# Peppermint oil and wasps



## Bungiex88

I have a big problem with wasps and yellow jackets making there home all around my house weather it be between motar on foundation, behind the siding, on the eve's and around my chimney. My siding on the house is fairly new with the sheet insulation right behind it. I'm tired of getting close to the house working on something and getting swarmed. Has anyone used the peppermint oil and sprayed to keep wasps yellow jackets and hornets away and if so does it actually work and how often do you have to respray the areas. I got swarmed by yellow jackets last year when I was using my wheeler to haul stuff out of the house they coated my wheeler and I couldn't get near it until night.


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## Bungiex88

As far as the yellow jacket nest I sealed up the hole they where using getting into the mortar. But as far as the sizing goes they seem to be getting into the siding from the bottom and wasn't sure if I could use clear silicone because I'd be afraid of trapping moisture behind the siding causing problems.


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## Bungiex88

I don't mind honey bees, bumble bees or any bee that's not a asshole. But when it comes to wasps yellow jackets and hornets there nothing but assholes and I don't want them infesting my house.


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## GTX63

I haven't heard that the peppermint oil kills them, rather it just irritates them enough to relocate them somewhere else nearby.
Spring and fall, when temps is still cool and wasps are dormant, the key is to find the colonies and wipe them out. Even then it isn't unusual for the survivors to try to come back to their place of birth for a year or two and rebuild. Yes, under our siding, inside the styrofoam cap over our outside water faucet, outside service panels, under the lid to our propane tank, etc. Destroying them while they are hibernating in their nests is best, though we'll still see a few or more during the summer looking around it isn't as bad. I use dawn and water in a spray bottle on the bees. The dawn coats their exoskeleton and makes it difficult to fly. You can smash them on the ground or if they get away the dish soap may suffocate them. It helped for us. But in the end, whether you use poisons from the store or homemade recipes, it is quite satisfying to find the next and kill 75-100 at one time.


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## Bungiex88

Yeah I know the oil won't kill them but makes them avoid the area.


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## Bearfootfarm

Bungiex88 said:


> But as far as the sizing goes they seem to be getting into the siding from the bottom and wasn't sure if I could use clear silicone because I'd be afraid of trapping moisture behind the siding causing problems.


There shouldn't be any moisture getting behind the siding, so sealing the bottom row should be OK. There will still be air circulation from other openings since it's not really sealed anywhere else. If it's wood siding you can try spraying a borax solution that can kill and repel insects of all types.


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## MichaelZ

Sounds like you need to wage war! There are powders that can be place near nest entries - they will bring it in via their legs and kill the whole nest. Be wary of sealing them in under the siding if they are nesting - they will often then find a way out via your interior! I did this once. Keep killing their nests off. By us it helps keep them down. Our up-north wasp and hornet problems are nothing compared to what I hear of those down south.


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## brosil

I had to deal with wasps and yellowjackets when I was working. Most sprays took too long to kill the things and weren't really safe in electronic cabinets. Out in Edon. Ohio the local hardware had a spray made of mint oils that i decided to try. It said organic and safe to use in enclosed spaces. I've never seen a spray kill wasps faster. They just dropped. I've never seen it again. One local shop says that brake cleaner works well.


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## Steve in PA

Make a trap with a 2 litre bottle. I found them to be very effective last fall in my orchard where they feast on drop apples and invade my beehives.


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## Bungiex88

What did you find the best to fill those bottles up with.


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