speaking of wasps

[Warren Lake]

had a small nest last week and put Lacquer thinner in a hand spray bottle and it took them out instantly. this one will be more of a battle. I was going to order a suit of armor but not sure id be able to run too fast.

I have some Wasp Be Gone spray foam stuff, no hose with it and wonder.

Is this best done at night, its cooling down here to maybe 50 approx at night. They should be busy counting sheep. Be ideal if they had taken sleeping pills.

What about a plan of attack, I can see spray in the hole and if I can get enough in it blocks it, the can says stand back five feet and do that, I dont think so, there is no tube with the can. I figured spray into the hole as much as I can then stand back and spray the hole thing and soak it. Then leave it for the next day rather than try and rip it off at the time.

I looked at you tubes and all guys I saw had suits on and worked in the day.

Any common sense appreciated. Im always surprised at the wallop these little things have. I had rebuilt a roof years ago and forgot to close the lid on my sippy mug. Gathered my tools and took a swig and that was not ideal.

Second photo looks like only one entry hole, third photo a bit more below that shot and looks a bit open only they only go in and out the one hole.



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[Jim Becker]

Yes, at night and put a red filter over your flashlight. They are generally quiet at that point. Soapy water will also kill them.

We also wear a beekeeper's suit, but not everyone has that...

[Myk Rian]

However, and whenever you tackle it, have someone take video.

[Steve Eure]

Wear some type of eye protection when spraying so as not to get blow back in your eyes. Very painful.

[David Dockstader]

The stuff I have - in a typical rattle can size - says right on the can "sprays 18 feet." And it does. No hose or anything. Just don't want to throw that can into a fire. Must have a little pressure in there.

[Warren Lake]

thanks on the eyes, good point I could almost wear my 3M fresh air suit as it has a 50 foot hose, will have to use a ladder and as far as spray looks like 5 feet or more but it would be like playing darts to try and get that in the hole. I figured i go to the hole first on the ladder, shoot a gaggle in and come down then spray the whole thing.

[Derek Meyer]

My grandpa was a contract painter, and whenever he ran into a nest on a job site he would douse it with paint thinner. That worked great for small nests. For a large one once, I saw him spray paint thinner through his airless sprayer and soak that nest. Not a single wasp survived as far as I know.

[John K Jordan]

I like to spray it at night when they are all inside. The non-foaming wasp/hornet spray will penetrate the outer paper. I do wear a bee suit.

[Matt Day]

At night, from a decent distance. Too close and any that might be close by will attack. The foaming stuff that shoots 18’ or so will get that nest I bet. Hose it down, check it in the morning.

[Bill McNiel]

The stuff I have - in a typical rattle can size - says right on the can "sprays 18 feet." And it does. No hose or anything. Just don't want to throw that can into a fire. Must have a little pressure in there.

That sounds like the stuff I have used. Worked to complete satisfaction.

[Ed Aumiller]

Is that a wasp nest??? or hornets???

[Warren Lake]

this is the best i can do. They are getting annoying you sit out back 35 feet away and they hassle you. Twice ive been standing looking at them and a Kamakazi guy comes straight from the nest for my forehead. Thunderstorms tonight so leaving it alone tonight. can you tell me what they are and does it matter either way, pain in the butt they are. The one on the front small and easy and the lacquer thinner took them out instantly. The foaming stuff that shoots it makes sense it gets into the hole and think you would need to do that first or maybe if you stand back and cover it you can still force some past into the hole

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[Jim Becker]

Is that a wasp nest??? or hornets???

Hornets are wasps. So are yellow jackets. They are all evil.

[Jerry Bruette]

I bought some Spectracide PRO Wasp and Hornet Killer to get rid of some nests of those devils. It sprays 20 feet and whatever is in it will continue to kill returning hornets for 4 weeks. Knocked out the whole nest in one application in one day.

[Ed Aumiller]

They are yellow jackets... Yes, they are wasps... but in our area are referred to as yellow jackets or small hornets... They are nasty and will follow you if you disturb them.. Do NOT squash them as this will release an odor that will bring others to it.....
Recommend spraying outside of nest with diesel fuel, having two cans of wasp/hornet spray ready and be prepared to run for cover... The cooler it is outside, the better...

[Lee Schierer]

Here's what you are up against.
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Unless you use a spray with residual effectiveness or penetrate to the interior where the larvae are located, you will not kill them all.

[Warren Lake]

thanks it rained all night so not last night. Hoping there wont be a funeral after this. Ive seen the you tubes where they sprayed the outside and wondered how much gets in. So night good everyone is back, cold good they are slowing, night good they are counting sheep or flowers and maybe dont wake up fast. Neighbour said they recognize faces, I said maybe they can hire them for the airport facial recognition.

Almost every you tube if not all they have all the gear. Going to have to do this on a ladder as well which sucks if you need a fast escape plus extension ladder noisey and dont want to wake them.

Not going to try it but wonder about the leaf blowers where you have the big huge tube to suck stuff up and it goes into a bit of a grinder fan and into a bag.

[Kev Williams]

For those Kamakazi wasps and others just flying around I keep cans of cheap flying insect killer and/or ant & roach killer around. Those spray like paint, which wets their wings and they drop like rocks. Then I spray 'em some more...

[Warren Lake]

thanks Kev

I could use my pressure pot and some post cat lacquer. Two diff days they sent a guy out on a mission and I saw him walk out then do a straight Bee line for my head. Even at this advanced age guess some reflexes left and I moved just as he was close. What did Muhamid say, "I float like a butterfly sting like a bee"

[Scott Clausen]

As said, at night very low light from a flash light. Take a test spray from a long range can jet steam to get and idea of range. Hit the hole good and wet the bottom of the nest. Leave the scene of the crime and see if there is any activity the following day. I saw someone hit one and scrape it off after about ten minutes but that's not for me. When I get one sting it takes me a week to finish swelling. I last got stung on the upper leg and by the fifth day I couldn't tie my boot anymore.

[John K Jordan]

As said, at night very low light from a flash light. Take a test spray from a long range can jet steam to get and idea of range. Hit the hole good and wet the bottom of the nest. Leave the scene of the crime and see if there is any activity the following day. I saw someone hit one and scrape it off after about ten minutes but that's not for me. When I get one sting it takes me a week to finish swelling. I last got stung on the upper leg and by the fifth day I couldn't tie my boot anymore.

I spray and remove the nest immediately, the spray is that good.

As for stings, I wrote about this earlier but in a different forum. Get The Extractor. I promise it works:

I'm sensitive to yellowjacket stings. One sting on my hand caused my entire arm to swell all the way to my shoulder.

For those who don't like the pain or swelling of stings there is a sure-fire cure - use a Sawyer product called "The Extractor" https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B000AU9PEC
I usually buy them from Walmart - hanging with the small camping supplies.
There are many similar products today but this is the one I have experience with and recommend. Also good for mosquitoes, snake bites, etc.
This doesn't treat the symptoms of a sting but actually pulls the venom out of the skin with a suction pump. Remove the venom, remove the effects of the sting. This really, really works. The last two yellowjacket stings I got left only a small red spot when treated quickly with The Extractor. In most cases the pain is gone instantly.

I keep two in the house, one in the shop, one in each vehicle, one on the tractor, one in my honeybee hive kit, and give them to parents with small children.

JKJ

[Warren Lake]

thanks hoping i wont need that but its good stuff to get. They put a back light on which is about 20 feet away not super bright. May ask it be turned off not sure yet. Put a ladder up in case I need to get closer. We walked over and you can hear them buzzing. Well That was Fun. I think the buzzing is A440 so I could likely tune my guitar.

Planning a pre dawn raid. I was going to paint my face. Not sure of their sleep patterns or for how long, do they sleep with their eyes open. I had one military friend when I asked him about being attacked he said its okay as he sleeps with one eye open. Wish it was colder out, still will drop down more. Wonder about their night vision. Ill have to Mcgiver up a suit of some sort, do have a tuxedo but think it would be a bit tight being older now. Second choice will be Tyvek coveralls.

If anything goes wrong, Lowell you can have my SCM Combo machine.

[Brice Rogers]

I had a yellow jacket nest that was inside a concrete block foundation. It was huge - - large enough that you could hear the yellow jackets inside the house. Periodically one would pop out in the house and scare the kids. It was a rental house and a kid was sleeping in the basement (where the bees were).

I took over my shop vac that has a whole lot of suction. I put the end of the suction tube next to the ingress/egress hole. I saw the bees struggle but within about 5 seconds one made a beeline directly towards me and hit me (without stinging) in the middle of my forehead. That is when I threw in the towel.

[Dave Zellers]

I think you should get up 2 hours before dawn, walk right up to the nest, put that 20 foot spray can right in front of the bottom hole, and press as hard as you can until it starts oozing out the sides.

And then run as fast as you can.

And then post the video. :D

[Brian Deakin]

In the Uk it is possible to purchase wasp spray cans with the trigger mechanism shown in the diagram

below

https://cdn.aws.toolstation.com/images/141020-UK/800/78816.jpgor it may be possible to purchase similar adapter trigger mechanism

Suggested approach put on a pair of googles ,gloves and cover as much of your body as possible
Away from the nest
(1)Attach the can with duct tape to a length of wood such that when the wood is placed in the ground the nozzle of the wasp killer is opposite the nest entrance
(2) Attach duct tape or elastic strapping to the spray trigger to activate the spray
(3) Approach the wasp nest ,place the wood in the ground direct the spray to the nest and run

The tape or elastic on the trigger mechanism theoretically should spray a continual stream of killer into the nest

[Warren Lake]

Gortez jogging stuff, tyveks over top. figured they cant punch through that. Jogging hood full face cover then tyvek hood over that. Full face spray mask Wilson brand. Fogged up almost instantly. Partly bad seal tyvek, beard blah blah. Soft leather welding gloves up high Lee Valley Surpabeam over top, wont hold any of five positions has ED. Pain

There must have been some guys working the night shift as there were some late arrivals. The spray can ran out way too fast, think the people that gave it to me did a couple of show off pumps on it

Hard to get it into the nest hole when a gaggle of guys are trying to escape, they plug the hole as a group then drop out and more plug it. I came back for my furniture lacquer reducer in a hand pump squirt bottle. Got about an 8 foot spray fine tube then after 40 pumps it fuzzed up to a mist that went about a foot.

Job got done, enemy was eliminated. McGivered Bee suit worked fine other than the fogging mask. Becker Acroma 219 Lac reducer worked excellent used it on a small one last week. Think that is the haps free one, nastier one would have been better but for sure that stuff takes them out right away. Not sure how much penetrates the nest and wraps of paper when you soak the outside. I get the drill now, next one will be straightforward two cans of spray Becker in hand pump one more back up.

thanks for all the help, appreciated.


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[Kevin Jenness]

Your flashlight has erectile dysfunction? Sad.

Congratulations on your successful destruction of the invading army.

[Warren Lake]

Lee Valley VR3 Suprabeam. Great headlights, one got lost other wont hold any of the positions its supposed to clic into. Tried to take it apart but didnt get it. Makes it hard to use when you cant lock it into the angle you need so its either locked in place or falling as far forward angle as it can go.