How to Clean a Mud Dauber Nest

What scares you most, spiders or wasps? Your answer may influence whether or not you want to continue with your plans to eradicate mud dauber nests. Mud daubers are a relatively non-aggressive species of wasps known for their tiny waists and mud-columned nests that sometimes resemble Pan's flute. They're found outside brick homes mounted on brick mortar and on wooden outbuildings, particularly around windows and door frames. They feed and stock their egg case tubes with paralyzed spiders; one species of wasp even specializes in black widow spiders. Eradication involves spraying the exterior of the building they are using for nesting and physically removing their nests.

Cypermethrin
Hose and hose end sprayer, pump sprayer, or both
Plastic gloves
Long-handled stiff bristle brush
Long-handled pole or other similar tool
White powder cleaner, such as Ajax

Instructions

- 1
  Mix 1 ounce of cypermethrin with 1 gallon of water.
- 2
  Knock down the nests already present on the structure, using your long-handled tool. Try to remove as much of the nest material and grubs as possible.
- 3
  Using the hose end sprayer, begin to spray the structure moving from the highest part of the building to the lowest. Use the pump sprayer for areas lower to the ground. Try to cover 500 to 1,000 square feet per gallon of diluted cypermethrin. According to U-Spray, Inc., most homes require 2 to 4 gallons for adequate coverage.
- 4
  Scrape away as much of the remaining nests as possible after your cypermetrin application has dried. Use a long-handled tool, such as a hoe for the larger pieces. To help erase the nest outline on brick or concrete, scrub the area with a stiff-bristled brush and a small amount of powdered cleaner. Reapply cypermetrin to the area you spot cleaned.
- 5
  Repeat the cypermetrin application once a month if you're beginning this pest control in the spring, followed by two to three additional ones during the warm season. Most infestations of mud daubers will require at least two consecutive years of treatment because adult wasps return to their place of birth to construct new nests.

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