I stopped to get gas yesterday, and when I opened the access to the gas cap found a wasp nest. One live wasp flew away and I got rid of the nest without getting stung.
Ever since a wasp flew down my shirt & stung me 3 times when I was 13 I’ve had a holy jihad out for them. I take perverse pleasure in killing wasps. Sad, but oh so satisfying.
The wasps I’ve encountered are rather non-aggressive. Stay out of their way and they won’t bother you. Yellow jackets, on the other hand, will hunt you down and sting you.
Yellow jackets are the only insects outside my house on which I will engage in chemical warfare (for above ground nests) usually in a pre-dawn attack when the nest is quiet and the air is still and a minimal amount of chemicals have their greatest effect.
For in ground nests, I wait until nighttime when the patrols are grounded and “in the hangar,” put a piece of dry ice next to the hole and a bucket over that. The dry ice sublimates into CO2 which is heavier than air and creeps down the hole, suffocating the nest. The process releases a small amount of greenhouse gas, but is environmentally safer than other methods.
Know someone who won’t ride wearing a helmet? Wait’ll they ride through a swarm. Full face and leathers sounds really good now. Not me but saw it happen. Look kinda exciting. He must have liked it a lot cuz he was waving to ’em all pretty furiously.
Living in Michigan we are blessed by deerflies, whose bite is about the same as a yellowjacket mosquito hybrid. We are also experiencing an invasion of hornets that resemble yellowjackets but are huge, like up to 2 inches. I was stung twice one day by them and noticed when I went in the woods there were no deerflies after me. The next day I was stung twice more by those hornets and once again no deerflies came near me. I actually thought the deerfly switch had been turned off by mother nature, however, the next day after not getting stung brought back the deerflies buzzing my dog and I.
Here in Arizona we have quite a few Tarantula Hawk wasps. I am assured there is no such thing as self-control if one of those critters stings you, just blinding pain and wondering who is yelling.
My favorite method for taking care of wasps is engine degreaser. Kills the nasty little creatures and dissolves the nest, too. Had one sting me about two weeks ago. You know what they say about paybacks.
David Huie Green LosersBlameOthers&It'sYOURfault over 5 years ago
I’ve been stung so many times I run out of fingers and toes to count them all. (Sometimes in a single encounter.)
Bob. over 5 years ago
I stopped to get gas yesterday, and when I opened the access to the gas cap found a wasp nest. One live wasp flew away and I got rid of the nest without getting stung.
DaveG1960 over 5 years ago
No good deed goes unpunished..
sandpiper over 5 years ago
Outpouring of two kinds of regret there.
forsyth over 5 years ago
Ever since a wasp flew down my shirt & stung me 3 times when I was 13 I’ve had a holy jihad out for them. I take perverse pleasure in killing wasps. Sad, but oh so satisfying.
Doug Taylor Premium Member over 5 years ago
KHANNNN!
tcayer over 5 years ago
They won’t sting you if you don’t bother them. The wasp was bothered by being called a bee!
DanFlak over 5 years ago
The wasps I’ve encountered are rather non-aggressive. Stay out of their way and they won’t bother you. Yellow jackets, on the other hand, will hunt you down and sting you.
Yellow jackets are the only insects outside my house on which I will engage in chemical warfare (for above ground nests) usually in a pre-dawn attack when the nest is quiet and the air is still and a minimal amount of chemicals have their greatest effect.
For in ground nests, I wait until nighttime when the patrols are grounded and “in the hangar,” put a piece of dry ice next to the hole and a bucket over that. The dry ice sublimates into CO2 which is heavier than air and creeps down the hole, suffocating the nest. The process releases a small amount of greenhouse gas, but is environmentally safer than other methods.
rickseg over 5 years ago
THAT is an EXCELLENT idea!!
Display over 5 years ago
Know someone who won’t ride wearing a helmet? Wait’ll they ride through a swarm. Full face and leathers sounds really good now. Not me but saw it happen. Look kinda exciting. He must have liked it a lot cuz he was waving to ’em all pretty furiously.
Teto85 Premium Member over 5 years ago
Some wasps are pollinators as well. And in today’s environment we need all the pollinators we can get. Colony collapse disorder is real and on going.
garysmigs over 5 years ago
Living in Michigan we are blessed by deerflies, whose bite is about the same as a yellowjacket mosquito hybrid. We are also experiencing an invasion of hornets that resemble yellowjackets but are huge, like up to 2 inches. I was stung twice one day by them and noticed when I went in the woods there were no deerflies after me. The next day I was stung twice more by those hornets and once again no deerflies came near me. I actually thought the deerfly switch had been turned off by mother nature, however, the next day after not getting stung brought back the deerflies buzzing my dog and I.
mobile over 5 years ago
Fire ants and some other ants have stingers. They sting. They don’t bite with their jaws.
bluegirl285 over 5 years ago
I was stung by a wasp once. That hurt…
flagmichael over 5 years ago
Here in Arizona we have quite a few Tarantula Hawk wasps. I am assured there is no such thing as self-control if one of those critters stings you, just blinding pain and wondering who is yelling.
jbruins84341 over 5 years ago
My favorite method for taking care of wasps is engine degreaser. Kills the nasty little creatures and dissolves the nest, too. Had one sting me about two weeks ago. You know what they say about paybacks.