Wasps Again!

[so lucky]

I cut a fancy new curtain to put over the nest box openings, to give the girls some privacy in anticipation of them beginning to lay. First I had to pull down the very old one that was there, stapled on with big manly staples. With the banging and thumping, I started to see wasps come charging out. Ack! I thought I had gotten rid of all of them earlier in the week. I peeked in as far as I could get my head in there, tilted it up to the ceiling of the box, as far as my old neck could turn, and saw many wasps, 3 big nests!
Grabbed my Hot Shot wasp killer and tried spraying upside down, cause the nests are way up there! Spffft! Great, wasp spray doesn't do so well upside down. More wasps come pouring out. Spraying wildly as they chase me through the yard!
I got away without getting stung, but now there are dying wasps in the nest boxes. I sprayed a little more, just for good measure, lol, and closed up the coop so the chickens can't get in for a few hours. I'm delaying putting the new curtain for a few hours, too. I need to knock down the nests that are there, so I can know if another one is being built. Although, it may be too late in the season for wasps to be starting to build? Anyone know?

 

[RhodeIslandRed5]

We have red wasps to, so I understand about spraying, running in terror, swatting, and screaming your head off.
Hot Shot really isn't the best brand of wasp spray. We use Raid, but I don't think it's as strong as it used to be. But if Hot Shot works for you, that's fine. Yes, knock the nests down, preferably in the evening or at night even when it's cooler and the wasps aren't quite as aggressive. Try this: after knocking the nests down, rub a bar of soap along there to discourage more nest building.

 

[so lucky]

Yes, normally I do wait till dusk, but this event just sort of happened. I hadn't heard of the bar of soap idea. I may have to try that.

 

[Brahmachicken240]

Stuff a brown paper bag up with some news paper, Tie the bag off with string, crinkle up the bag so it resembles a wasp nest and hang it up beside the wasp nests, they should all be gone the next day.

 

[Chicken Heel]

Stuff a brown paper bag up with some news paper, Tie the bag off with string, crinkle up the bag so it resembles a wasp nest and hang it up beside the wasp nests, they should all be gone the next day.

I'll try that next summer. I have had more wasp nests around my coops this year than I can ever recall. Fortunately, they have been red wasps which are not overly aggressive. The ones I call ring tails are vicious and will sting the Hell out of you as I have had happen more than once.