Getting rid of wasp nests under deck


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Old 08-25-16, 02:55 PM
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Getting rid of wasp nests under deck

I have a fairly large deck and every year I get many wasp nests under it. My usual MO is to crawl under the deck at night with a flashlight and a can of bee killer (2 or 3 cans actually), the kind that can hit from a distance. This works, but I've got a 20'x40' deck and it is built into a hill on one side, so it's very difficult to access the joist spaces nearest the hill as there is not much headroom. I have to use a mirror taped to a stick and reach it under the joists to see if there are any nests. Putting my head under to look would be way too risky in such a confined space. Is there a better way? Something that could be set off like those flea bombs you can set off in your house? I imagine that I'd almost have to cover the deck with plastic for that to work, but that's not an option with such a large deck. Just wondered if anyone had any better strategies than what I currently do.
 
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Old 08-25-16, 06:47 PM
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Hi sudz,
I've had to deal with yellow jackets and wasps more than I like to remember. Had one inaccessible spot, a soffit, where I drilled a small access hole and used a 10' piece of plastic conduit. I installed a 1/4" plastic tube on the end that would fit into the hole. I then taped up my air nozzle to the other end and loaded it through a side hole with 7 dust. Closed the hole and agave it a blast. Fogged the entire soffit and never saw another wasp.

My point. Depending upon where they are building their nest can you install a delivery system to just that area. Or are they building nests all over the place?

Could a couple of deck boards be made removable to gain better access?

Just guessing. Try this search it seems to offer a lot of natural options.
"deterrents to keep wasps from building nest"

Bud
 
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Old 08-25-16, 07:21 PM
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thanks, Bud. they do tend to build them all over in random places. Removable deck boards might work. I'd have to assess that maybe. I'd thought of adding pluggable access holes to the end, but that would only give me access to the last joist run. I'd need to access several as the joists run parallel to the slope of the hill. i'll check out the search.
 
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Old 08-26-16, 05:07 PM
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Is there any way that a compressed air sprayer or back pack sprayer with a long wand would reach into those joist voids? Those sprayers would require water based sprays that won’t give the quick knockdown but will kill everything it touches including leaving a residual on the treated wood/nests.

Otherwise, an electric fogger, used on a calm day/night should fill those voids as you get more volume and flow than with aerosols. No need to cover the decking above if it is a very calm period. Anything the fog will contact will die but no residual. May have to do it multiple times per season. Some foggers even have a short hose attachment to focus the fog. This would most likely be an oil-based spray that you buy pre-mixed.
 
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Old 08-26-16, 05:17 PM
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This is an example of a low priced fogger that I found when I searched “electric insecticide foggers”. Some of them get quite expensive and I’m certain that the higher priced units are better but for the small area that you are talking about this might just do the job. Some foggers are propane powered. I have no knowledge or experience with those but they may be fine.



Cutter Electric Insect Fogger-190396 - The Home Depot
 
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Old 08-26-16, 07:26 PM
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thanks. I will check that out. would be tough to do it with a wand as I'd be spraying blind in some spots. here is a couple pix of the deck I took while I was still building it about 10 or so years ago. it'll give you an idea what I'm dealing with. It goes from about 50" near the pool to a few inches clearance under the joists near the hill. kind of boxed in. not real open. Name:  1936897_979743549004_6566782_n.jpg
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Old 09-05-16, 03:54 PM
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For a bug bomb to work you'd definitely have to cover up the big gaps somehow because it's outdoors. However, because you have the deck mostly covered it could be worth it. Stand aside throw it in and fire in the hole.
 
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Old 09-06-16, 03:37 AM
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I have a propane fogger, the key is using it on a calm day. If a slight breeze, then stand upwind and let it drift toward the area. You also want to avoid fogging yourself in the process. It works by sending liquid through a red hot coil that vaporizes the liquid. It exits the fogger with some force but not a tremendous force. May shoot 4 to 5 feet and then the wind takes over.

Let you neighbors know you have one so they don't think there is a fire at your house. I bought mind mainly for mosquito's but since they drained the wetlands behind my house to build apartments, it is not near as bad as it used to be. For a while, I couldn't walk to my car without getting bit.
 
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Old 09-06-16, 08:36 AM
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thanks. i will look into getting one.
 
 

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