The red wasp is a type of paper wasp recognized by its reddish-brown body. They build papery, umbrella-shaped nests in sheltered areas, often under eaves, in attics, or within wall voids. While these social insects are beneficial predators, they defend their nests vigorously, leading to painful stings. Effective management focuses on repulsion and deterrence to encourage wasps to nest elsewhere.
Physical Deterrents and Exclusion Tactics
Preventing red wasps from establishing a nest is the most direct form of deterrence. Since they seek sheltered, dark spaces, sealing potential entry points is a foundational strategy. Inspect the exterior of the home for cracks, gaps around window and door frames, and tears in vent screens. Use caulk or mesh to close off these openings, especially in high-risk areas like roof eaves and soffits, preventing a lone queen from entering in the spring. Repairing holes in window and door screens is also important to maintain a barrier against accidental entry.
Wasps require readily available food and water. Red wasps are attracted to sweet substances in late summer, so securing all outdoor garbage cans with tight-fitting lids is advised. Promptly removing fallen fruit and keeping pet food bowls indoors eliminates easy foraging opportunities.
Territorial deterrence involves hanging a commercially available or homemade decoy nest in high-traffic areas early in the season. Since red wasps are territorial, seeing an established rival colony signals to a scouting queen that the location is occupied, prompting her to search for an alternate site. Eliminating sources of standing water, such as leaky spigots or bird baths, also reduces the water supply needed for nest construction.
Olfactory Repellents: Scents Wasps Avoid
Red wasps rely heavily on their sense of smell, making strong, non-food scents highly effective for repulsion. Certain essential oils contain compounds that paper wasps intensely dislike and can be deployed as spatial deterrents. Peppermint oil is widely used, as its strong aroma can disorient and repel wasps when applied to surfaces.
Other oils have demonstrated significant repellent effects on social wasps:
- Spearmint
- Clove
- Lemongrass
- Geranium
These oils can be diluted with water and a small amount of dish soap to create a spray solution that adheres to surfaces. This spray can be applied to eaves, porch railings, window frames, and other areas where wasps tend to congregate. For continuous passive deterrence, cotton balls soaked in a concentrated essential oil blend can be placed in strategic, protected locations.
Plant-based methods offer a way to create a naturally scented perimeter around outdoor seating areas. Planting certain herbs and flowers near patios and doorways introduces fragrances that wasps tend to avoid:
- Spearmint
- Thyme
- Citronella
- Marigolds
- Geraniums
A simple household solution involves using a mixture of white vinegar and water, which can be sprayed around non-porous surfaces. The acetic acid odor in vinegar is unpleasant to wasps. Natural repellents require frequent reapplication, typically every three to five days and immediately after rainfall, to maintain effectiveness as the volatile compounds quickly evaporate.
Safe Application and Interaction Guidelines
Applying repellents and interacting safely with red wasps requires a non-aggressive approach to avoid triggering defensive stinging behavior. The safest time to apply any deterrent spray or place a repellent is at dawn or dusk when wasp activity is minimal and most wasps are inside the nest.
When applying repellents near a suspected nesting site, wearing long sleeves, long pants, and protective headgear is advisable to minimize the risk of stings. These methods are designed for repulsion, not eradication, and should treat areas where wasps might land or begin building, not active nests. For established, active nests, seeking professional assistance is the safest option.
If a red wasp is encountered, remaining calm and avoiding sudden, rapid movements is the best course of action. Swatting or flailing can be interpreted as an attack and will likely provoke a defensive response from the insect or nearby colony members. Slowly moving away from the area without agitation reduces the perceived threat.