How Do I Keep Wasps From Building Nests Under My Deck?

Get away from me you little s#’*!

Why are wasps so evil???

I try not to kill any insects on purpose but I could seriously use a machine gun against a wasp!

But when you see them investigating your decking like possessed little settlers ready to pitch up and build a new colony…

It’s time to take action, and ensure your family, pets and neighbours are safe.

How Do I Keep Wasps From Building Nests Under My Deck? The Basics…

A wasp’s favorite food is quite extensive for such a small insect.

They love to feast on other insects like spiders, caterpillars and flies (they are natures pest controllers).

Wasps are huge lovers of fruit!

If your lucky to own an orchard, you really do know how they love fruit!

Especially apples, pears and grapes to name a few.

They love nectar!

Wasps just like bee’s like to feast on nectar, and especially true with the males of the species, which will regularly visit flower gardens for this sweet indulgence.

Massively adore sugar!

That’s why they love to accompany you on a picnic! Wasp’s have a massive sweet tooth just like another irritating creature, the ant.

Sweet foods like cakes and other treats help satisfy their hunger for fruit when fruit is hard for them to come by.

They are also notorious for invading bee’s nests for that oh so delicious sweet honey.

And wait for it…TUNA!

Wasps love a good tuna sandwich (just like myself), and its because tuna is rich in protein, another food source they adore!

In short they love anything from fruit to meat (the greedy buggers!) and the reason I’m explaining which food sources they like is because your decking can become a restaurant for them.

And that’s because underneath the decking are insects they like to hunt which is a bonus when they set up their new colony

A deck is also a place we entertain and kids play, there is always risk of spilt drink and dropped food, which sometimes isn’t wiped up straight away.

Once the wasps get wind of this, they see this as the perfect place to hang out, eat, drink and sleep.

And with an endless supply of weathered wood the decking will provide, it is the perfect environment!

The queen wasp will scrape the wood fibers from the deck boards.

Mix the fibers with her saliva to make a paper pulp and begin building her palace in no time!

Keep It Clean

So, the easiest thing to discourage them building nests under the decking, is to keep your deck clean.

Once a week give the decking a good brush and a hose down..

This will make sure that any food/drink residue from the last party, BBQ you had will be gone.

There is no need to use abrasive cleaners or bleaches, just good ol’ water and a tiny drop of detergent will do.

Inspect The Deck

The spacing between each deck board is pretty close, and usually discorages any flying insect from nesting.

But once a decking board becomes worn or a knot falls out, it then becomes much easier for your local wasps to get underneath the deck and scope it out!

Decking boards are relatively cheap, and are very easy to replace.

Using a cordless drill, remove all the screws within a board, lift out and replace with you new one, re-fixing the screws into the new board.

To save you time, measure the worn board first (length and width), then visit your local wood yard and ask one to be cut to the exact measurement.

Using Plants

Plants with essential oils are another easy way to stop wasps from building nest under your decking.

The smells from the essential oils found in certain plant species deter most insects and this is especially true for wasps.

Plant species like Spearmint, peppermint and ginger mint are really good at turning wasps away.

All these species of plants are found at most local garden centres and can also be ordered online.

Place them around the edge of the decking, or have some planters made up to accommodate the plants.

Set a Trap!

Traps are a sure fire way if you want to immediately cure a wasp problem.

Wasp traps come in all different shapes and sizes, but all do the same job.

Most traps have a opening in the top, like a funnel that guides the wasp inside.

The wasp is attracted to a solution that is placed in the bottom of the trap which has a scent they are familiar with.

And because wasps are nosey and indeed greedy they will enter the trap unaware that they will be unable to get back out.

The solution will then kill the wasps and hopefully end or control your wasp problem.

These types of wasp traps can be found on Amazon and also your local DIY/hardware store:

You can also make an homemade wasp trap if you have the material and you know your way around a pair of scissors.

Place your bought or homemade trap at the other end of the garden away from the decking for a wasp free zone.

Do Fake Wasp Nests Keep Wasps Away?

Some species of wasps are very territorial and if they get an inkling of another nest near by, they will avoid that area like the plague!

Wasps WILL NOT build another nest within 20 feet or so of another ACTIVE nest, so it might be of interest investing in a fake wasps nest.

Fake wasps nest do get a bashing online about how pointless, and a waste of money they are.

But, if hung in the right place at the right time they may help, or even discourage the wasps form nesting on or around your property.

They have worked for many and have failed for many, but every case is different.

I do recommend that you if you do purchase a fake wasp nest, make sure you get two of them.

Hang one on each side of your house in clear view, just as winter is ending and spring is beginning.

Hanging a fake nest this early will give them a better chance of working.

Instead of setting one up after the wasps have already moved in.

Leaving them this late may be the reason the fake nest gets such a bad review (sometimes).

Like everything else, preparation is key.

The most popular fake wasp nest is Luigi’s No more Wasps Fake nest Deterrent found on Amazon.

How To Fix A Wasp Sting?

While getting you deck prepped to deter wasps you may end up getting stung.

If you are unfortunate use this best home remedy for wasp stings:

Rub a slice of cucumber over the wasp sting until the pain starts to lessen, then using a cotton ball, soak it in some apple cider vinegar and apply to the sting.

Keep a small amount pressure on the cotton ball until the pain disappears.

The acidity in the vinegar will neutralize the venom and stop any infection from happening.

If you don’t have apple cider vinegar, don’t worry, any other vinegar will do.

Did This Post Help?

Wondering “how do I keep wasps from building nests under my deck?”, needn’t be a worry now.

Follow the simple steps I’ve explained in this post and you shouldn’t have a problem with wasps this summer and many more summers to come.

Also, do you have any tips that could help discourage wasp from building nests under decking?

If you do, please leave a comment in the comments section below and let me know.

I will then update this post with your tip or advice 😉

Each and every week I put my heart and soul into providing you with great content to help with any DIY jobs around the home.

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