Wasps are common backyard pests that can quickly become a nuisance with their painful stings If an isolated wasp invades your home, you may wonder if drowning it is a humane way to get rid of it. So how long does it actually take to drown a wasp? Understanding the process and timeline provides realistic expectations when using this technique.
An Overview of Drowning Wasps
Drowning is one method people use to kill individual wasp intruders in a controlled manner It involves fully submerging the wasp in a container of water or soapy water, cutting off its air supply until it expires.
For flying insects like wasps, drowning is favored over squashing since it doesn’t require getting close enough for the wasp to sting. It also avoids making a mess by crushing the wasp.
However there are some important factors to consider regarding how long it takes to drown a wasp
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Type of wasp – Some species like yellowjackets drown more quickly than resilient hornets.
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Water temperature – Warmer water may speed up the drowning process compared to cold water.
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Health of wasp – Weaker wasps succumb faster than healthy, energetic ones.
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Level of activity – Wasps rapidly use oxygen when struggling to escape the water.
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Use of soap – Soapy water coats spiracles and hastens drowning.
Understanding these elements provides a better sense of the drowning timeframe for wasps. The actual duration can vary based on the specific circumstances.
Estimated Timeframe for Drowning Wasps
Most sources estimate it takes 2-5 minutes to fully drown a wasp when submerged in plain water. Adding a drop of dish soap to the water reduces the time to just 2-3 minutes on average.
Here are some general timeframes to expect with different drowning methods:
- Plain water – 3-5 minutes
- Soapy water – 2-3 minutes
- Alcohol like rubbing alcohol – Under 1 minute
These averages provide a rough estimate, but observation of the specific wasp is needed to determine when it perishes. Watch closely for when the submerged wasp stops moving its legs and body. This is a sign it has drowned.
Even in plain water, most wasps expire in under 5 minutes. Using soapy water ensures death in just a couple minutes for a fast, humane process.
Step-By-Step Guide to Humanely Drowning a Wasp
Follow these steps to humanely drown a single indoor wasp invader:
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Trap the wasp under a clear glass or jar. Slide paper underneath to contain it.
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Prepare a small container with water and a drop of dish soap added.
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Invert the trapped wasp over the container and submerge it. Weigh it down if needed.
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Time the process, watching closely for when the wasp’s movements cease.
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After 2-3 minutes, the wasp can be confirmed as dead. Discard it safely.
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Thoroughly wash containers to remove any venom residue.
With this cautious approach, a lone wasp can be eliminated without risk of getting stung in the process.
Why Drowning Doesn’t Work for Wasp Nests
While drowning is effective for a single wasp, it has very limited applications for entire wasp nests containing hundreds of insects. Here’s why:
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Can’t identify and catch every wasp to drown.
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Soaking the nest doesn’t penetrate inner gaps and crevices.
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Agitating the nest provokes aggressive defending behavior.
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Standing water attracts other pests like mosquitoes.
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The vacant nest must still be fully removed later.
Attempting to drown a wasp nest often fails while angering the wasps and putting you at risk of multiple stings.
More Effective Wasp Nest Removal Methods
For safe, reliable removal of wasp nests, it’s best to use proven treatment methods like:
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Professional pest control – Experts like exterminators can eliminate nests using specialized tools and insecticides. This is the safest route for challenging nests.
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Wasp spray – Insecticide sprays with an extended reach let you treat nests from a distance. Look for active ingredients like pyrethrum.
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Non-toxic methods – For small nests, soapy water or essential oils may provide control, but take patience and repeated applications.
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Removal at night – Wasps are calmer at night when nest disruption is minimized. But protective clothing is still advised.
Eradicating an entire dense nest is not realistically achieved through drowning alone. Seeking professional help ensures permanent removal without putting yourself in harm’s way.
Key Takeaways on Drowning Wasps
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It takes approximately 2-5 minutes to drown a wasp in plain water, less time with added soap.
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Soapy water is ideal for drowning a single wasp humanely in just 2-3 minutes.
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Drowning is ineffective and hazardous for large nests, where professional treatment is best.
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Watch closely for when the wasp’s movements stop to confirm it has drowned.
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Always exercise caution when dealing with wasps to avoid painful stings.
Understanding the limitations of drowning helps choose safer, more reliable wasp control methods. While drowning can work for an isolated invader, professional removal is the wise solution for secure elimination of nuisance nests around your home.
Create A Homemade Wasp Trap
For those who have no qualms about killing wasps, there are several ways to do this. One is by creating your own homemade wasp trap. A wasp trap can easily be made with items found around the home. All that is needed is a jar with a lid, some orange juice and a spoonful of jam.
Create a hole in the jar lid which is just big enough to allow a wasp to crawl into. The jar should then be half filled with orange juice and the jam smeared under the lid.
The wasp scents the jam, crawls through the small hole in the lid and falls into the orange juice and drowns.
Swatting the wasp is the simplest, but arguably the least effective way, to kill wasps. A flyswatter can be used, but many people roll up a newspaper to do the swatting.
Wasps are very quick and you will need to wait until they rest on a surface before you can swat. If your reflexes are not quick enough you could end up with a wasp which will attack to defend itself, leaving you likely to be stung.
Insecticides, delivered via an aerosol can are a very effective way of getting rid of, and killing, wasps. The main problem is that they are really only effective in enclosed spaces with windows and doors closed.
Wasps causing annoyance in the garden can be drowned using a garden hose. While water will not be effective on wasps which are flying round, it can be used to eliminate underground nests and all the occupants.
Keep Wasps Away From The House and Garden
Because wasps pollinate flowers, they are very likely to be found in the garden. This means they can be very annoying if you want to relax outside your own home. Here there are several ways to get rid of the wasps without resorting to killing them.
If you want to relax on the patio the best way to discourage these insects is to move any potted flowers away from the house. Some perfumes also have a similar aroma to flowers, so another way to keep the wasps away is not to wear perfume while outdoors.
How to kill wasps safely
FAQ
Will water drown a wasp?
If a wasp ends up in a body of water, they generally struggle to get out unless there’s something to climb on. However, prolonged submersion can lead to the wasp’s demise since the trapped air layer runs out or the spiracles can’t stay closed indefinitely against the water pressure.
What kills wasp instantly?
You can kill wasps instantly with household items like soapy water, lemon extract spray, or hairspray, but commercial sprays are the most reliable.
Do wasps wait for you if you jump in water?
Don’t Jump in Water
Submerging yourself in water won’t help; wasps will wait for you to surface and continue stinging. Instead, seek shelter in a nearby house, structure, or vehicle and close the door.
Can wasps breathe in water?
No, wasps cannot breathe underwater in the way that aquatic animals do. While they can survive submerged for short periods, they don’t have gills and rely on trapped air bubbles or a thin layer of air (plastron) around their bodies for oxygen.