Terminix International: Wasps

By Stoy Hedges, BCE

Where cicada killer wasps (Sphecius spp.) have congregated in larger numbers, nesting in a particular landscape bed, the wasps can be deterred from using that site for nesting by advising the customer to use smaller gravel stones in place of mulch in the bed. Where solitary wasps or bees are using a sandbox to nest in large numbers, cover the sandbox with black plastic for several weeks. The wasps and bees should then be deterred to find another site to burrow building nests. Ants, bees or wasps left underneath the plastic will likely die.