Wasps: When Do I Need A Pro?

Over-the-counter (OTC) wasp sprays are commonly available and may be tempting for homeowners to use when dealing with a wasp or hornet nest. Let’s discuss some of the major factors that dictate whether an OTC spray will do the job.

Below, we will discuss the 4 steps to complete eradication and also the roles that residual effect and detectability play in these steps.

1. Eliminate wasps on the outside of the nest.

Both OTC and Professional products do well at eliminating lingering wasps. OTC has an immediate knockdown effect, which can be very important if you are in the middle of a BBQ and you need the wasps gone quickly.

Pro products do not have an immediate effect. Instead, the Pro products will stick to the treated area and be transferred to wasps landing on it. The effect will take place in minutes or hours, not in seconds like the OTC products.

2. Eliminate wasps that return from scavenging.

As mentioned in step #1, OTC sprays are highly effective initially. However, this advantage turns to a disadvantage when we discuss scavengers. In the pest control industry we have a saying. “The faster it works, the shorter it lasts”. This is especially true for OTC products. There are 2 disadvantages of OTC in this situation. 1. OTC does not leave residual product. 2. Even if it did leave residual, OTC products are detectable to the insects and they will not land on them.

Pro Products will have a much longer lasting residual effect often giving weeks to months of additional protection. There is the added bonus that Pro products are undetectable and therefore make it much easier to eliminate the entire nest. It is not uncommon to find that an application of the right Pro product in the Spring can significantly lower the risk of additional nests forming for the remainder of the summer.

3. Eliminate all adults on the inside including the Queen.

OTC spray does not have enough residual, and does not allow wasps exposed to the product to live long enough to transfer it to the inside of the nest.

Pro products are specially formulated to leave enough residual on the outside to be transferred and eliminate the remaining adults and queen on the inside of the nest. This is very important since eliminating the queen means that they will not be able to rebuild their numbers.

4. Eliminate eggs and pupa when they emerge as adults over the next few weeks.

Often times homeowners think that they have eliminated a nest of wasps only to see them return in the next few weeks. Sometimes this will repeat all through the summer with new wasps appearing every few weeks, over and over again. What they don’t realize is that the eggs and pupa will hatch over the next few weeks at which time they will begin to rebuild their numbers again.

When a Pro product is used the residual will remain on the exterior surfaces so that when the new hatchlings appear they will be exposed and subsequently eliminated also.

The two advantages that a professional product has over OTC spray are their ability to have long-lasting residual effects, and the ability to be undetectable. While OTC wasp sprays can be useful for very smaller nests and immediate situations, larger or more challenging infestations are best handled by professionals. Pest control experts can assess the situation, choose the most appropriate insecticide, and apply it safely and effectively, ensuring the complete elimination of the nest.