How to Kill Wood Wasps With Boric Acid
Wood wasps, also known as horntail wasps are a wood-boring insect. The female wood wasp drills deep into dead trees to lay her eggs and protect them from predators. The wood wasp's larvae feed on the wood and tunnel their way out once they reach adulthood, damaging the wood in the process. Sometimes timber from such wasp-infested wood is used to produce furniture for your home. Getting rid of wood wasps can be challenging, especially if wasp nests are hidden away in wall voids. However, boric acid powder, an insecticide dust, can be effectively used to exterminate wood wasps from visible and concealed wooden structures in your home. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Drill
- Boric acid powder
- Empty water bottle with spout
- Protective mask
- Work gloves
- Long-sleeved clothing
- Caulk
Instructions
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1
Observe the wood wasps flying around your house. These wasps may be flying back and forth through gaps in a wall or a wooden structure. Identifying the specific area that the wood wasps inhabit will help you locate the wasp's nesting site.
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2
Wear a protective mask, work gloves and long-sleeved clothing for protection against wasp stings and toxicity from the boric acid. Even though wasp stings are generally harmless and boric acid is nontoxic in moderate doses, you must take precautions and avoid any physical contact.
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Drill five, small 1/8 inch holes around the gaps where you observed the wasps flying around. The holes will serve as the entry point for you to inject the boric acid powder into the wasp's nesting site.
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Pour boric acid powder into an empty water bottle equipped with a spout; fill and close. Position the spout over the holes that you drilled, as well as the gaps, and squeeze the boric acid powder into them. The boric acid powder forms a fine layer of dust over which the wood wasp larvae travel. This powder is absorbed by the larvae's body, and slowly poisons and kills it.
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Use caulk to seal the drilled holes and any visible gaps, to prevent a wood wasp from reusing the nest and re-infesting your household.
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Tips & Warnings
Ensure that the area where you applied the boric acid powder does not get damp, because it will lose its potency to eliminate the wood wasps.
Consult your doctor if you experience breathlessness, headache, nausea and wheezing after applying the boric acid powder.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
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Comments
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whoever posted this doesn't live where I do and is being far tooo kind and thereby giving false info.
