Have Wasps and Hornets Near Your Hot Tub?

Learn How to Deal With Them!
There’s nothing better than owning a hot tub or pool, especially in summer. The only problem is that for most owners, this invites some unwanted and dangerous guests around the same time. Hornets, Wasps, and Yellow Jackets are problematic in that they tend to build their nests close to water sources and as autumn approaches, their aggression becomes wild. It’s obvious you can’t enjoy yourself with a potentially deadly group of stingers flying around your tub or pool but fear not! There are a number of things you can do to start fighting back and taking control of your pool/hot tub.

Being busy little insects, yellow jackets, hornets, and wasps spend the  majority of their lives collecting food and water for the nest. While not overly aggressive, they can become so during Autumn or if they feel their nest is threatened (which is bad news if your pool or hot tub are nearby). During Spring, you’ll barely notice that they are around, but come summer you’ll find that you have to begin dodging and ducking like a ninja as the little guys are at the last legs of their life cycle. They are manning a final, all out assault to gather food and water back to the next.

Wasps Not Bees
While wasps and bees can look very similar to each other, it is imperative that you know the difference and target the correct threat.
Honey bees are the lifeblood of Earth itself, and without them our pollination cycle and thus our plant, animal, and food cycle are threatened. Honey bees are not dangerous (unless you’re allergic) and will not be aggressive towards you unless they feel their hive is being threatened. Other than that, they will not sting you so there is no need to kill them. If you do have a honey bee hive located somewhere in or near your house, then please do NOT poison it! If you poison the nest, more bees will gather this poison and carry it off to their hives, creating a chain reaction of death and destruction (in the thousands). Many pest control companies have been known to happily do it for free, so always call a professional to relocate the hive instead!

Preventative Measures
The best offense is a good defense, or in other words, the best way to handle a wasp infestation is to not have one in the first place! Stopping wasps, yellow jackets, and hornets from taking stock in your pool, hot tub, or other area is the best treatment to enjoy your summers. Here are some tips for certain prevention methods:

Construct a Barrier
As mentioned previously, wasps and the like are only attracted to your pool or hot tub because they are looking for water to return to the nest. Investing in a Floating Hot Tub Blanket will remedy this situation whenever you are not using your hot tub, as it lies on the top of the water to prevent bugs and insects from getting in, and evaporation and water from getting out. You kill two birds with one stone! Just make sure you don’t go and actually kill two birds…

Wasp Repellent
In conjunction with the Floating Hot Tub Blanket, you can opt for some wasp repellent in the form of some mint or eucalyptus fragrances. Wasp, hornets, and yellow jackets are completely repulsed by these scents and will avoid them at all costs, so make up some low cost repellent today!

Wasp/Hornet/Yellow Jacket Traps or Devices
This works in the opposite way to repellents and if you have no qualms about drowning wasps and the like, then this is the trap for you. Highly effective through the use of attractive substances, wasp, hornets, and yellow jackets will get caught inside the trap and drown, unable to float due to the mixture. They will drown and cease to be a nuisance but the only problem is that you must empty the trap everyday and reload the solution every couple of weeks. The great thing is that these traps DO NOT attract honey bees, so you don’t have to live with the guilt of dooming humanity forever. Send a clear, yet safe message to the other wasps that YOU control your backyard…

Hive Removal
If you managed to actually FIND the hive/s that are plaguing your hot tub or pool, there are a few ways you can deal with the situation. Every one of these is entirely at your own risk, so if you feel that it may not work (or you just don’t want to get stung by a bunch of angry hornets), then call a pest exterminator to handle the situation. As summer draws to a close and their lifespan begins to near the end, wasp, hornets, and yellow jackets will get nice and aggressive if you try and get to close to their home. It’s always better off to be safe rather than sorry…
Call the Pest Control
As mentioned above, calling a pest exterminator is usually the best way to handle the situation, especially if you are allergic to stings (even if not, they are VERY painful and can sting many times in quick succession unlike bees).
Use Pest Poison
You can find a number of wasp, hornet, and yellow jacket pesticide solutions at your local supermarket but if you take this route, be sure you know what you are doing and follow ALL of the safety instructions included. If you don’t get it right, the occupants will become extremely agitated and come after you.
Fire Extinguishers
Funnily enough, a large number of people have stated this as an effective method to dealing with hornet nests and the like. The cold spray freezes most wasps etc. in the hive and kills everything outright. Again though, the risk is high because if you don’t get it right, there will be a host of angry inhabitants coming straight for you!

Are you one of the unlucky souls having issues with any hornets, wasp, or yellow jackets near your pool or hot tubs? If so, leave a comment for some more tips and advice or if you have any yourself, feel free to leave a comment and assist others! Don’t forget to share this article and help other people.