It's that time of year. For most of you, the weather is warming up and the bugs are coming out. A common pest in our yard are wasps. They love to create home in our play structure, fence, eaves of our home, pretty much everywhere! I like to set out glass bug catchers with a little orange juice in them. Those work well, but I also like to take care of the nests, too.
One thing I don't like are chemical sprays. They are expensive and spraying those fumes around my kids is not something I would choose to do. So, I created an easy, eco-friendly spray to treat the nests. You only need 2 ingredients:
Eco-Friendly Wasp Spray
1 tsp. pure tea tree oil
Distilled water (1 tsp of oil to every 4 ounces of distilled water)
Spray bottle
I suggest a spray bottle with the ability to adjust to a "stream" spray; that way, you can stand a little further away to spray the nests. This mixture is usually strong enough to do the trick, but if you still see them hanging around an area you sprayed, you can add another teaspoon of tea tree oil to your mixture to make it a little stronger. Be sure to shake well before each use.
What about those eaves? Believe it or not, I tried using my kids water shooters. If you happen to have one, great! If you don't, most Dollar Stores have this item this time of year. I put the mixture in a tall, narrow cup to be able to suck it up into the shooter. It worked great. Be sure to give it a good rinse, though, if your children are going to use it again. Although eco-friendly, tea tree oil can sting the eyes.
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I can't wait to try this!! I hate expensive bug sprays!
ReplyDeleteThe Faithful & Frugal Fashionista
Great, let me know how it works out for you. P.S. See comment below about spots to buy tea tree oil.
DeleteI forgot to mention stores to buy tea tree oil at. If you have a Trader Joe's near you, they have a great price on a small bottle. Otherwise, look in the natural foods section of your grocery store; it can usually be found with the homeopathic vitamins and personal care products. I've also had luck on eBay. Just make sure it's pure tea tree oil and not diluted. If it costs less than $7 for a small bottle, it's probably diluted.
ReplyDeleteWhere was this post three days ago? ;) I used a can of 409 carpet spray to get rid of the mama wasp building a NEST outside my front door. Every time I opened it, she tried to get in! My trick worked, but yours sounds better. Lol.
ReplyDeleteXOXO,
Meredith
Haha, well now you're prepared for next time!
Delete