Paper wasps, part duex (long rant)

[Brewdude]

So last year, I had the fun of having a paper wasp nest built right directly above my front door, in the underside of the overhang. Just a few ft  from where I come and go.

Got the 25' spray and doused them thoroughly, but it needed another can since the nest was so big. Did that, and never got stung (which I still can't believe, since the little bassards were swarming all around me!)

Fast forward to today. I'd noticed a sound associated with them when I went and opened the garage door, but couldn't see where the nest was. I was convinced it was in the garage. Looked all over in the daylight. No cigar.

I figured I'd either get nailed or find them in the end. The end arrived today.

Coming home in the afternoon I raised the garage door, and heard the "buzz". This time I resolved to see where the bassards were coming from. Fortunately it didn't take long.

Although I had checked out the garage pretty thoroughly the door itself now became the suspect, which I'd speculated about before.

There in the light of day I saw a smallish paper wasp nest, about the size of a large egg on the bottom of the inside door (which was now in the open position).

Incredible how I missed this before, but due to the location it was relatively easy to miss. And I'm lucky that they didn't see fit to nail me in all the times I've gone out there. I've heard buzzing but they didn't zero in on me, partly because I've held my breath since I've read that they target heat (I wear a hat) and CO2 from the exhaled breath.

I had already gotten in another can of long distance spray, so it was a matter of waiting until one of them came within firing range. Got that one.

Doused the nest and knocked it down. No wasps came out of it, so figured they were all out and about being the day. Crushed it and discarded it.

Thought I'd dealt with the issue, but a few minutes later more angry buzzing. So took up a position in an advantageous area, and nailed that flyer too!

Due to my experience with the prior nest a yr ago, I took some hot bleach water and scrubbed the nest area, since the pheromone scent can apparently survive the pest spray. I learned this the hard way!

So hopefully this'll take care of the bassards. The size of the nest was much smaller than than the one before, so I'm hopeful that there were only a couple of them at this point.

Fuggers can build a nest anywhere, just not near my house.

 :x 



Cheers,

RR

 

[Hermit]

Next time ya douse a nest, leave it there a couple of days.
The poisoned nest can keep killing the stragglers.

 

[i.keenum]

:evil: Not saying I have a phobia of bees / wasps, but I'll take a snarling dog head on before a nest of flying stinging satan spawn.

 

[Richard Burley]

In my experience paper wasps and mud daubers are the least aggressive of stinging insects. I'm not saying they're affable or loveable, but it's amazing what you can do to them without being attacked. I knew an old guy that used to pick them up by their wings and chase us kids around, the stinger writhing around, looking deadly. When released, they would just fly away as if nothing had happened.

Hornets are another matter, as my brother could tell you. His house was infested with these huge white and black "bassards" and required professional killers to eliminate. They had bored into some of the woodwork and didn't take kindly to even being watched. Scary, and the way they go right for your eyes is almost admirable, in a warped sort of way.

 

[Rad Davis]

Paper wasps have been very aggressive with me.  

Try trimming a hedge when there's a nest down in there. I've had 4 or 5 of them come out and sting me on the hand within 5 seconds. Same with the newspaper slot on the mail box in the spring. Reach in to get the paper and draw back three wasps on your wrist stinging the shit out of you.  :lol: 

They like to build their nests in spots that are out of the wind. I've learned to look in the front end of the newspaper slot in the spring and spray the bastards if they are there. They always build in the back.

Keep an eye out.  :lol: 

Rad

 

[huffelpuff]

Growing up in Texas I ran across a hive of Africanized bees. All I did was walk past at what I thought was a safe distance (about 10 feet) two of them flew up my shirt and stung me. Dropped my rife (broke the stock when it hit the rocks) and ran. The next day the stings had turned necrotic (black and had started rotting). Dr loved me! Later in the week I went back with a smoking bucket and had some fun removing the stump the old fashioned way. My ears were ringing for more than a week if you catch my drift.

Lesson learned never trust any insect that stings!

Jim

 

[Briar Spirit]

You're a braver man than I RR, I'm acutely allergic to wasp and bee stings, I even hear one and I flee the room, the Mrs always has a giggle at that one, I was stung in the back of the neck as a kid and was comatose for 3 days. With bees I can't say as i have any ill feelings towards them as I respect how important bees are but wasps, damn things can all drop dead afore I care, nasty evil little pests.  :affraid: 

 

[RDPipes]

We have them here by the thousands, red wasps, black wasps, yellow jackets, Carpenter bees, etc.
They never seem to bother me although the Yellow jackets can be a little cantankerous
from time to time. The red and black ones like to circle me for some reason but, I just giv'em a good swat and they get the message. The red ones are mud dabbers and I'm constantly removing there nests from around the house, the black ones are the paper nest ones but, they only seem to like to make nests in the shed which doesn't bother me if they keep there distance when I enter and they do. A mosquito won't even light on me so maybe that's why the wasps and such leave me alone. Besides I figure if I let them be there be lass other insects around because of them, I do the same with spiders too, I just leave them alone if there not bothering me, inside and out. But, I can see how others may be affected by these stinging little insects and can get horribly ill if stung. I just happen to be lucky they don't want anything to do with me.   Now Carpenter Bees, that's those big black bees a lot of people call bumbles, not even close. Those will chase ya, I know, had to run about 2 blocks once (when I could still run) and thankfully he gave up on me. Never been stung by one and don't want to either. They actually bore in to wood to make there nests, hence Carpenter bee. That's when I get'em, as soon as they go into there hole it gets sprayed and sealed with foam. Teach that little bastard to chase me. :mrgreen: 

 

[alandadp]

I just happen to be lucky they don't want anything to do with me

From another thread:

aroma of Escudo and cow manure with just a hint of male musk

Any connection?  :lol!:

 

[RDPipes]

I just happen to be lucky they don't want anything to do with me

From another thread:

aroma of Escudo and cow manure with just a hint of male musk

Any connection?  :lol!:

Smart Ass!  :suspect: 

 

[gravel]

I just happen to be lucky they don't want anything to do with me

From another thread:

aroma of Escudo and cow manure with just a hint of male musk

Any connection?  :lol!:

Smart Ass!  :suspect: 

 :lol: 

 

[Brewdude]

You're a braver man than I RR, I'm acutely allergic to wasp and bee stings, I even hear one and I flee the room, the Mrs always has a giggle at that one, I was stung in the back of the neck as a kid and was comatose for 3 days. With bees I can't say as i have any ill feelings towards them as I respect how important bees are but wasps, damn things can all drop dead afore I care, nasty evil little pests.  :affraid: 

Kirk

Not brave even a little bit when it comes to these stinging bassards. Just have a loathing of them since being stung relentlessly many years ago.

In my former home, I discovered that paper wasps had built a nest in some wind chimes I had just outside my back door. This was the way I normally entered, and one evening I had 3 or 4 of them sting me on the forehead on my way into the house!

I hit the deck since I didn't exactly understand what was happening, and literally crawled into the house! I had painful welts on my forehead, but fortunately I'm not allergic.

Decided to wait until dusk to see where they lived, and it became apparent that they had built a nest in the wind chimes. So I avoided the back door and got some spray and doused them the next evening. It turned out to be a pretty good sized nest too.

Fast forward 20 yrs, and I had a rather large nest just under my front door. Looked to be the size of a large apple, and can't understand how I could have missed it given the size and time to build, but there you go!

Took 2 cans of spray to finish them off then, and never got stung, but I wore a hat, long sleeves, and gloves. 100% effective, but it was tense thing!

So when I got this recent infestation I acted quickly. And with positive results.

And yet just tonight after I got home, I heard a buzzing in my garage. Thinking it couldn't be, I grabbed my spray and nailed a rather large wasp.  

Perhaps that was one of the few stragglers that never made it back to the nest, but I'll be careful to see that no others come to try and re-build the nest.

GAME ON

 :x 


Cheers,

RR

 

[Hermit]

I hunt em with The Executioner.  :twisted: 
It only stuns em; ya gotta see where they fall and stomp em.  

 

[KevinM]

Every spring I go to a local store where painting contractors buy their gear, including industrial strength bee/hornet spray. I stock up. Then I get a pipe, a beer and comfy bag chair. In the evening, I just sit and smoke and eyeball likely nest areas for traffic. Once the sun goes down, I let 'em have it. The ones I hate are those that build nests underneath the deck and come up though the cracks to sting my ankles while I'm grilling. I had a neighbor who knew he was allergic to stings, but left his antidote kit in the medicine cabinet. He got stung in his backyard, but only had one more pass to make with the mower. His wife hollered for him to stop and come in, but he was stubborn and replied it would only take a minute to finish the job before going inside. Just a few minutes later his missus was a widow. Be careful out there, fellas.