Ground nesting wasps - Ask Extension
What can I use to control these pests?
Knowledgebase
Ground nesting wasps #880238
Asked August 05, 2024, 11:44 AM EDT
What can I use to control these pests?
Greene County Ohio
Expert Response
Hi Robert,
The first thing to do is to verify that you have solitary wasps and not yellow jackets. They each nest in the ground, but solitary wasps live alone, and yellow jacket nests will have multiple insects flying in and out of the same hole in the ground. Here is an illustrated fact sheet from Oregon State University Extension on yellowjackets: https://solvepestproblems.oregonstate.edu/insects-spiders/yellowjackets-wasps
This is a great fact sheet from the University of Minnesota Extension that shows the difference and discusses control methods:
https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden-insects/solitary-wasps#:~:text=Solitary%20wasps20and%20yellowjackets%20both,of%20the%20single%20nest%20opening.
The first thing to do is to verify that you have solitary wasps and not yellow jackets. They each nest in the ground, but solitary wasps live alone, and yellow jacket nests will have multiple insects flying in and out of the same hole in the ground. Here is an illustrated fact sheet from Oregon State University Extension on yellowjackets: https://solvepestproblems.oregonstate.edu/insects-spiders/yellowjackets-wasps
This is a great fact sheet from the University of Minnesota Extension that shows the difference and discusses control methods:
https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden-insects/solitary-wasps#:~:text=Solitary%20wasps20and%20yellowjackets%20both,of%20the%20single%20nest%20opening.
