After writing, how to get rid of flies?, how to get rid of ants?, and how to get rid of bees?, we are now writing the ways to get rid of hornets and hornets nest naturally. It is not a difficult task to get rid of hornets and their nest naturally. However, before looking for the remedies, it is very important to know the main cause of the hornets. Make sure that the hornets do not build their nest in your area and, if they do so you can follow below listed remedies to get rid of hornets naturally.
What are Hornets?
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Hornets are also known as wasp and yellow jackets. There are nearly 20 hornet species. The bald-faced hornets are found mostly in North America. Hornets construct hives by chewing wood into a papery construction pulp. These hives can contain thousands of hornets or wasps. Removing their hives can be a harmful task because while doing so they feel threatened and become aggressive and so they may sting you. The sting is painful. It turns red and gets inflamed. So, stingers should be treated on time with some ointments or cream. To know more about the treatment of hornet’s or bee sting, read article on how to treat a bee stings?. Their diet consists of insects and plant nectar which they consume to fulfill their dietary needs.
Types of Hornets:
- Red Wasps: These types of wasps are reddish in color with black wings. Red wasps are widespread and aggressive.
- Bald-faced Hornets: These are not actually hornets. Instead they are aggressive black and white wasps that get easily annoyed. You need some professional help to deal with hornets.
- Paper Wasps: These type of wasps build open nest which looks like an umbrella. They are aggressive and should be eliminated from the high traffic areas.
- Cicada Killers: These types of wasps are very large and can damage plants and stash them to feed themselves. Cicada killers basically ignore people and animals.
Best Methods to Get Rid of Hornets and Hornets Nest Naturally:
1.) Block-Off The Underground Nests
This method applies to get rid of underground hornets nest for hanging nests follow step 2. Underground hornets nest are easy to destroy as compared to hanging nest. All you have to do is block the entrance of hornets to the nest. First, you need to find all the entrance and exits of the nest and then cover them with a large bowl. Before covering it with the bowl, pour some soapy water down on of the entrances and exits. This will help to suffocate the hornets. Then cover all the entrance and exits with bowl and leave the bowl for a few weeks. This helps to kill all the hornets inside their nest.
2.) Cut the Branch of The Tree
This tip is very useful to get rid of hanging hornets nest naturally. Though it is a risky job but it is as effective as the above method for underground nest. You need to cut the branch of the tree on which the nest is hanging. Before cutting the branch place a huge dark-colored polyethylene, bag or cardboard box beneath the nest so that they can fall directly in that. Make sure, that you wear protective clothes, cover yourself, you face, wear glove, and try to cover you as much as you can so that the hornets will not able to sting you. You can also add a solution of vinegar, liquid soap, and water in the beneath box. Tie the bag properly after you collect the nest. The hornets will die due to the strong smell of vinegar. Later you can burn the collected bag.
3.) Spray The Dish Soap
The pesticides can be very dangerous for pets, children and plants. So instead of using the pesticides, you can make a solution, which will kill the hornets and won’t harm others. Take a hose sprayer and fill it with dish soap and water to get rid of hornets nest naturally. Wear protective clothing and stand at some distance from the nest. Then, spray the soapy water in the hornets nest. The soap will stick to their wings and put them down. Then they will die off.
4.) Make Some Traps
There are various glass hornets traps that come handy in reducing hornet populations in their area. All you have to do is place the trap around the nest of hornets. Place a bait in it to attract the hornets. Use savory bait such as tuna as they attract the hornets, yellow jackets, and wasps but not honeybees. Glass traps are very pretty but you can also make your own trap by using a plastic bottle. You can make bait by using mashed grapes, sugar and lemon juice, kokanee beer or coolers, sugar, and vinegar etc.
5.) Destroy Hornets Nests at Night Or Early Morning
If you want to get rid of hornets nest naturally and no pain, then it is best to do at night. In the night, hornets are least active, they are less aggressive and that’s why their reaction time is slower. To view their nest don’t use a regular flashlight since they will feel threatened and may sting you. So use a red or amber colored light for checking at night. You can also get rid of hornets nest early in the morning.
6.) Don’t Give The Foods
Hornets are attracted to food and to get rid of hornets naturally, you have to cut the food supply. They like foods, which are rich in sugar and meat products. If you have a hornet or wasp problem, don’t put food outside. Try to avoid white or yellow clothes and scent of perfume especially at the affected place.
7.) Grow Some Specific Plants
Plants such as eucalyptus, wormwood, citronella and mint are natural hornets repellent. So grow up the plants in your garden so that hornets stay away from your house. This is the best way to get rid of hornets naturally and always keep them away.
8.) Make a Vinegar Trap
Since vinegar has a strong odor, that’s why it work as an insect repellent and best suited to get rid of hornets naturally. To make the traditional hornets trap, cut the neck of the soda bottle. Place the neck part on the base of the bottle, to create a tunnel from where wasp can enter inside. Fill the bottle with the vinegar, dish soap and meat to attract them and hang it around the hornet’s nest. After seeing the bait, the hornets will enter the trap and won’t come out because of the pungent odor of vinegar.
9.) Make Fake Nest
Hornets are very territorial creatures. They do not build a nest, if they see that there is already a nest in the same vicinity. So to prevent the hornets from building a nest, you can put a fake hornet nest, which is available online or you can make it own. To make a nest, you need a paper grocery bag and some good twine. Then crumple up the bag and hang it near the existing nest. When hornets see the fake nest, then they don’t near to your home. After destroying a hornets nest it is recommended that you put up a fake nest.
10.) Spray Some Pesticide
Buy an aerosol spray pesticide, which is designed for killing hornets from your local market. Before using this pesticide, wear protective cloth. Now, spray the pesticide on the bottom opening of the nest. Do this for 10 to 15 seconds to clean the area. Leave the area for a night. In the next morning, you will see that the hornets are dead. Now, dispose these dead hornets and broken nests immediately.
11.) Smoke the Hornets Out
This is one of the best home remedies to get rid of hornets. One of the protective measures is to use smoke. All you need to do is below the nest light a fire in the grill. You can even light a small fire underneath the nest. The smoke will slowly rise up and reach the nest. Once it reaches the nest it will suffocate the hornets and force them to leave the nest. For 100% result, make sure that smoke rises up for 1 to 2 hours. Once the hornets vacate the nest use a stick to destroy the nest.
12.) Peppermint Oil to Get Rid of Hornets
This is one of the most effective home remedies to kill hornets. Peppermint oil repels the hornets. Hornets hate the strong aroma of peppermint oil. All you need to do is soak cotton pads in peppermint oil. Place these oil pads in hornets affected areas such as ledges, crevices, porch roofs etc. Pour peppermint oil on spots where you had previously seen hornets. Many types of hornets build new nest in the same locations. According to a study published in Journal of Pest Management Science it is a wonderful remedy to get rid of hornets,
13.) Sugar and Water Trap to Kill Hornets
This is one of the most effective remedies to kill hornets because it first attracts the hornets and then kill it. You can make your own sugar trap using a plastic bottle within minutes. Once the hornets enter the bottle they will get trapped and die. Follow these step by step directions to make your own trap.
- Take a 2 liter plastic bottle and cut off the neck. Flip the neck of the bottle upside down and fix it in the bottle opening with a duct tape. Make sure you remove the bottle cap.
- Pour a mixture of water and sugar inside the bottle. Apply some cooking oil along the edges of the trap so that the hornets fall easily in the trap. Hang your homemade trap outside or in your balcony.
- Make sure you pour boiling water in the trap when you empty it. Boiling water will ensure that all hornets are dead.
14.) Locate the Nest to Get Rid of Hornets
If you really want these pesky creatures out of your life, you need to find out their exact location. A hornet’s nest looks like a mud construction which looks similar to a pine cone or a mass lump. They generally make their nest in a sheltered location. You can find this nest on windows, in tree branches, under leaves, inside abandoned buildings, attics etc. Hornet’s nest is also found in spaces that are protected from weather conditions.
15.) Vacuum to Remove Indoor Hornet’s
This is one of the best methods to remove indoor hornets. All you need to do is keep the nozzle of the vacuum in the direction of the hornet. Make sure you do not squash the hornets because they leave a chemical signal behind which turns up the hornets. This may not be the case indoors but you need to be careful. But remember one thing that don’t squash a hornet outside. Another thing that you can do is wear safety equipment and then pull off the nest. Dispose this nest in a large plastic bag.
16.) Essential Oil Blend to Get Rid of Hornets
This is one of the most natural ways to repel hornets. The blend of geranium, lemon grass and clove essential oil is works effectively to get rid of hornets. All you need to do is take a spray bottle and mix few drops of each essential oil. Now, add some drops of dish wash soap. You can either spray this liquid directly on the hornets or on places where hornets are likely to build nest. So use this spray to keep the hornets away from your home.
17.) Bucket Trap to Repel Hornets
This is one of the most effective methods to repel hornets. Buckets filled with mild soaps, sugar water and vinegar are very effective in trapping the hornets. All you need to do is fill a bucket with any of these solutions and place it in the corners inside or outside of the house where the hornets are found mostly. You can put this solution under eaves and make sure you replace the solution on a regular basis.
18.) Hire a Pest Professional to Kill Hornets
If you are willing to eliminate the hornets completely from your home, then hire a pest professional. It is an easiest and fastest way to drag the hornets out of your home. You will be safe especially from the hornet’s stings. Pest professionals indentify the nest, exterminate the wasps and make sure that they do not return to your home.
19.) Patch up Cracks to Prevent Hornets
If you want to keep these pesky creatures away from your house, it is necessary to take some preventative measures. Look out for tiny cracks in the house and seal them up. Check out the power lines that enter the house. Make sure there are no holes in the window screens and if there are any cracks then seal them up. The best time to do is before early spring when the hornets are not so active.
20.) Seal Waste Bins to Prevent Hornets
One of the main reasons why hornets are attracted is food. Yards have basically lots of food sources in the form of composting food matter and exposed garbage. All you need to do is make sure that the lid of garbage cans is closed tightly.
Additional Useful Tips to Get Rid of Hornets:
- Your garbage cans should be tightly sealed. Don’t keep sugary drinks, proteins and other foods outside as they can attract hornets or wasps.
- Stay away from leafy plants and bushes, where you can find hornet’s nest. If you are allergic to hornet’s sting, then you can call a professional exterminator to kill the hornets.
- You can use mint based hornets killers as they are very effective and less dangerous to you and your pets.
- Borax is also helpful to kill the hornets. Always wear protective clothes while performing any treatment to kill the hornets.