Mud daubers use their stinger to paralyze prey, and they’re not aggressive. These wasps typically won’t sting you unless you handle them. Ground digger wasps look similar to mud daubers and are also beneficial and non-aggressive. However, they build their nests by digging a hole in dirt.
You may also find their nests on your barn, shed, or outdoor equipment. Some mud daubers build several nests next to each other. Usually, this is all done by one wasp who’s trying to improve her nest building skills, not several wasps. [4] X Research source
Mud daubers are solitary wasps, so they typically live alone.
Put a few drops of peppermint, chamomile, cinnamon, tea tree, or lavender oil in a spray bottle of water and spritz it onto the nest. Be careful not to get pure essential oil on your skin. Mix a few drops of dish soap into water in a spray bottle, then spritz it on the nest. Spray white vinegar on the wasp nest. Spray citrus oil on the nest.
Wasp traps are usually effective for around 3 to 4 weeks. If you’re still dealing with mud daubers after that, change out your trap. Other types of wasps may fly into your nest along with the mud dauber. If this happens, it might be best to let them die so you don’t risk getting stung. To quickly kill them, pour boiling water over the trap. Then, flush the wasps down the toilet so their pheromone smell won’t attract more wasps.
You can also add dish soap to the boiling water to further incapacitate the wasp. If it takes a moment to die, the soap will lessen the likelihood that you’ll get stung.
Since mud daubers don’t defend their nests, you don’t necessarily need to kill the wasps to remove them. If you knock down the wasp’s nest, it’ll likely move on to a new spot. [12] X Research source
If you decide not to kill the mud dauber, wait until evening to remove the nest. Mud daubers are only active during the day. You could also wait until winter when mud daubers go dormant. [14] X Trustworthy Source University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension program of the University of California system devoted to educating and improving local communities Go to source You may be able to wash away the nest with a power washer if it’s new. Older nests are harder to dislodge, so it’s easier to do it with a scraper.
Try using a scrub brush with plastic bristles so it’s easier to clean off the dirt. However, don’t use a metal scrub brush because it could damage the surface.
If you have a lot of spiders, you might spray the area with a pesticide that kills spiders. Just make sure to wear protective eyewear, gloves, long-sleeve shirts, and pants.
Additionally, make sure your windows have screens so bugs can’t get inside your home. If there’s no food source near your home, it’ll be much less attractive to mud daubers.
You might not want to invite birds into your yard if you’re growing fruits and veggies because the birds will also eat your plants.
If you’re not crafty, you can buy a fake wasp nest to hang outside your home.
You can also sprinkle dried herbs around your yard.
Keep children and pets away from the treated area until the pesticide dries.
Alternatively, you could paint the ceiling of your porch or deck blue.
