Getting Rid of Wasp Nest

[Les]

I have a wasp nest just outside my front door. I just bought a spray to hoepfully kill them.

The nest is active during the daylight and see lots of activity. Should I spray it after dark?

[Don Phillipson]

Read instructions on the label, which probably recommend use after dark or at dawn.

[dpb]

I don't bother to worry about it much unless it's actually a hornet nest instead of just yellow wasp or similar -- they're a whole lot more agressive. For a wasp nest, I typically just knock 'em down -- once the nest is down, they'll abandon it. If you're concerned or it's real big, a shot of the wasp/hornet spray will kill the ones you hit and the others will depart for at least a while as they don't like the stuff (obviously :) ).

Last time I recall getting a wasp sting was when about 5 or 6 and Mom tried to swat one in the kitchen. I was sitting on a stool watching her do something and she didn't kill or stun it, and it got me... :( Use that to point out that have probably knocked down a 50 or more nests in the nearly 60 years since and not been stung so that they are, in fact, not _terribly_ agressive or are relatively easy to avoid. A really, really large nest or the actual hornet nest, is, though, as noted, something to be much more wary of...

[krw]

It always works for me.

Yes, preferably when it's cold. You wan them as inactive as possible and at home when you nuke 'em.

[kellyj00]

paper wasp nests burn like newspaper...that's the way I handle those guys. Take a can of aerosol and a zippo... spray it with a gush...stop... light the lighter.... then spray again. Obviously don't do this if it's near anything that'll burn...like a pile of dead leaves.

Of course, I don't mess around with the RIGHT way to handle things... like with a can of spray wasp killer.

[Father Haskell]

Wait. First freeze will kill them.

[Steve B]

I liked to use starter fluid and a Bic lighter about 3 PM. But you have to hit and run. The ones you don't fry are really angry. Then, the most important thing .............. knock down the nest. If you leave the nest, they will just keep building.

Caution: Starter fluid and Bic lighters are not for wussies or those with heart problems.

Steve ;-)

[Nick Hull]

Consider keeping the wasp nest. One year we had a HUGE paper wasp nest just outside our front door. No one got stung, we slammed the door and stacked firewood and no problems, but NO door-to-door salesmen came that year ;)

[Steve B]

"Nick Hull" wrote

We took a drive in August near our cabin in Utah. It's a backwoods road that goes from Summit, Utah, to Brian Head, Utah. Dirt all the way. The leaves had gone off the quakies. We sighted nearly a dozen wasps nests that were at least as big as basketballs. Biggest ones I have ever seen.

STeve

[mm]

You're talking about spraying the starter fluid through the flame , right?

I did that once when I was 22 with a can of hair spray that I had no other use for. Like a blow torch. I have'n't had nerve enoughh to try it since.

[Brian]

I live in Florida. I spray the wasp nests that grow sometimes on my soffits with a nozzle attached to my water hose. The wasps don't fly well with wet wings. Spray hard on the nest to knock it lose. When it hits the ground, stomp on it. Meanwhile, you'll have some delirious wasps floating around not flying well. Drop the hose and take your baseball bat and beat them to the ground then stomp on them. It is the cheapest way to get rid of them. The other crap just pisses them off.

[kellyj00]

if you use the fire method, you must grunt while you're doing it.

Note, hair spray also works indoors for things like spiders... just spray from about a foot away and move in closer... they won't move very fast after you hit them with the sticky stuff.

Now you have a choice... you could just smash them as they're stuck in the hairspray...of you could pull out your zippo and use the hairspray like a torch again. did this on one 1.5" diameter brown "grass" spider (not a brown recluse thank Goodness) then decided it was probably best to torch this hummingbird sized arachnid rather than stomp on him and have guts gush out in some direction.

The smell was horrendous.

mm wrote:

[Steve B]

Yes. I find starter fluid the best, as some other things, like WD40 can leave sooty marks. Only use this where there are no trees (obviously) and don't get too close. You want to have the fireball enclose them and singe their wings so they will stop flying. After that, you have to stomp them or otherwise clean them up.

A shot of poison is probably better, but the ether/Bic thing is fun if even for a Fourth of July trick.

Steve