Getting rid of hornets, yellow jackets and wasps with a spray can only takes out the ones you can see, and by August that is nowhere near all of them. This remedy goes after the part that actually matters, the colony, using boric acid or borax stirred into something sweet enough that the insects carry it home for you. It costs almost nothing, it works on ants too, and it lives in an old juice bottle or an empty tuna can. One warning before anything else: boric acid is dangerous for pets and children as well as insects, so this goes somewhere they cannot reach, every time. Thanks to Cougar Ridge Ranch on YouTube for this helpful hack.
To get rid of hornets, yellow jackets and wasps, stir 1 to 3 teaspoons of boric acid or borax into every half gallon of juice or sugary liquid, then set it out in an old bottle with a long stick inside for the insects to climb. They drink and carry it back to the hive. Mixing takes about five minutes.
Materials:
- Juice or sugary liquid
- 1-3 teaspoons of Boric Acid or Borax
- ½ gallon of liquid
- Blender, optional (to mix the ingredients well)
- Sugar
- Water
- ¼ tsp-¼ cup of Boric Acid or Borax
- 1 cup of powdered sugar
Directions:
Step 1
Mix together 1 to 3 teaspoons of Boric Acid or Borax in every half a gallon of liquid, you can use juice or any sugary liquid/ drink. After they are well combined, transfer the solution mixture to a container, it can be old juice bottles or pop cans. Put a long stick in the can or bottle so that the insects can have something to climb in and out. This will also allow them to take the drink back to their colony or hive, so don’t put too much liquid in each can to not drown them.
[social_warfare]
Step 2
Another solution that you can use, but this time it also works for ants. Mix together one part of sugar with 2 parts of water, as well as a few teaspoons of Boric Acid until well combined, and then put it inside an empty and unwashed cat food or tuna fish can. The leftover food as well as the sugar water mixture will attract the ants. Place them out of the sun and wind to dehydrate the sugar water mixture. This will make the mixture thick and will hide the taste of poison.
Step 3
For those who don’t want to use liquid, try using a dry powder mixture instead. Simply mix together ¼ teaspoon to ¼ cup of Boric Acid or Borax in about 1 cup of powdered sugar, then once combined, sprinkle this mixture where you usually see ants. It may take 5-14 days to kill their colony. You’ll notice fewer & fewer ants visiting the area until none will come back because the colony is sick, dying, or dead.
*All these images are credited to – Cougar Ridge Ranch via YouTube. Give his channel a visit and subscribe for more!
How To Get Rid of Hornets, Yellow Jackets, and Wasps
Frequently Asked Questions
What is in the homemade wasp trap solution?
Juice or any sugary liquid, and 1 to 3 teaspoons of boric acid or borax for every half gallon. A blender helps get it properly combined, though it is optional. Pour the mixture into a container you were going to throw out anyway, an old juice bottle or a pop can, and drop a long stick in so the insects can climb in and back out.
Does this kill the whole nest or just the wasps you see?
The whole colony, which is the entire point of doing it this way. The insects drink and carry the sweetened bait back to the nest or hive with them. Keep the liquid shallow so they do not simply drown in the bottle, because a drowned wasp delivers nothing. The dry powder version works the same way on ants, over roughly 5 to 14 days.
Is the solution safe around pets and children?
No, and it should be treated that way. Boric acid and borax are dangerous for pets and children as well as for insects, so every version of this mixture goes well out of their reach. Choose a spot they never get to, not just one you think they will not bother with, and that goes for the dry powdered sugar mixture too.
Will this work on ants too?
Yes, with a small change. Mix one part sugar with two parts water and a few teaspoons of boric acid, then put it in an empty unwashed cat food or tuna can so the leftover smell brings them in. Set the can out of the sun and wind. As the water dehydrates the mixture thickens and the taste of the poison disappears.
