How to Prevent Wasps From Building Nests In Your Yard

For the record, the "desperate Illinois homeowner" is me.

I have a major wasp problem at my house and I don't want to call an exterminator until I exhaust all DIY options, which I'm hoping you can help me out with.

Photo by Enrique Vidal Flores on Unsplash

Here's another thing I must add to the record; I HATE, and have an irrational fear of wasps or anything that has a stinger. I am 100 percent the person that will run away screaming if anything that buzzes or has a stinger comes near me, and this embarrassing behavior is something I cannot seem to stop.

Now, back to my wasp problems...

Last weekend alone my husband sprayed 7 wasp nests in our yard, and this afternoon when I went out to get the mail I noticed THREE more that just appeared today.

Exhibit A: Right by our front door...(Please pay no attention to the fact that our house desperately needs a good power washing...it's on my husband's honey-do list).

Exhibit B: The corner of our garage

Exhibit C: The other corner of our garage

I understand these wasp nests are currently small, but the amount of wasp killer we have been buying is starting to put a big hole in our household budget, and I am OVER IT.

Can You Prevent Wasps From Building Nests In Your Yard?

In a desperate situation, I did what any normal person does, I Googled it and came across a Good Housekeeping article that provided 6 ways to prevent wasps from building nests on your house or in your yard. Those tips are:

Keep food and trash covered - I've done, and always do that.
Patch Up Cracks - We don't appear to have a problem with cracks.
Hang Wasp Traps - You can either buy these or make some cute ones yourself, I guess I need to find a place to hang some.
Spray Peppermint Oil In Places Wasps Like to Build Nests - Apparently, wasps hate the smell of peppermint, so I guess my neighborhood will soon smell like the Candy Cane Forest.
Fill a Spray Bottle With Water and 2 Tablespoons Dish Soap and Spray It On Frequent Wasp Hangouts - This option does not require me to make a trip to the store so I think I'll start here.
Mix Clove, Geranium, and Lemongrass Essential Oils With Dish Soap and Water - Spraying this mixture around your home is a great way to prevent wasp nest building they say...but have you ever heard of Geranium oil?

Before I start spraying odd mixtures of things all over my home and yard in a vain attempt to ease my fears, do YOU have a foolproof way to prevent wasps from building nests? Please send me a message and tell me what it is by clicking the button below. PLEASE!