Often our homes get infested with various insects, such as wasps, flies etc. Some of these tiny creatures tend to live in harmony with humans but may cause harm or disturbance to many people as well.
Therefore, you can learn about handling insects such as wasps in the abstract below:
Does wd40 get rid of wasps?
WD-40 not only gets rid of wasps but also prevents them from building their nest on the applied spot. Although wasps are territorial and return to the same spot every year to build a nest, spraying WD-40 on a spot would heavily discourage incoming wasps from building their nest there.
Table of Contents
Wasps are one of the most dangerous and feared insects found around our homes. Although they do not sting with its tail if unprovoked but oftentimes any unintentional interruption could trigger them to become hostile.
Therefore, it is necessary to keep them away from our homes especially if you have children or pets at home.
But even If wasps are scary and dangerous indoors, having wasps around your house is excessively useful if you have a garden. Wasps not only act as good pollinators but also keep the aphid population under control – essentially allowing your garden to be in a better shape.
However, letting wasps roam around in your garden could make you feel threatened if you wish to relax or roam around in the garden. Thus, getting rid of them from both indoors and the garden is the best course of action.
Since you are dealing with wasps, it is best if you leave the task to an exterminator – however, if you wish to do it yourself, some items around your house can help you get rid of wasps.
One such product is the WD-40, which is found in most garages used as a solvent to remove rusts and corrosion – but despite their use case, they are just as effective as commercial insect repellents and can effectively get rid of wasps as well as discourage them from nesting.
Spraying WD-40 into former wasp nesting spots could prevent them from returning to make nests there – consequently spraying it on their active nest can also cause them to leave the nest and move elsewhere.
Is wd40 good for getting rid of wasps?
Although there are many commercial insect repellents found in the market that work effectively against wasps, WD-40, a solvent for removing rust and corrosion in vehicles, has been found to be just as effective as any commercial insect repellents out there.
WD-40 is excessively effective at getting rid of wasps as well as causing them to abandon their active nest if it is sprayed upon it.
You can spray the WD-40 on older wasp nests as well to prevent wasps from returning to that spot to build their nest during nesting season.
But if you want to remove an active nest, you must cautiously soak their nest using WD-40 and wait for an hour or two in order to get rid of all the wasps in the nest – which you can clean afterwards using a broom; spray the spot with WD-40 as well to prevent future nesting.
How long does it take for wasps to repel after being sprayed with wd40?
Wasps are territorial insects and they also have a behavior of returning to the same nesting location every year.
So, if you have an old wasp nest around the corners of your house – there is a pretty good chance that the wasps would return to that spot to build another nest during their nesting season.
Therefore, the best course of action is preventing them from building their nest in the first place, or if there is already an active nest – remove it before they can grow bigger.
Although there are commercial insect repellents that are effective at keeping wasps away, if you have WD-40 lying around your house or in your garage, they can be used to effectively get rid of active wasp nests and prevent returning wasps from building new nests.
Applying the WD-40 on wasps would get rid of them within minutes. But if you apply it on an active wasp nest, then it would take around an hour or two to completely get rid of all the wasps in it.
Why does wd40 repel wasps?
WD-40 is a solvent usually used on vehicles to protect it against rust – it penetrates the metal surface and prevents rust by forming a lubricating layer.
But how does this solvent meant to prevent rust work so well on getting rid of wasps? You can find the reasons behind it from the listicle explained below:
Cutting off oxygen supply:
Oxygen is an essential element for all living beings including insects such as wasps. They intake the oxygen into their bodies through small openings called spiracles which allows them to breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide.
Since oxygen is essential for them, cutting their oxygen intake would effectively get rid of them – that’s exactly what WD-40 does. It enters the spiracles and blocks any oxygen from entering – therefore successfully getting rid of the wasps.
Toxicity of WD-40 on wasps:
Another factor of the WD-40 which makes it so effective at keeping away wasps is that the chemicals used in WD-40 are not so friendly for a wasp. If the WD-40 somehow enters their system, the wasps will be irritated and immediately leave the spot.
This makes WD-40 quite effective as even a minute amount of it can get rid of the wasps very efficiently.
Irritation on the lungs:
Due to the working mechanism of WD-40, they can penetrate very small holes as well as the spiracles of the wasps as well. Penetrating the spiracle allows the WD-40 to reach the wasps lungs and form a foamy element that smothers their lungs.
Due to this irritation in their lungs, the wasps will flee the scene into another location.
How to get rid of wasps with wd40?
Since wasps are territorial insects, it is crucial that you get rid of them completely and also remove their old nests properly. Any residue left of their old nest might encourage them to return back and build their new nest on the old spot. To get rids of wasps completely using WD-40, follow the steps below:
Cleanup the old nest:
First off, you need to get rid of the old nests to make sure that the wasps do not return to the same spot to build a new nest. You can clean up the old nest using a broom.
Spray WD-40 on probable nesting spots:
Next, spray WD-40 on the old nesting spots as well as on various cracks and crevices throughout the house where the wasps might probably build their nests on.
Spray WD-40 on active nests as well:
After you are done with the old nests, you need to deal with the active nests as well. Carefully soak the active wasp net with WD-40 during the evening, that is when wasps are inactive.
Once applied, wait for 1-2 hours to let the solvent get rid of all the wasps in the nest.
Remove the abandoned nest:
After 2 hours, check the nest for any remaining wasp and if the nest is inactive – it’s time for you to remove the nest. Carefully use a broom and break the nest and carefully put it in a plastic bag.
Once done, spray the area with WD-40 to ensure no new nests are built on this spot.
How do I keep wasps away?
Below are some effective ways to keep wasps away:
Use strong scented items that wasps dislike:
Take advantage of the strong smelling capabilities of the wasps to keep them away from your house. Items such as fresh mint, cloves, ground coffee as well as tomato stems are heavily disliked by wasps.
You can cut a piece of them and place them near windows or cracks to discourage wasps from entering – essential oils of the corresponding items work just as effectively as the raw items.
Burn citronella containing items:
Citronella candles are well known for their insect repellent properties as they are often used to deter mosquitoes and flies from the area. But they are also effective at deterring dangerous insects such as wasps.
If you burn a strong smelling citronella candle or light up a citronella incense burner, its widespread scent would keep any incoming wasps from coming indoors.
Final Thoughts
WD-40 not only removes wasps but also stops them from making a nest on the treated area. Although wasps are territorial and return to the same location year after year to make a nest, spraying WD-40 on a location can greatly deter arriving wasps from making their nest there.