Ground Wasps Can't Stand This Common Kitchen Cabinet Staple

What can't apple cider vinegar do? You can use it for a cleaner home, as a solution to your household pest problems, and in a wealth of other ways. Add ground wasp repellent to the list. Pest control experts share that apple cider vinegar can ward off and even kill pesky wasps when used the right way. Its pungent aroma masks scents that attract wasps, and the acids in the vinegar can kill them if you spray them directly.

However, before you start mixing up your DIY repellent, it's good to know a bit about ground wasps. Some of the most common types of wasps you'll find burrowing into your yard are yellow jackets and solitary wasps like digger wasps and cicada killers. Highly aggressive yellow jackets have earned their formidable reputation, but other ground-dwelling wasps are less apt to sting. While they look intimidating, you may find they provide enough benefits to keep them around.

You can use apple cider vinegar against ground wasps in two ways: as a repellent spray and as an insecticide. Wasps of all types are lured in by sweet and/or meaty smells, making them an unwelcome guest at backyard barbeques and picnics. Shake up a spray with a special formula from Critter Stop: mix equal parts water and apple cider vinegar in a spray bottle and apply it around wherever there is food or drink. Critter Stop also suggests adding a squirt of dish soap to the solution and spraying the nest itself, aiming mainly for its entrance. The acids exterminate the wasps safely, and the dish soap helps the mixture cling to the nest.

There are a handful of different kinds of ground-dwelling wasps, and some of them play roles in the ecosystem that could remove their "pest" status. Clear up uncertainty by learning which wasps are harmless and which to kill. Solitary wasps, for example, are not a threat to humans. These wasps eat insects, helping control pesky insect populations rather than acting as pests themselves. If you discover ground wasp nests in hidden areas of your yard, leaving them alone could be a good choice. However, if you find one in the path of your mower, even ground wasps who don't tend to sting will rise up against the noisy, destructive threat. Before acting, also make sure they're not ground-nesting bees, crucial members of the ecosystem.

You can target yellow jackets with a pretty clean conscience. These guys do indeed sting, and they aren't very efficient pollinators. However, if you apply the spray directly to the nest, prepare yourself by wearing long sleeves and pants, and doing this in the evening when the wasps are calming down for the night.