Wasps

[RogerS]

A few weeks back I was in the workshop and felt something crawling up the inside of my jeans. I automatically reached to feel the lump which promptly stung me. Whipped off me jeans but couldn't find the little sod. About an hour later I went back in and I'd left a bag of chocolate raisins spilled on the bench. Without thinking I picked a handful up and stuffed them in my mouth. Chewing I thought one tasted a bit crunchy, which promptly stung me on the tongue. Luckily I discovered that both wasps were on their last legs and so neither sting was that painful (unlike the third bloody sting today on my chin...).

So I investigated the workshop and found an awful lot of them half dead, crawling all over the floor etc and I kept killing them but they kept coming back.

Having finally counted over 200 wasps in my workshop (either killed at my own hands or dying on their own) it was time to take action. I'd found one nest which I thought was the source but then discovered another one high up outside in the eaves.

Wasp destroyer foam only works if you can coat the nest - not possible in the eaves.

Wasp destroyer dusting powder only works if you can hold the container vertically and puff into the nest - not possible when hidden under the eaves.

So I wondered how much our council would charge - answer £55 - and then I remembered what they used when they came round a few years ago. A very long lance. So I Googled and found this.

Refillable. Reaches 3m. Works a treat. Bloody brilliant.

 

[Peter Sefton]

I have had two nests recently, one the day before open day over the BBQ area and one last week in the cavity of the barn. I called in a local pest control guy. I didn't get a quote but paid £75.00 for the first one and £70 for the second. Not cheap but they came out quickly and both nests are now dead.
Not something I want to play with but the kitten does that was another £72 for the vet.

Cheers Peter

 

[MMUK]

If you leave them alone they won't bother you. They only attack if they feel threatened.

They have to live somewhere and they were around before we were.

 

[John15]

A couple of weeks ago I had a nest close to our back door in an old tree root. I reluctantly poured petrol into the hole which killed them off. I do my best to preserve our diminishing wildlife but when it's close and dangerous it has to be dealt with.

John

 

[Flynnwood]

Not something I want to play with but the kitten does that was another £72 for the vet.

Cheers Peter

Interesting. My vet told me that cats can't be poisoned into a fatal position?

 

[RogerS]

If you leave them alone they won't bother you. They only attack if they feel threatened.

They have to live somewhere and they were around before we were.

Give me your address and I'll post them to you :lol:

 

[woodfarmer]

If you leave them alone they won't bother you. They only attack if they feel threatened.

They have to live somewhere and they were around before we were.

Give me your address and I'll post them to you :lol:

Me also.

I have them around but normally they are no trouble. this year we have had temperatures in the low 40's and I have had for the first time in 15 years to destroy some nests. Four of them in the walls surrounding the pool and one in the hole where the ladder stem goes. I had a sting on my back getting out of the pool and just put it down to chance. Next day my wife had four stings on her hand getting out of the pool so I then started rooting out the nests.
The next day I got stung on my legs in the green house. and found one nest under a table, one in the eaves and another in the west doorway.

Since then we have been at peace again.

Today wife had a dispute about ownership of the herb garden with a very large black and yellow whip snake. Seem to be a lot of them about this year.

 

[Woody2Shoes]

I normally ignore them - even though one got up my shorts once! They are beneficial insects (at least until the aphids they prey on become unavailable and they move on to fruit) and I'm not keen on splashing chemicals all over the place.

If I'm working up a ladder/scaffolding I sometimes put a couple of traps nearby - because the downside of getting one in the wrong place is much greater(!) - I also avoid shorts, even in hot weather during the wasp season. I make the traps out of a plastic drinks bottle with the top quarter cut off and re-inserted upside-down. A bit of cider/beer with a couple of rotting windfall apples/plums and the trap is baited and ready to hang up on a tree branch or similar.

Like this: http://www.pestcontrolcanada.com/INSECTS/wasp_traps.htm

Cheers W2S

 

[DrPhill]

We likewise try to leave them Last year we delayed a building project to let them complete their cycle.

This year they have chosen a rather inconvenient place (for us - great place for wasps). We can avoid them, but we are worried about the dogs. So now we face the dilemma 'kill or not'..... the next six weeks will probably be a worrying time.

 

[RogerS]

I normally ignore them - even though one got up my shorts once! They are beneficial insects (at least until the aphids they prey on become unavailable and they move on to fruit) and I'm not keen on splashing chemicals all over the place.

If I'm working up a ladder/scaffolding I sometimes put a couple of traps nearby - because the downside of getting one in the wrong place is much greater(!) - I also avoid shorts, even in hot weather during the wasp season. I make the traps out of a plastic drinks bottle with the top quarter cut off and re-inserted upside-down. A bit of cider/beer with a couple of rotting windfall apples/plums and the trap is baited and ready to hang up on a tree branch or similar.

Like this: http://www.pestcontrolcanada.com/INSECTS/wasp_traps.htm

Cheers W2S

We have aphids. Lots of them. I have never, ever seen a wasp eating one. I think this is a myth put out by the WAS (Wasp Appreciation Society) !

 

[defsdoor]

I've got a wasp nest under the tiles in the roof of our front bay window. I was going to leave it till winter before getting someone to deal with it as I read that by then most would be dead anyway.

Not sure I could deal with them myself - bit of a wuss when if comes to things like that.

 

[John Brown]

I normally ignore them - even though one got up my shorts once! They are beneficial insects (at least until the aphids they prey on become unavailable and they move on to fruit) and I'm not keen on splashing chemicals all over the place.

If I'm working up a ladder/scaffolding I sometimes put a couple of traps nearby - because the downside of getting one in the wrong place is much greater(!) - I also avoid shorts, even in hot weather during the wasp season. I make the traps out of a plastic drinks bottle with the top quarter cut off and re-inserted upside-down. A bit of cider/beer with a couple of rotting windfall apples/plums and the trap is baited and ready to hang up on a tree branch or similar.

Like this: http://www.pestcontrolcanada.com/INSECTS/wasp_traps.htm

Cheers W2S

We have aphids. Lots of them. I have never, ever seen a wasp eating one. I think this is a myth put out by the WAS (Wasp Appreciation Society) !

Or their publicity department, maybe.

 

[marcros]

I've got a wasp nest under the tiles in the roof of our front bay window. I was going to leave it till winter before getting someone to deal with it as I read that by then most would be dead anyway.

Not sure I could deal with them myself - bit of a wuss when if comes to things like that.

leave it until mid winter and they will all have died.

 

[dickm]

Worst wasp sting I've had was from a dead one! Swatted it on the window and chucked it out, where it landed on the cill. later in the day, leaned out the wndow, put hands on cill and left hand was exactly on the corpse, so sting was driven into soft part of palm. Hurt for days

 

[Woody2Shoes]

I can't say I've ever seen wasps eating aphids either (I do have a life, honest!), although I did once see a wasp take down a smail fly on the wing, but it says it on t'internet so it must be true! e.g.

http://www.pestcontrolcanada.com/INSECT ... ontrol.htm

"... Some social wasps are predators for most or all of the year and provide a great benefit by killing large numbers of plant-feeding insects and nuisance flies; others are exclusively scavengers....."

or http://www.beyondpesticides.org/alterna ... ntrol2.pdf or http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7450.html etc.

There are lots of different types of wasp of course.

I believe that round here in earlier generations they had a competition to see who could kill the most queen wasps - the winner killed something like 128 which tells me that they probably had a lot more wasps (and a lot more spare time!) in those days.

Cheers, W2S

 

[Jonzjob]

We have had loads of wasps around our pool too, but the nest/s are not anywhere close. They come to drink in the hot weather and normally are nt a problem.

As far as leaving them alone? It depends very much where they are nesting.

The real delight for us is the pine recessionary caterpillar. They seem to like our pine trees and if you want to see just how nice they aren't just google them. I have come into direct contact with them once and got their hairs on my legs, arms and very slightly on my face while I was picking up some pine cones. I was not a happy bunny for several days. I was covered in a very painful rash. I won't go into more detail here as it's not about them.

For stings or bites we have a couple of Aspivenin kits. One in the car and one in the house. When I was stung by a wasp it hurt like hell and I just used the sucker and it took all the hurt out, well almost all. As far as I'm concerned they are worth getting.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/ASPIVENIN-INSEC ... =aspivenin

You can probably get them in chemists too? We can here.

 

[Racers]

Last time I was stung it was from a wasp doing about 40mph, well I was doing 40mph and it managed to hit my shoulder and bounce up into my neck, which was probably the only thing exposed when I ride my motorbike.

Pete

 

[RogerS]

....
http://www.amazon.co.uk/ASPIVENIN-INSEC ... =aspivenin

You can probably get them in chemists too? We can here.

Interesting...I've got a solder-sucker tool that works on the same principle - I might give that a try next time.

 

[Jonzjob]

You'd have to get it hot enough :shock: :shock:

The kit comes with 4 different size 'cup' that fit on the end, including a long one for sneaky snake bites. It works on mossie bites too if you can catch then early enough..

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I've got a wife ...