Should I remove a wasp nest or leave it be?

Question

I have a wasp nest on my apartment balcony. Sometimes there's one, sometimes two wasps working on it. I've come quite close to them as I hang my baby's laundry right in front of the nest. Initially, I ignored it because the wasps didn't seem aggressive. Plus, I don't like killing anything.

The thing is, the nest is getting bigger! It's about 2 inches now. I read on YA that wasps just keep on building....The creatures haven't harmed us in any way yet, but the last thing I want is a swarm of wasps sharing my balcony. Most of all, I'm worried about my baby's safety.

Should I leave them alone? Will they leave eventuallly? Or should I attempt to remove the nest myself or call an exterminator?

Answer 1

You need to have them removed so that nothing happens to your baby. Some babys can't take a bee sting very well.

You could remove it, but only if you can't get someone else to do it for you. If you can call your landlord to have it taken care of, do that. Otherwise if you or someone you know has to do it. Do the following...
1. Buy a can of Raid Wasp Killer. It comes in a rattle can that you can spray from a far distance. You can get it anywhere (WalMart?).
2. Prepare a trash can, lined with a plastic bag.
3. Wait until night time when it is cool out! (Wasps are less active when it is cool weather so you will have less chance of being stung, and more chance of getting all of them.)
4. Place trash can below the nest on the ground. Have a shovel or broom handy.
5. Apply the wasp spray as directed.
6. As quickly as possible knock the nest into the trash can and tie the bag closed, air-tight!
7. Party

Good Luck

Answer 2

well wasp will sting and if it was me i would just knock the nest off the porch. use a broom or something long. The queen will hang on to the nest but the others will fly off. If you don't want to kill anything then find a thick glove and place the nest in a basket or pot. then you can move it to another location.

Answer 3

oh lordy, know your prob well, i had a hornets nest under my window, started with a few next thing ya know the whole family was moving in, not a good thing. so we went and bought spray made to kill them and the nest, the spray worked from the second we did it, they were as good as gone, after you,ve killed em all, knock down the empty nest, and spray where the nest was, they hopefully wont be back, theres nothing good about being stung by a hornet especially kids. good luck

Answer 4

You should knock it down. You don't have to kill them just knock the nest down, they will rebuild somewhere else. What would worry me is they might crawl in your baby's clothes and stay there until you put them on your baby and a wasps sting could possibly be fatal.

Answer 5

Are they the red ones or the black ones?

The red ones are definitely more aggressive.
But both kinds are beneficial. The black ones eat spiders and the red ones eat catapillers.

Anyhow, what to do about them.
Just throw some water on them and then knock the nest down. They will move somewhere else.
Then you dont have to kill them, but you don't have to worry about your baby getting attacked either.
(the water makes them unable to fly for a little while)

Answer 6

If you have a baby, by all means, get rid of it, but have someone brave to get rid of it for you.

I once knocked down a nest and got stung pretty bad. Of course, I was a kid, but they know who the enemy is after you knock it down.

Answer 7

i think you should remove the nest soon or if you think that they are harmless don't remove it.but for your baby safety i think you should remove it.they won't leave their home eventually.it's because they live there.

Answer 8

Call the appartment manager to have it removed.

Answer 9

hit it with a bat and run