Ways to deal with wasps under the roof: how to get rid of a dangerous neighborhood?
Content:
Wasps are stinging insects that inject poison under the skin of humans or animals. Often they settle next to people, making their nests in the attics of houses or outbuildings. Therefore, the fight against wasps under the roof is necessary in order to preserve the comfort of living and health.
Why do wasps settle under a roof?
Usually, nests of wasps are found in attics, under the roofs of private houses or farm buildings on plots. They are also found on the porch, porch or loggia. But occasionally insects, if they live within the city limits, choose multi-storey buildings as the place of creation of the nest, although they still prefer sparsely populated buildings or those where people rarely glance at.
Wasps attract two factors in buildings: protection from adverse weather conditions and feed availability. In the first case, the attics of buildings provide a swarm of conditions without wind, rain and sudden jumps in temperature. It is also difficult to meet natural enemies under the roof: for example, hedgehogs or birds. In farm buildings or under the roof, people store supplies: berries and fruits that attract insects with nectar.
The swarm of wasps, sensing danger and encroachment on its territory, reacts aggressively, at one point attacking the enemy. Bites cause pain, swelling and redness; and if a person has an allergy to the substances that make up the poison - a severe reaction with edema, requiring medical treatment. Therefore, you need to know how to get rid of wasps in the attic so that meeting family members or pets with them does not turn into unpleasant consequences.
Methods for controlling dangerous insects
Each owner of a private house or a summer resident should periodically inspect all the secluded places of his attic, as well as sheds, a garage and other buildings. This will help to start the fight in time and prevent painful bites. It is especially necessary to be careful if the neighbors complained about wasp attacks or the construction of nests on their site.
Often children suffer from wasps, who, because of their curiosity, try to study the "insect house" as an unusual and interesting object.
Suspect the presence of insects in the attic by the characteristic sound of buzzing. In this case, going under the roof, it is important to take care of the safety of yourself and your loved ones: take the children away from a dangerous place, put on clothes that do not leave exposed skin on the body. It is recommended to protect your hands with gloves, and your face with a mosquito net.
Do not immediately "rush to the attack", trying to destroy the nest, because it is firmly fixed. An attempt to remove it will very anger the inhabitants, who immediately go to the bites. It is better to return here after preparation. Ways to remove wasps from the roof can be divided into several groups:
- mechanical destruction of the nest;
- swarm poisoning with chemical insecticides;
- traps - purchased and homemade;
- etching with folk tricks;
- appeal to specialists - to SES services and private companies providing insect killing services to the population.
You can cope on your own, if there is no fear of insects. Calling specialists, especially to the countryside, will cost a lot. The appeal to the service also frightens many home owners by the fact that they use agents with very toxic substances for processing. Spraying them in a residential building can be dangerous if you do not ventilate the premises for a long period. The use of the strongest pesticides near the beds, greenhouses and fruit trees does not inspire optimism for vegetable growers and gardeners.
Chemicals
Chemical insecticides are the fastest way to deal with unwanted insects. They are sold in household departments and stores specializing in the sale of tools for the garden.
They contain poisonous poisons, so wasps die soon after processing the attic. In order not to harm your own health, you need to carefully read the instructions from beginning to end and clearly follow all the rules prescribed in it. As personal protective equipment, it is recommended to wear a respirator so as not to inhale toxic substances.
Clothing made of thick material will help to get rid of the risk of being bitten by wasps, which, due to the effects of the poison, can become aggressive. Sleeves and trousers are tucked into gloves and socks.
There should be no space between the neck and the collar so that insects do not fly in there.
How to poison wasps in the attic? The following insecticides are suitable:
- Aerosol from wasp nests "Moskitol". Liquid from the can is supplied under high pressure, which allows it to be sprayed at a distance of up to 6 m, not approaching the socket. Suitable for processing only non-residential premises, which include the attic. You can use Moskitol on the street.
- "Dichlorvos NEO" is effective against any insects. The modern variation of the famous insecticide is odorless. But the remedy also has a drawback: it does not work immediately, and several treatments are required, carried out after 4-5 days.
- Spray from flying insects "Raid". It is sprayed from a distance of 1 m, so you will have to get closer to the nest. They process not only the house itself, but also the surface of the ceiling and the walls around it.
- Concentrate Get total. Before use in the form of spraying it must be diluted in water.
- Aerosol Dr. Klaus containing cypermethrin and tetramethrin. These poisons lead to rapid paralysis of insects, causing their instant death. The spraying range is 3 m.
When choosing funds, you need to consider the location of the aspen nest under the roof. It is better not to carry out the processing during the daytime, when most of the swarm scattered in search of food in the district.
Traps
In stores, you can buy traps that destroy adults. Climbing inside the structure behind the bait, they can not get back. As a bait, both substances of chemical origin and products are used: sweet syrup, meat or honey. Practice shows that it is better to choose the last option, because "store" baits attract less wasps.
But you can always save by making a trap yourself:
- Cut off the upper third of the plastic bottle.
- Pour a sweet bait (honey, mash, syrup) or put spoiled fruits, meat in the remaining lower part.
- Unscrew the cover at the cut-off third, turn it upside down and insert into the trap.
- Make small holes with an awl so that the alluring aroma spreads better throughout the room.
- Two more holes are created to pass a wire or rope into them to hang a trap in the attic.
Unfortunately, using traps it is impossible to get rid of a large swarm. Therefore, traps are used as a complement to other methods of fighting at the moment when the wasps just started to build a nest.
Folk remedies
An alternative to the use of chemical insecticides will be the use of folk remedies and "tricks". Before using them, you also need to carefully dress, so that the meeting with insects does not end with bites.
Here are some of the options for dealing with wasps under the roof using folk methods and available tools:
- Blockage of the "house" with the help of a mounting bar. Insects will not be able to enter the nest, and those remaining in it will suffocate.
- Use of wallpaper (or other non-drying for a long time) glue. They cover the surface of the walls and ceiling near the nest. Wasps stain paws in it, and then they smear the sticky composition of the path of entry inside. When the glue hardens, the socket will be insulated, as with the use of mounting foam.
- In the literal sense, "burning" insects in the attic will help burning coniferous needles. But this method is not suitable for owners of wooden houses, and in other cases, this procedure is fire hazard and requires great accuracy.
- Spraying kerosene nests for several days in a row. For such manipulation, it is convenient to use a water gun.
If the application of such methods does not bring the desired result, then it is recommended to think about the rationality of chemical insecticides.
Preventive measures against domestic wasps
To avoid wasps invading the attic and returning them after a successful struggle, the owner of the premises should take preventive measures:
- remove empty nests in early spring and autumn, when wasps have not yet settled in it;
- wipe the trace of the aspen nest docking to the ceiling with insecticides, a solution of potassium permanganate or hydrogen peroxide;
- do not store spoiled fruits that attract insects;
- close up cracks and holes in the attic and adjacent rooms on time;
- during the construction of a house and repairs, conduct insecticidal treatment and sealing of all cracks, holes and voids;
- clean up regularly.
Maintaining the premises in an acceptable state and its cleanliness is the basis for the prevention of insects.
First aid for bites
Neighborhood with wasps and especially manipulations to combat them often lead to bites that cause a local reaction of the body (itching, pain, burning, swelling) and general (dizziness). People with allergies to insect venom are at particular risk. If during the day there is no deterioration, and the consequences are limited to skin manifestations, then no action can be taken. After 36–74 hours, unpleasant symptoms disappear on their own.
With an increase in edema and a worsening of the condition, it is necessary to take an antihistamine drug inside. It is advisable for allergy sufferers to consult a doctor to administer injections intramuscularly.
The application of a tourniquet will help reduce the amount of poison absorbed into the blood; and to reduce pain and itching - applying ice to the affected area.
With the appearance of joint and heart pain, increased pulse rate, convulsions and disturbances in the respiratory system, you must quickly contact a medical institution or call an ambulance.
How to remove a hornet's nest from under the roof?
The most radical (but also dangerous) way of fighting is to manually remove the nest with wasps. It is better to do this in the spring, when the swarm did not have time to breed, and the insects are less aggressive.
If the hive is too high, it is forbidden to climb on the stairs closely. Wasps, starting an attack, can trigger a traumatic fall.
Options for removing wasp hive from the attic:
- Bring the bag, put it on the nest, disconnect the hive from the point of attachment with a sharp knife. After that, the package with the “booty” is burned on the street using combustible material.
- Use boiling water. You will need a bucket with a lid and a long stick. Pour boiling water into the container, put under the hive and knock down the nest with a stick. Immediately after falling, the bucket is covered. This method requires some dexterity and caution: wasps can quickly leave their home and bite the offender.
- If the hive is low, you can pour it into a bucket in cold water and "put" it on the hive. All its inhabitants will perish.
You need to act as carefully as possible, thinking first of all about your safety.
Fighting wasps settled in the attic can be done in a variety of ways. The main thing is to protect yourself from possible bites and follow the instructions. To protect yourself from the re-emergence of stinging insects, you need to take preventive measures, keeping the attic clean and tidy.