How to keep wasp off wooden playground equipment?

[GrnNatlFan]

3 years ago I bought one of those redwood swing set/play gyms for the kids and spent about 40 hours putting it together in the back yard. Well, this year, I have wasp constantly around it biting off the wood and carrying it off to build nests. I don't want to spray chemicals on it because of the kids but need to ward off the flying varmits. Any ideas on how to keep the wasps away without spraying dangerous chemicals on the thing? Kids scared to play on it, wife wants to tear it down, $1,500 down the drain? Help!

 

[novaderrik]

put a bug zapper next to it.

 

[BlackoutDrunk]

google is your friend.... Natural Insect Pest Control

 

[GNeric]

Put up little signs???

 

[VADER]

what about super hot sauce sprayed on the wood?

 

[TexasT]

I know this sounds a little(ok maybe a lot) redneck but we hang ziplock baggies full of water around. You could hand them up in there out of reach of the children. Tell them they ward off the wasps, that should keep the kids from knocking them down intentionally.

 

[LC2 ROD]

what about super hot sauce sprayed on the wood?

Even I would eat that.

 

[Cheeseburger]

Maybe try staining or a sealant on the wood, they probably would not like the scent of the stain/sealant..

 

[LC2 ROD]

More redneck stuff. If you take a brown paper lunch bag, fill it with air and tie it off, and hang it from the swing set. It looks like a hornets nest and wasp stay away.
It seems to work on the patio. But if it gets wet, it just looks like a wet bag.

 

[Turbo Indian]

redneck idea #3... 12 gauge.

 

[novaderrik]

keep a can of brake cleaner out there and teach the kids how to use it to safely kill any flying insect instantly- a quick shot and they fall right out of the air.


i'm only half serious...

 

[Nasty Wendy]

---------Redneck idea #4B------------

keep a can of brake cleaner out there and teach the kids how to use it to safely kill any flying insect instantly- a quick shot and they fall right out of the air.


i'm only half serious...

and a cigarette lighter and it becomes a neat game

 

[DSR-TurboT]

In all seriousness try using grease. Just put a thin layer here and there out of the reach of the kids. We used to get nest in all of our gate locks, someone told us to put some grease in them and wasp and other bugs will stay out. They also do not like dish soap mixed with water. I use about a half of a cup mixed with a gallon of water in a bug sprayer. It knocks them down pretty good but you don't get the reach like a can of wasp/hornet spray.

3 years ago I bought one of those redwood swing set/play gyms for the kids and spent about 40 hours putting it together in the back yard. Well, this year, I have wasp constantly around it biting off the wood and carrying it off to build nests. I don't want to spray chemicals on it because of the kids but need to ward off the flying varmits. Any ideas on how to keep the wasps away without spraying dangerous chemicals on the thing? Kids scared to play on it, wife wants to tear it down, $1,500 down the drain? Help!

 

[GrnNatlFan]

Thanks guys for the suggestions and web links. My quest begins this weekend and hopefully neither I or the kids will get stung.

 

[turboc87gn]

---------Redneck idea #4B------------





and a cigarette lighter and it becomes a neat game

Yea who can start the giant bonfire first!!!! You guys are horrible lmao

 

[notacarlo]

Ever spray gasoline on a wasp? They friggin melt. It will freak you out.


**DISCLAIMER** don't spray gasoline on the swingset. Catch one and douche it with gas.

 

[GNTIM]

keep a can of brake cleaner out there and teach the kids how to use it to safely kill any flying insect instantly- a quick shot and they fall right out of the air.


i'm only half serious...

Thats what I use. Gum cutter works well too.

 

[Justa6]

Thats what I use. Gum cutter works well too.

Brake cleaner here as well. I always keep one in my junkyard tool box also.

 

[INEEDAGN]

Typically I've used brake cleaner and ether but I use enough of it on this project that I think I'm going to switch to gasoline in a spray bottle. Adjustable nozzle and it would also work good for priming small engines and stuff. I know gas is expensive too but a gallon would kill a lot of wasps. My yard has three of those austrees (cross between a willow and something else) that you see on tv. Overall a good easy tree but they drip sap like crazy and wasps love it in the summer, so they all nest in/on my garage and under both porches right where we walk out of the house. Little bastards are always buzzing us when we enter/leave. So I wait until night falls and they go dormant in their little groups and I go mass murderin'. One night I counted 65 dead bodies between my three wasp prone locations.

As far as treating lumber so they don't chew it off, I would try staining or varnishing it first, maybe something as simple as a deck waterproofer would do it.

 

[cchilly]

I just bought one of these to try. I have a lot of paper wasps around the house and was looking for a way to get rid of them. I found this, they sell it at wal mart, home depot and lowes. Its like 14 bucks, so I thought I would give it a try.

Rescue!