Wasp and Hornet repellent?

[tank1949]

We are plagued with hornets and wasps making nests inside air vents, rod holders and thru-hulls in the south. Is there a repellent to keep inside an engine compartment to keep this little SOBs out? I'd heard that moth balls worked but that may be BS. In addition, I have been using duct tape to cover thru hulls but that gets to be a real pain in the butt to remove some of them under my boat before trailer to a launch. Raid will kill them but I need repellent.

 

[gm280]

Are you sure they are hornets and wasps? Reason I ask is because I live in the south east and dirt-dobbers will make their nests in almost anything and they kind of look like a wasp. I even have them make their dirt (mud) nest on the garage walls... If there is any little opening, you can bank on a dirt-dobber filling it in with mud to hatch their young inside.

 

[Watermann]

Yeah wasp, hornets, yellow jackets are the bane of many a covered boats. We all have to fight these creatures even in our vehicles side mirrors. Toxic junk sprayed all over doesn't seem to work and is a mess. Maybe some of these natural remedies would work, at least your boat would smell better. [h=1]DIY natural wasp and bee repellent[/h]

 

[Teamster]

A few years ago I had one build a nest in the tell-tale output hose thing on an outboard,..

After that mess was cleaned up I started to squirt a bit of wd-40 in the hole and they didn't come back,.....

 

[Boat Doctor1]

Here we get same pests- each year -i go to walmart-in sept!! / oct.= looking for the large cans of spray killer!! its on sale then for a Buck a can -last year they had also a sticker for $1.00 off each can -no limit!! I did have to pay sales tax on the 45 or so cans i bought -yet basically were free!! Plan ahead!!

 

[sphelps]

I don't know about repellant but spray adhesive works great for killing them ... Makes there little wings stick together ... :heh:

 

[hungupthespikes]

I don't know about repellant but spray adhesive works great for killing them ... Makes there little wings stick together ... :heh:

Ultra Clutch (hairspray)
Sevin powder works but need to read and follow directions, nasty stuff.

 

[tank1949]

Are you sure they are hornets and wasps? Reason I ask is because I live in the south east and dirt-dobbers will make their nests in almost anything and they kind of look like a wasp. I even have them make their dirt (mud) nest on the garage walls... If there is any little opening, you can bank on a dirt-dobber filling it in with mud to hatch their young inside.

THEM TOOO!!!!!

 

[airshot]

Well I will tell you what will work but also need to say use at your own discretion!! We had this same problem for years at our cottage on the lake, every weekend we uncovered our boat and it was full of bees, wasps and spiders which my dad hated. We were told to loosen the gas cap on the outboard motor tank and the gas fumes would keep them away. Yes it does work....caution must be used.....do not smoke around the boat while removing the cover. As the cap is not removed just loosened to allow some fumes out it was never real strong where we became worried about a fire. To this day if I have a problem with bugs in my storage shed I just set a small gas can with the lid loose and no bugs. I keep it locked so only I can get inside and I know the gas can has a loose lid....as I said some caution needs to be used. Use at your own discretion!!!

 

[rallyart]

Wasps tend to be territorial so if you put up a fake nest it should keep the others away. Hornets I'm not so sure about but the smell of dead fish should bring them to you so cleaning everything really well is maybe the best defence.
I spend a cold summer at the lake one year sitting on the deck with a net and a shoe. Catch the hornet in the net and down to the deck. Slam it with a shoe. (One of the few places where a flip flop is useful) After about two weeks there were noticeably fewer of them. If the weather had been better I'd have been on the water and not caring as much.

 

[gm280]

I know some bees like yellow jackets will come to the smell of meat. And if you can find what other species are attracted too, you can make some very simple traps that attract them, catch them and kills them. A simple two or three liter bottle cut and the top flipped over and reinserted into the bottom with the attractant inside the bottom. Then the bees will go into the funnel shaped top and can't figure out how to get back out...dead bee(s)! And they do work well...

 

[sphelps]

Whats the wire pressed into the sides do ?

 

[gm280]

Whats the wire pressed into the sides do ?

I think this version uses those wires to be able to hang it up on something. They are really not needed if you are sitting on some flat surface...

 

[Teamster]

Traps like that are best set early in the spring,...

Hopefully you get the queen before she gets to set up house somewhere and start a nest,...