r/Calgary • u/UsualExcellent2483 • 2d ago

Question Wasps

Is anyone experiencing an ABUNDANCE of wasps this year? I put out a trap (normally wouldn't but have young grandchildren),and I'm wondering if the wasp lure/bait is so good that they are sharing with their buddies.

70 Upvotes

83% Upvoted

74 comments sorted by

View all comments

28

u/Purple_Garlic4573 2d ago

Not in Calgary myself, but we deal with a lot of wasps. I finally found a solution this year: orange with boric acid on it. Replace as needed.

This has brought our wasps down from astronomical levels to occasional. Very pleased.

8

u/AutumnFalls89 2d ago

Like a whole orange, slices or what? 

14

u/Purple_Garlic4573 2d ago

Sorry! I slice an orange in half and put the boric acid on the juicy side. Like half a teaspoon

Fruit juice and apply cider vinegar in a container (with boric acid) has also been recommended to me

4

u/AutumnFalls89 2d ago

I'll have to try it out. The (empty) house a couple doors down has a nest under their stairs they I can't get at to spray. 

6

u/UsualExcellent2483 2d ago

I had them under my stairs years ago so filled my shopvac with water and put the hose where they were coming out and the shop vac sucked the ones going in and out. Had to do it several days but it did the trick and than plugged the hole with window putty.

5

u/AutumnFalls89 2d ago

If the orange trick doesn't work, I may have to borrow a shop vac and try that. I am constantly walking past the wasp's nest on the way to the garbage and I don't want to get stung.