Wasps coming in through chimney flue

[jeff]

I recently moved into a townhouse. I'm finding roughly 2 wasps per week inside the house, and almost always they are found in the living room. There is a fireplace in the living room, and I believe they are coming in through the chimney flue of the fireplace. After suspecting this, I opened the flue cover one time, to see if there was any activity there, and a wasp came in. I think it's reasonable to assume this is where they are coming from. There does not seem to be any other place that they would be likely to come in through. I normally keep the cover to the flue closed, but there are 2 small gaps in the cover they could fly in through.

I have not used the fireplace since I moved in. The flue to this fireplace appears to be a metal duct. Would simply starting up a fire in the fireplace be a good way to solve this problem? If starting a fire isn't the solution, then what do you recommend?

Thanks,

J.

[newsgroups01REMOVEME]

IMHO:

Now without ever looking at the situation personally and going on what you said, I would guess one situation that could be happening. You have a nest inside or very-very near your chimney. Since it is possible the nest is in the chimney starting a fire could result in smoke damage in your house. Plus if the nest is small enough not to smoke you out, if it catches fire chimneys are to draft smoke not to hold flames.

I would recommend if you find a good pest service to kill off the creatures and a good chimney service to clean and inspect your fireplace.

Good Luck with your adventures....

tom @

[TURTLE]

This is Turtle.

Just build you a good fire in it and it should kill them all with the smoke it makes. Now do be prepaired to deal with the wasps falling down into the fire or making it to the room. Just watch out.

Now you could pull the cap on the roof and see down the pipe and tell where they are and use wasps spray on them but don't have a fire at the same time. Had to say it.

If this don't work Move out.

TURTLE

[Lar]

:) I have not used the fireplace since I moved in. The flue to this fireplace :) appears to be a metal duct. Would simply starting up a fire in the :) fireplace be a good way to solve this problem? If starting a fire isn't the :) solution, then what do you recommend?

They may not just be getting in through the fireplace. They will get into the attic and find their way inside by way of any can (recessed) lighting. The wasp treatments I do in the Fall is treating the attic space for wasps already up there, treating possible entry points on the outsode of the structure and recommending for the homeowner to use the fireplace.

Lar. (to e-mail, get rid of the BUGS!!

Dancing dog is back!

[dadiOH]

Oh, man, that would piss them off *GOOD*. Any that escaped - there are bound to be survivors - would go crying and whining to their cousin hornets and yellow jackets and the whole lot would be laying for you the first time you poked your murdering nose out the door. :)

-- dadiOH ____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.05... ...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that. Get it at

[m Ransley]

Start a fire it will make them move

[TURTLE]

This is Turtle.

Don't get simple here when we are tring to get complicated here.

TURTLE

[TURTLE]

This is Turtle.

You could alway ask them to leave and be a kind and gentle person.

TURTLE

[m Ransley]

Once I heard some noise in my chimney, so I looked in and saw a coon. I started a newspaper fire and he crawled right up and out, I went back in thinking he left, went out again and he was nowhere. Again I heard noise in the chimney and the papers were still smoking, I looked up and there he was so I lit a big fire with gasoline and wood, well he went up but would not leave the chimney till I took my garden hose and got him wet, those coons just dont like a garden hose but sure are stubborn critters.

[Bell]

When was this? Back in the 60's, I guess?

Are you back into the LSD again?

[newsgroups01REMOVEME]

They don't like the garden hose, but will tollerate being on fire?

Priorities are wrong.

:-P

later,

tom @

[newsgroups01REMOVEME]

Better to send them a complaint letter.

;)

tom @

[Trish]

replying to jeff, Trish wrote: After my nephew removed a wasp nest from the top of the chimney, I spray Spectricide wasp and hornet spray a couple of feet up on the inside of the chimney from the living room. I have found one live one and one dead wasp since I started doing that. If you have exotic birds, keep them away from the spray, because if it highly toxic to them. Hope this helps.

[Sam Hill]

What is it with you "homeownershub" people? Can't read dates? Do you think jeff is still waiting for a solution after *TWELVE YEARS?*

[Dick Hymen]

They had to go back that far to find an article that was on-topic?

Or maybe they don't have anything to contribute to the political and gun control threads?

[Iris]

replying to Trish, Iris wrote: Thank you Trish I had so many wasps coming into my house every day. We can't use our fireplace because of it. We keep a plexiglass cover over it now with magnets around it to keep them out. Not too pretty I would like to use my fireplace this winter!

[stanmanwalk]

replying to Iris, stanmanwalk wrote: Did plexiglass help and if so where did u get it from. ? What about any wasps that still came down the flue, do they just die there? We've had a chimney sweep but somehow they've managed to come back. Thought this really cold spell we had would kill any nests close by, but first warm day two were in the house.