Wasps, hornets and Japanese lady beetles

  • Wasps, hornets and Japanese lady beetles

    Posted by IsleOfViewHomestead on April 2, 2023 at 12:03 pm

    We just moved to North Arkansas, and are already having a big problem with paper wasps getting into the siding on our house. We also have a bunch of Japanese lady beetles running around. They have clearly been here for some time before us, but other than spraying chemicals to rid the place of them, what can we use? What is a paper wasps natural predator?

    The hornet and wasp traps we’ve purchased, don’t attract the paper wasps at all, and they are the biggest problem.

    SilverLining replied 1 year, 7 months ago 7 Members · 11 Replies
  • 11 Replies
  • MartHale7

    Member
    April 2, 2023 at 1:39 pm

    I love paper wasps as they eat the worms from my garden. I will take them out if they are in the way, but other than that they are an friend of the garden for me.

    • IsleOfViewHomestead

      Member
      April 3, 2023 at 12:37 pm

      Good to know. Thank you! I think I may be able to get them away from the house, and back into the trees where we will have our gardens, using the decoy nests everyone is suggesting.

      • MartHale7

        Member
        April 3, 2023 at 3:36 pm

        To kill them where you don’t want them take a 1 gal sprayer and add about 6 table spoons of dish soap, then add about 1/4 gal water, shake, pump up and spray them at night. It will cause them to drop.

        I love wasps outside, and out of my living space, other than that they die.

  • PurpleDragon

    Member
    April 2, 2023 at 1:48 pm

    What about giving them an environment they like away from the house? I have never had to deal with them but I have done it with other bugs and it worked for me.

  • Maranatha

    Member
    April 2, 2023 at 3:26 pm

    They’re not fond of strong smelling plants such as basil, mint, rosemary, oregano, eucalyptus, citronella, wormwood, etc. Planting something like that around the house could help.

    Wasps are also territorial, and don’t usually build a nest within 20′ of an existing nest. You could install decoy nests around the house and the wasps will build their nests further away.

    I’ve also heard that you can repel them with dryer sheets. I haven’t tried it for to the chemicals involved, but I think it would be a better alternative than wasp spray.

    • IsleOfViewHomestead

      Member
      April 3, 2023 at 12:38 pm

      Oh sweet! I didn’t know about the repellant plants. We will definitely get some for them decks then. Maybe even try the paper bag decoys others suggest to. Thank you!

  • ChamberlinFamilyFarms

    Member
    April 2, 2023 at 5:40 pm

    We always tied paper lunch sacks in a ball shape and hung them where ever they were, and has always left. Think it’s a hornet. Works for wasps not lady bugs

    • IsleOfViewHomestead

      Member
      April 3, 2023 at 12:39 pm

      GENIUS! I didn’t know they were territorial. Definitely going to try some plant repellants and nest decoys👍🏻

  • Ozark-kat

    Member
    April 2, 2023 at 10:23 pm

    I haven’t had to try this yet, but perhaps it would work for you. I found it on Pinterest.

    https://www.kitchenstewardship.com/natural-wasp-killer/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=pinterest&utm_campaign=tailwind_tribes&utm_content=tribes&utm_term=342483684_10622212_362639

    PS—welcome to Arkansas….Johnson County here.

  • IsleOfViewHomestead

    Member
    April 11, 2023 at 10:31 pm

    Ok y’all. 100% the paper bags work! We put one up and lo and behold, no more wasps on that side of the house!

    Thank you all for the suggestions!

    • SilverLining

      Member
      May 18, 2023 at 2:39 am

      I’m glad you went this route as they truly do have benefits.

      Tag has a video on how he caught the beetles. You can search his Life Done Free videos. It’s one of his first videos.

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