAYS at least double the actual size. Perhaps it's the same mental illusion of the giant full moon near the horizon, but in any case, PLEASE take some clear pictures with something for scale and get back to us.

There is absolutely no way to give good advice with only the information we have so far. I can think of many different possibilities, each with different fixes depending on what you're dealing with. Oh, and your local pest control company's answer is also almost certainly wrong, though I do know that the pesticides available in Canada are very limited, so perhaps it is due to that.

I get it what you are saying, but I never gave an actual size...and after I stomped em to death, I realized I should have taken some pictures for reference. I lived in the city for 10 years, where we got what we called yellowjacket wasps, but these look the same in colouration, just a bit more slender and a decent bit longer. I don't know if that is still a yellowjacket, or if its a type of hornet, BUT I have to go into the shop tonight for a bit so I will try to snap a few pics if I can.

I was going to call a couple of other places to get a second opinion- his words to me was that a treatment now would be a waste, but yes, we are severely hampered here when it comes to pesticides. I did some reading and came across something called Permethrin SFR, that apparently can be sprayed all over to help, but of course we can't get that here....

I will try to update this post with pics. I have a wasp allergy, and I am usually not afraid or bothered by them, but everything changes when you have a toddler of your own running around..

BurtEggley · Apr 14, 2025

green manalishi · Apr 14, 2025

BurtEggley said:

Its funny, because when I look at some of these pictures, the species either look different for the name, or they have a different name for a species because they go by multiple....According to this picture, the western yellowjacket looks the most accurate for what I am seeing for some of them...As for the red and black one, hard to say, but cow killer or red paper wasp? Ill snap some pics tonight hopefully.

kj_mustang · Apr 14, 2025

Yellow Jackets will build large nests in the ground. Look for a hole in the ground near the building and watch for activity.

BurtEggley · Apr 14, 2025

if they are yellow jackets, as others have said, they could be in the ground. Sometimes around/inside electrical panels or inside walls. Before it gets hot, walk the perimeter being ready to run the second you see them, and you can also tap the walls with a stick or baseball bat etc.. to induce vibration. Just be aware that they will follow you for some distance. It is a myth that if you leave them alone they will leave you alone. Ask me how I know.

yellow jackets do respond to these traps. Catch the queens now.

wssix99 · Apr 14, 2025

green manalishi said:
I don't, although I did just last week put a few stumps by the garage from a tree I had to cut down due to it breaking during a recent ice storm.

This would be prime habitat, but if you are finding these things inside your building, they are probably hatching inside the building. (If the stump is outside, then I wouldn't think its the source.)

The wasps hatch and quickly die when they run out of energy trying to get out to find food. When I had them in our firewood, the emergence seemed to happen early in the mornings.

PWC Repair · Apr 14, 2025

kj_mustang said:
Yellow Jackets will build large nests in the ground. Look for a hole in the ground near the building and watch for activity.

Well, that depends........people call anything by different names. Around here they will be referred to as a "ground" hornet a lot of times. They are about honeybee sized and as stated, nest in the ground. I ran over a nest right in the front yard last year with the pushmower. Got hit about 7 times before I knew what was going on. Waited 'til dark, dumped about a quart of old gas down the hole, then lit it. Must have burnt out 200 of them suckers. Then the regular 'hornet' (called a yellow jacket around here) is striped as well but paper 'red' wasp sized and they usually make paper nests INSIDE walls, attics, old car trunk, etc. The red wasps make the paper 'celled' or umbrella shaped nest and are normally hanging from an eave or other like structure, found a small nest in one of the kayaks Saturday(stored hanging upside down),........right after I got stung in the back of my leg during pressure washing.

zendriver · Apr 14, 2025

If there is that many of them you should be able to see them “coming and going” from some area of the inside or outside of the building

They generally use the same entrance to the nest

green manalishi · Apr 14, 2025

BurtEggley said:
if they are yellow jackets, as others have said, they could be in the ground. Sometimes around/inside electrical panels or inside walls. Before it gets hot, walk the perimeter being ready to run the second you see them, and you can also tap the walls with a stick or baseball bat etc.. to induce vibration. Just be aware that they will follow you for some distance. It is a myth that if you leave them alone they will leave you alone. Ask me how I know.

yellow jackets do respond to these traps. Catch the queens now.

Sounds good, I will try seeing if I can summon them and make sure I have my PF Flyers laced up tight. As far as these traps, do you just use the mixture they come with? Or something else? And is the plan to attract them to these FAR away from where they are? Or just trap them where found?

wssix99 said:
This would be prime habitat, but if you are finding these things inside your building, they are probably hatching inside the building. (If the stump is outside, then I wouldn't think its the source.)

The wasps hatch and quickly die when they run out of energy trying to get out to find food. When I had them in our firewood, the emergence seemed to happen early in the mornings.

They were in the garage long before I brought the wood over (wood has only been there about a week now, and I was seeing these back in middle of March) but I will definitely move them just as a precaution.

green manalishi · Apr 14, 2025

PWC Repair said:
Well, that depends........people call anything by different names. Around here they will be referred to as a "ground" hornet a lot of times. They are about honeybee sized and as stated, nest in the ground. I ran over a nest right in the front yard last year with the pushmower. Got hit about 7 times before I knew what was going on. Waited 'til dark, dumped about a quart of old gas down the hole, then lit it. Must have burnt out 200 of them suckers. Then the regular 'hornet' (called a yellow jacket around here) is striped as well but paper 'red' wasp sized and they usually make paper nests INSIDE walls, attics, old car trunk, etc. The red wasps make the paper 'celled' or umbrella shaped nest and are normally hanging from an eave or other like structure, found a small nest in one of the kayaks Saturday(stored hanging upside down),........right after I got stung in the back of my leg during pressure washing.

Thats exactly part of the difficulty in identifying them, it seems everyone has different names for the same thing depending on region or what they are accustomed to calling them. The ground ones have me the most worried, so if I do end up having those, they are getting the gasoline and match treatment also.

zendriver said:
If there is that many of them you should be able to see them “coming and going” from some area of the inside or outside of the building

They generally use the same entrance to the nest

They aren't really flying yet, as where I am at its still quite cool. They are either dead, or in that dopey phase where they are moving very slowly or just laying there. I wanted to try and solve this before they become more mobile, but it may be difficult to find where the nest is if they aren't moving much.

rlitman · Apr 14, 2025

green manalishi said:
Its funny, because when I look at some of these pictures, the species either look different for the name, or they have a different name for a species because they go by multiple....According to this picture, the western yellowjacket looks the most accurate for what I am seeing for some of them...As for the red and black one, hard to say, but cow killer or red paper wasp? Ill snap some pics tonight hopefully.

Cow killers are fuzzy and do not fly. Notice the lack of wings. They're often misnamed as cow killer ants.
Unfortunately that chart is terrible, as it doesn't show the various types in scale with each other. The cicada killer wasps for example are 2-3x as large as the western yellowjackets, and many of these species listed aren't found in most places, plus many come in different color variations (I know of at least three color variants of mud daubers in my area).

Cicada killers do have both red, yellow and black. That's the first thing that comes to mind that's really large, and might be found with a mix of both red and yellow. It would be great news if you could identify them as that, since cicada killer's don't sting.

BurtEggley said:
...
yellow jackets do respond to these traps. Catch the queens now.

Don't waste your money. Traps don't catch queens, only workers. It is impossible to use traps to destroy a colony, and it's unlikely you can place enough traps to even make a dent. You CAN use bait stations to attract workers to bring poison back to the colony, but I don't believe you can purchase a non-repellent bait in Canada (Fipronil is what you need), and even in the US this is questionably legal (the EPA label is the law), so that's why I didn't recommend this.

Steve_P · Apr 14, 2025

I got stung twice last year by what I believe were hornets. I didn't really see them as I took off running, screaming, cursing, but holy **** did it hurt! The only positive was that it was on each leg and not my face. I've been stung by yellow jackets many times over the decades, both hiking and mowing the lawn, but this was magnitudes greater in pain and took many days to go away.

Yeah, that chart isn't very useful as there's no scale. Hornets are typically significantly larger than yellow jackets.

cody1325 · Apr 14, 2025

Spectracide is what I've always used, and for jobs where I don't want to mess with chemicals--Dawn+ water in a spray bottle seems to be pretty darn effective as well. Basically, as I understand, the soapy water keeps insects from "breathing" through the shell, and they suffocate.

My Old Tools · Apr 14, 2025

Delta dust or Tempo dust is what the bug guy will likely use. They use a puffer to blow it into cracks where they think a nest could be. We had a lot of red wasps here when we moved in. I got rid of just about all of them by caulking.

Oily Ape · Apr 14, 2025

Bees, Ants, Wasps and Similar Insects of Ontario (96 Found)

Page showcasing all insects found in the North American state/province/territory of Ontario

www.insectidentification.org

BurtEggley · Apr 14, 2025

Also - you don't need to buy traps until you know whether they will be attracted or not. Nail or tie a chicken bone with a little meat on it where the dog won't get a hold of it and see if they go after it. If they do then the traps will work. If they do not then the traps won't draw them in. In answer to the question, a cotton ball goes in the bottom, a fluid that smells like rotten meat goes into the cotton ball, and a small piece of lunch meat goes on the prongs inside the trap. The wasps that are like I described that like meat will go into the trap and die. Some people make their own traps by filling an aluminum turkey tray with soapy water and putting chicken bones with meat on a board upside down over it, where the board is just inches from the soapy water. The wasps eat the meat and fly a bit down as they leave, hitting the soapy water.

You can use a pump up sprayer with soapy bubbly spray to spray open paper wasps (NOT-HORNET balls) type nests. Not so with ground nests because of the way the tunnels are. A ground nest can be 2 or 3 feet across and several feet deep. There are plenty of YouTubes of bozos trying everything from fire crackers to vacuum cleaners to get the little buggers. Same with Hornet nests. Some hornets and wasps spray for the eyes so don't go outside your comfort lane.

green manalishi · Apr 14, 2025

rlitman said:
Cow killers are fuzzy and do not fly. Notice the lack of wings. They're often misnamed as cow killer ants.
Unfortunately that chart is terrible, as it doesn't show the various types in scale with each other. The cicada killer wasps for example are 2-3x as large as the western yellowjackets, and many of these species listed aren't found in most places, plus many come in different color variations (I know of at least three color variants of mud daubers in my area).

Cicada killers do have both red, yellow and black. That's the first thing that comes to mind that's really large, and might be found with a mix of both red and yellow. It would be great news if you could identify them as that, since cicada killer's don't sting.

Don't waste your money. Traps don't catch queens, only workers. It is impossible to use traps to destroy a colony, and it's unlikely you can place enough traps to even make a dent. You CAN use bait stations to attract workers to bring poison back to the colony, but I don't believe you can purchase a non-repellent bait in Canada (Fipronil is what you need), and even in the US this is questionably legal (the EPA label is the law), so that's why I didn't recommend this.

Check out my original post I attached a picture of a low energy one on the floor of the garage when I walked in.

cody1325 said:
Spectracide is what I've always used, and for jobs where I don't want to mess with chemicals--Dawn+ water in a spray bottle seems to be pretty darn effective as well. Basically, as I understand, the soapy water keeps insects from "breathing" through the shell, and they suffocate.

I will look it up, but have a feeling I won't be able to get that in Canada

Oily Ape said:
Bees, Ants, Wasps and Similar Insects of Ontario (96 Found)

Page showcasing all insects found in the North American state/province/territory of Ontario

www.insectidentification.org

I have looked at that. I will have to look again now that I snapped a photo.

BurtEggley said:
Also - you don't need to buy traps until you know whether they will be attracted or not. Nail or tie a chicken bone with a little meat on it where the dog won't get a hold of it and see if they go after it. If they do then the traps will work. If they do not then the traps won't draw them in. In answer to the question, a cotton ball goes in the bottom, a fluid that smells like rotten meat goes into the cotton ball, and a small piece of lunch meat goes on the prongs inside the trap. The wasps that are like I described that like meat will go into the trap and die. Some people make their own traps by filling an aluminum turkey tray with soapy water and putting chicken bones with meat on a board upside down over it, where the board is just inches from the soapy water. The wasps eat the meat and fly a bit down as they leave, hitting the soapy water.

You can use a pump up sprayer with soapy bubbly spray to spray open paper wasps (NOT-HORNET balls) type nests. Not so with ground nests because of the way the tunnels are. A ground nest can be 2 or 3 feet across and several feet deep. There are plenty of YouTubes of bozos trying everything from fire crackers to vacuum cleaners to get the little buggers. Same with Hornet nests. Some hornets and wasps spray for the eyes so don't go outside your comfort lane.

Great idea! I will try that!

NUTTSGT · Apr 14, 2025

zendriver said:
If there is that many of them you should be able to see them “coming and going” from some area of the inside or outside of the building

They generally use the same entrance to the nest

Yes, this is what you need to look for and I would generally recommend not standing in the regular flight path.

I found a ground hornet nest last year. After dark, I picked up my stick pile and set it on top of the entrance for a day or two. I believe I got up one morning before they started getting too busy, dumped some kerosene on the pile and lit it. Along with a couple of used oil filters and keep it burning with some fire wood for most of the day.

I wanted to make sure I got the ground nice and warm. If any of them tried to leave the nest they got cooked. I dug up the nest a day or two later. I believe I posted some pics here somewhere.

RonnieC · Apr 14, 2025

b-boy said:
Now - if anyone has a way to get rid of carpenter bees, I'd love to hear about it.

Ugh carpenter bees! Had them in the handrails of the deck on a previous home. I kinda hemmed and hawed about dealing with them. Then the woodpeckers started coming and drilling through the tops of the handrails to get them. I used some spray that had a small tube like on wd40. Then a few days later I’d plug the holes with 1/4” dowels.

wssix99 · Apr 14, 2025

I just remembered how I found my source of wasps inside - cats. They loved going after them. After a few emergences, I had a line up of cats waiting at the problem piece of firewood at sunrise. (and playtime)

I don't think anyone got stung.

green manalishi · Apr 14, 2025

Some pictures of what I am dealing with. Not sure what these things are exactly...

Torque&Recoil · Apr 14, 2025

I'm no entymologist, but isn't that a paper wasp? Very common around here. As previously mentioned, Spectracide Pro is very effective. I got my last couple of cans from Home Depot. Or just use any "wasp spray". You just want a powerful spray so you don't get close to the nest, and ideally (like Spectracide Pro) something that keeps killing the loners who eventually return to the nest. They usually build large "paper" nests that hang under the eaves, but I have known them to crawl inside cracks in siding and make their nest in there.

tncatadjuster · Apr 14, 2025

Dawn dish soap in a foam cannon worked for me on paper wasp exposed nest. Its easy and does not hurt to get it on you, pump sprayer works as well.

rlitman · Apr 14, 2025

green manalishi said:
Check out my original post I attached a picture of a low energy one on the floor of the garage when I walked in.

Great pictures. You have Northern paper wasps. These form an upside-down umbrella shaped hanging nest with cells exposed from underneath. Very easy to kill with sprays from below if you can reach them. These don't nest in your walls, though they can take advantage of openings in eves to make nests hidden between rafters. Look up under overhangs.

What's cold stunned or just resting on the floor, stomp. I like to use a bug zapping racket, though that can piss them off, so I use mine while wearing a bee suit.

I'm wondering if they're getting in through some opening, seeking a light source and now trapped, end up on your floor. They don't tend to nest indoors, but if you have some vents up high that aren't screened, they can work their way inside.

They have a good sting, but they're also not all that easily agitated and they're pretty easy to kill, so they're not the worst problem to have.

M.Brane · Apr 15, 2025

Sure looks like a paper wasp to me too.

Where I grew up (inland SoCal) we had wasps/hornets that would make huge nests in the open eaves of buildings. I can remember throwing rocks at one as a dumb kid, and getting chased down. Dumb.

Have since learned that you kill the wasps, but don't destroy the nests. They won't come back to an empty nest. The wasp spray works well. So does Brakeclean or carb cleaner. Even straight alcohol.

BurtEggley · Apr 15, 2025

could be drone males dying after mating. You will be looking for these shortly

MushCreek · Apr 15, 2025

I live in the woods in South Carolina, and we have thousands of wasps/hornets. They get into my barn through the roof vents, and if I screen the vents, they'll clog up with tree pollen. I've given up trying to control them.

Hornet/ Wasp Problem..

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