Wasps

woodbutcher_2

I've got an idea.Let yourself get stung and you will be that mad you will kill every wasp you see.I never kill spiders or insects but wasps are a different story.Been stung that many times i now see them as fair game.Get them before they get me.

Doonhamer

Keep a badminton racket at hand whenever you're in the garden. It's the best thing for sorting out wasps.

Like you woodbutcher, I hate killing things but wasps are my exception too.

In this case the nest is the size of an eggcup so it's just one wasp building it for now. I had one the same a week ago and was facinated watching the wasp build it. It was amazing to see it develop. But you just can't leave them, later in the summer there will be thousands of wasps. I just waited till it went off to get more pulp and broke up the nest, I should have killed the thing but after watching it building for a few days I couldn't. It will probably build a nest somewhere else now and breed thousands.

Another tip for later in the summer is to leave a bit of rotten fruit in a corner of the garden to attract the wasps away from the patio.

FirstClassMale

Job done!!!

Anyone got an icepack? lol for the shed, not for me.

In hindsight, perhaps the bright yellow stormproof jacket could have been a bit antagonistic, but they were all tucked up in bed as I didn't see any flying around. So there's me, boiler suit, hood round my face and a grinding visor on. The most difficult part was lighting the blowtorch with gloves on.

A slight scorch mark on the canopy of the shed (oh did I mention it's a 2 grand log cabin?) but at least I dont have to worry about the little blighters. Not those ones anyway.

Thanks for all your advice, most of which I ignored. Sorry.

Doonhamer

As I have tried to explain there would only have been ONE wasp at this stage (egg cup sized nest). The queen. It survives the winter and then in the spring begins to build a nest. When the nest has about a dozen hexagonal cells it starts to lays eggs which hatch into worker wasps. This is when the trouble would have started so you did the correct thing now before it got bigger.

amd

Shame I didn't see this earlier - you could have saved yourself a lot of bother! Get yourself some Ant Powder (supermarket or Woolworths) only a couple of quid. Late in the evening (when they're snoozing) go up to the nest and puff a little bit around the entrance. Needs to be held downwards usually to 'puff' from the canister though which can be awkward. I promise you, you won't see them again!

It is a pesticide thought so COVER ALL EXPOSED SKIN AND DO NOT BREATHE THE STUFF IN!

Have used it a few times over the years (for wasps and ants!) - brilliant stuff, they pick it up on their bodies and die very quickly. We never saw any again from the moment the stuff was applied.

Stormy

I hate the things

Just discovered a small wasp nest in my garden shed too, since being stung by wasps many a time when younger I have a hatred for them.

Was in the shed and my mum and dad were helping me tidy my garden and there was a spider the size of about 3 fifty pence peices joined running around and my mum was cacking herself. I on the there hand would not go near the lil paper nest of this wasp.

Anyway.... I digress

It seemed to be just one wasp coming in and out when we were noseying around (Queen as others suggested?). My brave dad put on a riggers gloves when the wasp flew out and crushed it under his foot. The wasp came back and must have wondered what the hell happened. It just looked like a standard wasp, don't the queens look different?

Also Will it just build a new nest there again? I did try spraying the area with ant/insect powder. The wasp was having a good sniff around and then decided to go for a bit, only to re-appear later.

Will the only way to get rid of it be to exterminate the !!!!!!?

I really don't want wasps setting up home in my shed, it was almost certainly a wasp, but just looked like a standard yellow and black wasp.

Cheers,

Mike

Rex_Mundi

poppie,s_dream wrote:

borrow an old person pretend she lives at your address and get the council to do it free!!!! round our way o.a.p's aren't charged for things like this

poppie
xxx

Our council are the same. They charge £30, or if the nest will possibly affect OAPs, they don't charge. I have two OAPs next door to me, so I had my nest dealt with for nothing.

Doonhamer

Stormy, that certainly was the queen they look much the same, possibly very slightly bigger. Keep a watch for it rebuilding but chances are it will try elsewhere. If it starts again puff the nest with ant powder at night, or swat the wasp during the day with the trusy old badminton racket.