Hello! Thank you for all of your help. I just found a ground wasp nest on the side/edge one of my raised beds with vegetables, there's a tomato plant ...
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Ground wasps in raised bed #880616
Asked August 07, 2024, 6:48 PM EDT
Hello! Thank you for all of your help. I just found a ground wasp nest on the side/edge one of my raised beds with vegetables, there's a tomato plant 2 ft away. The entrance is in the middle of the bottom edge on a 1ft tall cedar garden bed and goes deeper into the bed and surrounding ground. It's on the far edge and I've been stung twice in the past 2 weeks so I need to get rid of it. I have diatomaceous earth and dawn but I don't think that will do it. Is it safe to use a chemical insecticide? Are there some that are safer than others? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I've attached photos, it's the back of the middle bed, but you can't see the nest because I can't get that close to it. It's right across from the invasive purple flower, I was trying to dig it out when I found the nest. (the creeping Charlie is a different issue as well)
Hennepin CountyMinnesota
Expert Response
Thank you for reaching out to ask2.extension.
I have had first hand experience dealing with this problem. First of all I’m not thrilled with killing insects, but sometimes you have to make a choice.
As a volunteer I can’t suggest specific products, but you can find one if you do a little research.
We waited until after dark as the wasps are not active after dark. Using flashlights we sprayed into the hole. We did this two nights in a row and haven’t seen any movement since and that was a year ago.
I was chased back to the house and stung three times and her dogs were getting attacked, so they had to go.
By spraying directly into the hole, I don’t think we harmed any other insects. Good luck!
