Electrician Talk banner

What is your favorite wasp spray ?

1 reading
14K views 71 replies 34 participants last post by  Djea3  
#1 ·
from time to time i have to work on outdoor panels with abandoned KO's in the bottom
the only way to know whether wasps are in there is to open it and look
CRC made some years ago that was awsome, it would drop them dead in the air
but then they changed the recipe, and now mediocre at best

the best i have found recently is Raid Defender for wasps and hornets
they only hit the ground and die if they are truly soaked, even then it takes a min
most of them fly off, some come back PO'd, some dont come back

I need a better spray !!
 
#2 ·
I used to use the RAID spray at one site where all the panels were outdoors and there were always pests in there. It worked OK but like you say, not good enough.

Then I thought a little about spraying something combustible into a panel. Now I use one of those mosquito headnets over my hardhat, or a hoodie with the hood up and goggles, and gloves - no exposed skin - and go hand to hand with them.
 
#6 ·
I used to use the RAID spray at one site where all the panels were outdoors and there were always pests in there. It worked OK but like you say, not good enough.

Then I thought a little about spraying something combustible into a panel. Now I use one of those mosquito headnets over my hardhat, or a hoodie with the hood up and goggles, and gloves - no exposed skin - and go hand to hand with them.
i live too far south to put on even long sleeves in the summer
all of that garb would have me soaked completely thru in about 20 mins

my thin short sleeved shirt is usually soaked after 20 mins in the heat anyway
 
#24 ·
Buddy bought an old house. I gave him a hand cleaning it out so he could start reno's. I found a half can of Raid from back in the day when the cans were orange and black. After side by side testing on wasps I can tell you they are not the same formula. The old stuff DOES literally knock them out of the air.
 
#26 ·
Or like what I used to do as a kid. Sneak into the bathroom a take my mom's Beautiful-Hair-Breck hair spray...find that nest outside-light a candle -holding the spray can back about a foot from the flame and hit the spray button..(looked like a cutting torch before the oxy is adjusted)...'course I also sat on the side bed-wall of a pick-up going down the road too...
 
#33 ·
Windex kills them too. During some renos, I had quite a few coming in the kitchen. There was a spray bottle of windex so I sprayed it on one of them ... worked as fast as Raid, and I didn't have to worry about chemicals on the windows and counters.
Sorry, doesn't help the OP much.

One thing to keep in mind, even if you had something that killed them all instantly, it's the workers coming back all day that get pissed at you !
 
#35 ·
#45 ·
from time to time i have to work on outdoor panels with abandoned KO's in the bottom the only way to know whether wasps are in there is to open it and look CRC made some years ago that was awsome, it would drop them dead in the air but then they changed the recipe, and now mediocre at best the best i have found recently is Raid Defender for wasps and hornets they only hit the ground and die if they are truly soaked, even then it takes a min most of them fly off, some come back PO'd, some dont come back I need a better spray !!
If you are friendly with any of the line crews in your area ask them for a can of the company provided wasp spray. It is extremely effective, non-conducive and can shoot at a great distance. Be wary of killer bees as these have killed many linemen and it looks like a horrible way to die.
 
#47 ·
it generally takes 3/4 of a can, even the good stuff, to get enough of them that i feel comfortable going back to work
i keep at least 2 cans on the truck every day
i dont think the linemen can supply that much

i already ordered the rainbow stuff and its on the way. 0.1% tetramethrin : which is the good stuff
at 10 bucks a can with shipping i will be happy with it
 
#52 ·
Just my two cents, I retired from AT&T, and our equipment was always full of the little b&stards.
We ALWAYS knocked on the equipment first with a tool, and stood back to watch for anyone leaving.
The phone company had some of the best stuff that would spray 10 feet. I don't have access to it any longer, but if you search for a long reach spray, you should be good. I would get stung at least 4 or 5 times a year, regardless how careful I was.