Underground wasp nest

[doctor Bob]

2 holes about 10m apart in the garden, must be a whopper.
Got them really angry at the moment, wasps 3 stings v Bobby nil.
Trying an internet tip, 1 litre of fairy liquid and the hose pipe running for 1/2hr.
I shall report back

 

[MikeG.]

Do you like pain?

You're better off just letting them be for a few weeks, when the nest will just die off anyway. Oh, and that will almost certainly be 2 different nests.

 

[Trevanion]

I've always preferred the half gallon of petrol and a match method myself.

 

[MikeG.]

I've always preferred the half gallon of petrol and a match method myself.

My how we laughed, all the way to the burns unit!!

 

[doctor Bob]

I've always preferred the half gallon of petrol and a match method myself.

Me too, problem is it's under a hedge.

 

[doctor Bob]

Do you like pain?

You're better off just letting them be for a few weeks, when the nest will just die off anyway. Oh, and that will almost certainly be 2 different nests.

So where do wasps over winter then?

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Only the queen overwinters.

 

[Stanleymonkey]

Night time for the hose method.

If it is two separate nests - then you will have a challenge doing both

 

[nabs]

my neighbour's top tip is to squirt brake cleaner in the hole. Never tried it mind you.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

The first stage of the life cycle is hibernation. Wasp colonies die off during the winter months; not because of the cold but because of starvation for a lack of food. Only sexually mated queens over winter by hibernating.
Queens will hibernate in crevices and sheltered places. Most of them will die. Something like only 2 queens will survive to establish successful nests out of every 4,500 queens produced in the prior year. Spiders are responsible for killing a large number of queens because they share the same crevices and sheltered spaces. Warm winters also kill large numbers of queens.
(WaspBane)
.........................................................
I think I'd leave it to nature.

 

[doctor Bob]

Only the queen overwinters.

Yeh but, what if my queen overwinters in my garden. Poor old Billy can't have a cr!p in peace.

 

[Suffolkboy]

Try molten aluminium. Doesn't do the Jaspers any good and you get a cool sculpture afterwards.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGJ2jMZ-gaI

Failing that borrow a few Bantam hens. Nothing grubs up a wasp nest better and they are entertaining to watch too.

 

[MikeG.]

........So where do wasps over winter then?

In wasp heaven.

 

[devonwoody]

Ant killer powder works like the professionals use. The puffer bottles, but don't hang around after you have sprayed get back indoors quick.
(Nice knowing you BoB)

 

[Beau]

Get the mower running and park it over the hole. Angry wasps come to investigate and get mulched :lol:

Seriously though just hang on for a bit if you can. First ground frosts and they will be gone. We have a wasps nest in the hedge and hornets nest living in behind next doors slate hanging. The hornets are mildly disconcerting but fortunately very well mannered.

 

[ajcr27]

I tend to use the wasp nest destroyer foam but attach some tubing to the nozzle on the can and then put the tube right into the nest to ensure that the foam gets right into the nest.

 

[--Tom--]

Had a beasty of a nest in the garden that gave me polka dot legs when I managed to stand over the entrance while trimming back some overgrowth. As was underground I got a pest controller out who listened to my story of it, seemed dubious and had a look of disbelief before going to investigate. 1 minute later he came running back, surprised by how many and how angry they were, and realising he’s need to get a more of his kit from the van. First time he’d been stung for over 10 years apparently as they got him through his suit.
Pain from the stings wasn’t bad it was more the relentless itching for about 2 weeks after that was more annoying.

If you can see the entrance, it’s cheap enough to get the poison online and then dose the entrance. Returning wasps then carry it to the nest to kill it.

 

[Vann]

Ant killer powder works like the professionals use. The puffer bottles, but don't hang around after you have sprayed get back indoors quick...

Identify exactly where the nest entrance is - so that you can find it after dark (they're much quieter then). find a 4ft long piece of pipe (I used 20mm PVC conduit for the last one). Stick one end into the poison powder so that you've got a tablespoon or so of powder in the pipe. Then blow the powder into the entrance after dark (don't suck - you'll be very ill (homer) ).

I've done this at least 3 times now and it works very well.

The last time they were all dead by midday the next day.

The first time was a very large nest about 5 metres from my front door. I puffed the powder in during daylight. They knew it was me and chased me into the house. I'd shut all the windows beforehand in anticipation of trouble. They hung around two sides of the house in large numbers for the rest of the day, and the survivors were back the next day. Luckily I could still use the back door or I'd have been a prisoner for a day and a half.

Cheers, Vann.

 

[Seiken]

I used an aerosol foam (both Nipon & Rentokil) make them. I had a nest in the loft so I sprayed where they were getting in under the flashing and the nest itself, do it after dark by torchlight. Wiped them out in one go.

 

[AJB Temple]

There was a professor on radio 4 yesterday pointing out that wasps are only briefly nuisance to humans and the rest of the time they do sterling service eating insects, as they are carnivores. They are excellent pollinators and we should not regard them as pests. It got me thinking. We are positive towards bees, but not wasps. It's not entirely logical.