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Four wasp products, each matched to a job. Rentokil’s foam suits a nest you can reach, and the Zero In foam is listed as reaching up to 2 metres if you want to keep your distance. If there is no nest and the wasps are around the garden, the Zero In trap is poison-free, and for a nest you cannot get at there is Rentokil’s powder.
The Four Products Compared
Every column below is what the Amazon listing itself states. Where a listing does not state something, the cell says so rather than guessing.
| Product | Form and actives, as listed | Award |
|---|---|---|
| Rentokil PSW97 Foam 300ml | Nest foam; d-phenothrin + tetramethrin, as listed | Best Overall |
| Zero In XL Wasp Trap | Baited trap; poison-free; outdoor, as listed | Best Wasp Trap |
| Zero In Wasp Nest Killer 300ml | Nest foam; permethrin + tetramethrin; 2-3 treatments per can, as listed | Best Quick-Kill Spray |
| Rentokil PSW99P Powder 300g | Powder; permethrin; for inaccessible nests, as listed | Best Powder |
A wasp nest is a summer structure. Oxford City Council’s pest advice: “Fertilized queens leave to hibernate, while the rest of the colony dies off with the onset of cold weather.” (Oxford City Council). Whether to treat one at all is the first question, and it is not always yes.
Best Overall — Rentokil Wasp Foam 300ml
Foam
Rentokil Wasp Foam 300ml
Best Overall
- Fetched title: Rentokil PSW97 Wasp Destroy Foam Aerosol 300ml
- Contains d-phenothrin and tetramethrin, per the listing
- The maker claims it kills wasps in the nest
- Aerosol; target species listed as Insects
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Suits a nest you can reach. It is a 300ml Rentokil aerosol foam, the listing names d-phenothrin and tetramethrin, and the maker says it kills wasps in the nest. The listing gives no reach and no number of treatments, so read the can before you start.
Pros:
- d-phenothrin and tetramethrin, per the listing
- Foam aerosol for treating the nest
- 300ml can from Rentokil
Best Wasp Trap — Zero In Ultra Power XL Wasp Trap
Trap
Zero In Ultra Power XL Wasp Trap
Best Wasp Trap
- Listed as poison-free, supplied with 2 sachets of attractant bait
- Listed for outdoor use: gardens, smallholdings, refuse areas, stables and barns
- Listed as reusable, with a refill available and a twist-off base for emptying
- Listing directions: put the trap in a bag in a freezer for 2 hours before emptying
- Target species listed as Wasp
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Pick the trap if wasps are bothering you around the garden and there is no nest to treat. It is listed as poison-free and reusable, comes with two sachets of attractant bait, and has a twist-off base with a refill available. The listing covers outdoor use in gardens, smallholdings, refuse areas, stables and barns.
Pros:
- Poison-free, as listed
- 2 bait sachets supplied; refill available
- Reusable, with a twist-off base
- Listed for gardens, refuse areas, stables and barns
Best Quick-Kill Spray — Zero In Wasp Killer 300ml
Spray
Zero In Wasp Killer 300ml
Best Quick-Kill Spray
- Fetched title: Zero In Wasp Nest Killer — foam spray for indoor and outdoor nest removal
- Contains permethrin and tetramethrin, per the listing
- Listed as reaching a nest from up to 2 metres away
- Listed as 2-3 treatments per 300ml can
- Listing directions: apply late evening or early morning when wasps are less active
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Choose this if you want to keep some distance from the nest. The listing states a reach of up to 2 metres and 2-3 treatments per 300ml can, with permethrin and tetramethrin named, for nests indoors and out. Apply it in the late evening or early morning when wasps are less active, as the listing directs.
Pros:
- Reach up to 2 metres, as listed
- 2-3 treatments per 300ml can
- Permethrin and tetramethrin, per the listing
- Listed for indoor and outdoor nests
Best Powder — Rentokil PSW99P Wasp Killer Powder 300g
Powder
Rentokil PSW99P Wasp Killer Powder 300g
Best Powder
- 300g powder; active listed as permethrin
- Listed for use on inaccessible nests
- Listed for the home and garden
- Target species listed as Insects
- No application rate or nest count is stated on the listing
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Suits a nest you cannot get at directly. The listing names permethrin and states use on inaccessible nests, in the home and garden, in a 300g pack. It gives no application rate or nest count, so follow the pack.
Pros:
- 300g permethrin powder
- Listed for inaccessible nests
- Listed for home and garden
Start with your situation
- The nest is large, or somewhere you cannot reach. The council’s advice is that larger nests may need a professional — if a product is not the answer.
- You want to know what you are allowed to use. HSE separates general-public products from professional ones — the legal position.
- You want to know where the nest is likely to be. The council lists the places — where the nest is, and when it ends.
- You want wasps away from a table, not a nest treated. One of the four is a baited outdoor trap with no insecticide — the trap.
Where the Nest Is, and When It Ends
Oxford City Council: “Wasps build colonies inside nests made from wood pulp, commonly found in buildings’ roof spaces, airbricks, wall cavities, garden sheds, tree holes, and soil banks.” And on size: “By early autumn, nests can contain thousands of wasps.”
The council’s reason for controlling them at all is the one health sentence on this page: “Wasps can carry germs and attack when disturbed, posing a risk to hypersensitive individuals.” A nest that is not near people and not being disturbed will end on its own with the first frosts.
The Legal Position on Wasp Products
Three of the four products are insecticides; the trap is poison-free by its listing. HSE’s guidance on using biocides: “If you are a member of the public, you should only use biocidal products that are intended for the general public - sometimes the terms 'amateur' or 'non-professional' might be used instead.” (HSE). The label on the can states which a product is.
HSE on the label: “Following the label instructions carefully should be enough to allow the product to be used safely and effectively.” The Zero In foam listing carries a direction of its own — apply late evening or early morning — which is repeated on its card as the maker’s.
Where a Foam Does Not Help
A nest you cannot reach. The Zero In foam is listed as reaching from up to 2 metres. A nest in a wall cavity, a roof void or under a soil bank — three of the council’s six locations — may be beyond it. The council’s line: “However, larger nests may require professional treatment.”
A trap does not treat a nest. The Zero In trap is listed for outdoor use with a bait attractant. It is for wasps in the garden, not the colony they came from.
A foam does not treat next year. Per the council, the colony dies with the cold and only the queens overwinter.
What Decides the Choice
1. Nest or no nest
Two products are nest foams, one is a nest powder and one is a baited trap. If you have not found a nest, the foams have nothing to be pointed at.
2. Reach and how many goes, as listed
Zero In foam: up to 2 metres, 2-3 treatments per can. Rentokil foam: neither figure is stated on its listing. The table carries both as stated.
3. Which active the listing names
Rentokil: d-phenothrin and tetramethrin. Zero In foam: permethrin and tetramethrin. The trap: none, by design.
If a Product Is Not the Answer
Leave it, if it is leaving you alone. The colony dies off with the cold, per the council. A nest that is not near people needs nothing.
A professional, for a large or unreachable nest. Oxford City Council: “However, larger nests may require professional treatment.” HSE: “If you are not a professional, consider using a professional pest controller to deal with the problem.” Our wasp nest guide covers what a treatment visit involves.
Using Them
- Decide whether the nest needs treating at all. Near people and being disturbed, or not.
- Check you can reach it from the listed distance. Two metres for the Zero In foam; not stated for the Rentokil.
- Follow the listing’s timing. Zero In directs late evening or early morning.
- Empty the trap the way its listing says. Bagged and frozen for two hours first.
Warning
The council’s advice that larger nests may require professional treatment is the line this page defers to. Nothing here is a substitute for it.