Wasps can truly be menacing if they have built a nest near your home. They’re actually dangerous animals if they attack in a swarm, and many people are wondering what alternative steps can they take instead of calling in an exterminator.
Hairspray is used for a lot of things and it contains a lot of chemicals, so people naturally wonder if it can be used to kill wasps as insects are naturally more vulnerable to chemicals. So, does hairspray kill wasps?
Hairspray will not kill wasps. It will, however, make them stick to one another and stick their wings together. Hairspray is naturally sticky, that’s why it makes hair hold the way a person has set it. This same feature makes wasp wings glue to one another and it doesn’t allow them to fly.
However, hairspray is oddly connected to wasps, and many people believe in hairspray being used to kill wasps or to repel them. Some things may be urban myths, while others are proven facts, and today, we’ll be taking a look at that. We’ll be delving deeper into the life of wasps and learn how hairspray affects them. We’ll be answering questions like does hairspray kill wasps, how does hairspray work on wasps, are wasps attracted to hairspray, why is hairspray sometimes used to kill a wasp nest, and why hairspray isn’t the best wasp repellent?
Let’s get started!
Does Hairspray Kill Wasps?
As we’ve previously stated – hairspray will not kill a wasp. There are pesticides that will kill wasps, but hairspray is not poisonous to them, and it will have no direct health effect on them.
The only way you could actually use hairspray to kill wasps would be to take advantage of their immobility after spraying and get rid of them the old fashion way.
Don’t build a makeshift flamethrower! That’s not only very dangerous as you could cause the hairspray to explode (it’s pressurized) and hurt yourself, but it’s also inhumane for the insects.
How Does Hairspray Work on Wasps?
First and foremost; wasps are sometimes attracted to hairspray. If you’ve ever used it, you may have noticed that it smells quite nice. Some smell sweet and even fruity – and wasps notice this too. They’re particularly attracted to these odors, as nectar just so happens to be one of their primary food sources.
But you can use hairspray to knock wasps down. Hairspray definitely won’t kill them, but it will make their wings stick together. If you have a wasp or several wasps flying around your home, you can just spray them to knock them down.
It works so fast that you’ll actually knock them out of the air.
However, this can have a negative effect. Wasps in danger will release a pheromone that signals a threat to other comrades. This can lead to a wasp attack if you have more than one yellowjacket nearby.
Also, wasps are attracted to hairspray, and if other wasps sense it in the air (which they will if they’re close enough), they’ll maybe congregate on your location.
If the sprayed wasp was unaccompanied you can collect the yellow jacket and bring it outdoors or kill it (if necessary).
Why is Hairspray Sometimes Used to Kill a Wasp Nest?
It’s very dangerous to meddle with wasps if you’re not a professional, that’s why it’s always best to call an exterminator if you need to get rid of wasps, bees, or hornets. However, many people prefer to do it their own way.
Hairspray isn’t used to destroy a wasp nest by professionals, as it’s not poisonous to wasps.
People have reported using it to light the nest on fire. This is terrible for both reasons listed beforehand – it’s dangerous and inhumane. People also use hairspray to immobilize the wasps.
Since it’s going to make wasp wings stick together and not allow them to fly, their most important strength is nullified. If you want to get rid of wasps in your yard, you could spray them constantly with hairspray to immobilize them.
If you poke the nest, the wasps are not only going to recognize you as a threat. They’ll charge at you and they’ll attack you. It’s really inefficient and almost impossible to hit every wasp with enough hairspray for it to fall over, unable to fly.
Wasps are going to be charging out of that nest in great numbers very quickly, and even if more people are covering it with hairspray, it’s still unlikely that they’ll actually hit every wasp.
Spraying a wasp nest is very dangerous and will lead to swarming wasps that will be aggressively flying around in thousands.
This is a very ineffective strategy and you should opt for calling an exterminator.
Why Hairspray Isn’t the Best Repellent for Wasps?
Hairspray doesn’t repel wasps – it attracts them. On top of that, it’s not even going to harm them – it’s going to make their wings stick, but that isn’t going to kill them or make them go away. The glue is actually going to dissipate after a while and they’ll be able to fly again.
Hairspray is also wildly inefficient against wasps, so it makes very little sense to spend money on it for that reason. You should probably opt for any other bug spray – most of them will work on wasps, as well.
However, this may not necessarily solve your problem, as you alone will not be enough. Just like covering the nest with hairspray – wasps will be coming in numbers and they’ll be coming fast – you won’t be enough to defend against all of them.
In this case, the safest option is to call an exterminator, these people know what they’re doing and they have all the protective gear they need to get the job done.
