Wasps in the shop!

[Mike Ameling]

I've always had various wasps hanging around what can only be charitably called "my shop". Usually no problem. They stay out of my way and I leave them alone. And the "mud daubers" are usually just a nuisance. They build their nest in the holes used by the drill chuck key, in holes drilled in bars, A nuisance, but livable.

But today I had to pull my drill press apart. They had gotten inside, and filled up the gears and slot to raise/lower the drill chuck! Two or three weeks of not using it was enough time for them to mess up the inside of my drill press! Plus add in a little "moisture" from their work creating some rust .... aaaaaaaarrrrgggghhhhh!

So everything is cleaned out, put back together, and ... well oiled!

Wasps. If they don't sting you, they find other ways to get you.

Now to go try to ... discourage ... the couple ground nesting wasps/bees that have taken up residence in the lawn. They get a bit ... disturbed ... when you run the lawn mower over them! And they only moved in 2 weeks ago.

Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands

[orgtwister]

for your ground wasps at night fill there hole full of cooking oil a extermanator friend told me about it and has worked for me so far

[bigfootnampa]

Beware those ground dwellers! Wasps in general are nasty aggressive creatures and those ground nesters are easily disturbed and likely to attack in swarms. They don't die when they sting... just keep on stinging! W-D 40 or wasp killer spray will also work... just spray it down their tunnel entrance. I like to light it too... but maybe I am just sadistic. I hate being stung by those things!

[Glenn]

I keep some ATF (Automatic Transmission Fluid) in a spray bottle. A spray usually gums up most bees and wasps to where they can not take flight and kills them in short order. For ground wasps I place the intake nozzle of the shop vac next to the hole. Those coming in from the field never make it home. Those coming to the surface to defend the nest from the vibrations, fall victim to the suction of the black hole. A bit of bug spray and then close the shop vac.

[Rob Browne]

Look on the bright side. At least you should have no, or very few, spiders in your workshop :)

[double_edge2]

i use old pairs of stockings to cover things, or a regular dose of crc, and cigarette filters for gas fittings, on the things i dont box.

[thecelticforge]

Please, no petroleum products in the soil! There is a product called boric acid you can get from the hardware store think.

[bigfootnampa]

OOOoooh! I love that "Black Hole" solution Glenn! The dust normally present in my shop vac will assure a quick death for the suckees! BTW researchers have found that vacuuming is an excellent way to kill fleas too... my mom used to vacuum her cats often and they even enjoyed it.

[Dave Leppo]

I build a bon fire over the nest site and cook the ground bees in the juices of their own larva. Dont do this next to the barn.
As with anything I say, I take no liability for those unwise enough to follow my example.

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

This is what we did at camp for wasps. Get a pot and fill it with soapy water, make a tripod and hang a piece of raw bacon over the water , have the end about 1/4" off of the water's surface. Wallah --your are done. Check on it later and you will have a pot full of wasps. We used to have the pots out because we would catch so many.

The wasps eat the meat, and get all greasy. When they fall into the soapy water the low surface tension doesn't allow them to float, and they drown.

[Francis Trez Cole]

I had one build a nest in my gas forge poor desision on there part

[unkle spike]

I have cut the top funnel section off one liter soda bottles, flipped it over, and stuff it inside the body of the bottle, a little Mountain Dew and soap mixture works, they seem to be able to fly in well enough, but most can't find their way out if the soap mixture don't get them first. I have done that with the small 20 ounce bottles, and have the bottle packed just about full overnight, seems like the ones in the bottle call the others to join them.

[gaylan veater]

Boy the wasp and yellowjackets have been bad the year for me. I had them in my coke bin under the lid and everytime I thought I had them taking care of they would show up someplace else. But finally getting on top of all of them but summer is starting to change to fall cooler at night. But the fun we have right!!!
Gaylan

[Mike Ameling]

Yes, bees and wasps are a constant problem. I always cover any drink when in the shop - those little "sweat bees" love to fly in for the sweet juice.

I also thought about that cooking/veg oil down the holes in the ground. But that would just encourage the possums and raccoons to dig up the lawn! Yes, they do like to swarm out when the lawn mower "disturbs" them.

The little burns from popping/flying hot scale are bad enough, but I hate bee/wasp stings. I ain't allergic like many people, but it does affect your working for a bit.

I usually don't have much problem, but ...

Those mudd dauber wasps are mostly an pain. They want to plug up any hole they can find building their nests. Every time I want to change a drill bit, I have to clean out the hole for the key for the chuck!

Minor little things ....

Mikey

[JPH]

Man...that thought just send chills down my spine...one sting and I am history even with the atropine and epinephin injector I keep near me I wouldn't make it...I am that allergic..My MD says the next one and it's curtains for me...

JPH

[keykeeper]

I battled a few large wasps last week. Hit em with the spray, finished the escaping ones with my weedburner torch. Just waited them out, incinerated them as they flew out their escape route. Some of em pop in mid-air.....he he heh heh. Love the turbo lever on that torch.

Fire gooooddd, wasp bad!!!!

Dr. Jim-next ones I fry, will keep you in mind as motivation. One less to attack those that are allergic

[pkrankow]

I use the vacuum to eliminate flying wasps too, my wife had a fit when I killed a wasp that way in the house, but now she does the same. Sadly it can take a few hours for a wasp to expire without chemicals. I never though of killing a nest with a vacuum.

Borax kills ants, wasps, ground bees, etc. It also kills grass if you use too much. You probably have a bit laying around. Use a spoonful on the opening of the hole when the critters are less active. Repeat 24 hours later if the problem still exists.

Phil

[Brian D]

No matter what I try, these darn critters just come back with a vengeance. :mad: Is it just me, or did the pesticides we used 20-30 years ago seem to work a lot better. I don't remember having the problems with the hornets and yellow jackets or any of the nuisance insects nearly as much back then....

[wedwards]

OOOoooh! I love that "Black Hole" solution Glenn! The dust normally present in my shop vac will assure a quick death for the suckees! BTW researchers have found that vacuuming is an excellent way to kill fleas too... my mom used to vacuum her cats often and they even enjoyed it.

I've lived most of my sixty-five years in the Rocky Mountain west and I have seen a bunch of rodeos. But I have never seen a rodeo like the one the day my wife tried to vacuum our cat. It was a character building experience.

I'm glad it worked for your mom.

Bill

[forgemaster]

We get nasty little paper wasps, big hornets, red back spiders, funnel web spiders, brown snakes, and red belly black snakes in our workshop, a shot gun seems to work good with all of them even if it is a bit of overkill for some. A can of WD40 and a cigarette lighter works good for the paper wasps (kids don't try this at home, at least not without adult supervision!). Next week kids we'll discuss making golf ball guns. Bye for now.
Phil

[crij]

Best solution for ground bees I have found has always been gasoline after dusk. Just pour about 1/2 a 1lb coffee can full down the entrance, wait about 30 seconds and follow it with a match and watch the fireworks. Just make sure you don't stand over the backdoor of the next, as you will have a few of the backdoor guards fly up your backside quickly followed by a blowtorch.

One thing to keep in mind with anything that lives under ground they always have a second exit to their nest.

Have fun,

Rich C.

[Jim Black]

I was working on some farm equipment a short time ago and the wasp had decided to build their nest in the machine.They stormed out and I was holding a spray bottle of half acetone and half meracron transmission oil that I was useing as a penetration oil.One spray with the concoction and they fell out of the sky and were eaisly disposed of.I wouldn't use it around an ignition source but it sure is deadly on wasps.

[Larzz]

I have had several nests in the lawn behind the shop. I use a long pipe at dusk when they are all back in. Pour some gas down the pipe using a low angle, that way the sentrys don't notice. Let soak a minute or two so the nest is saturated and then a match from a safe distance. Had one nest over a foot in diameter. Left a big hole to fill in. I though about a molitov cocktail ...........decided against it as a bit too much overkill. Oh, I'm pyro from way back.

I was in an apartment and had one fly up my long sleave shirt in the fall. Hit the back of my arm several times. After being stung about five times, I calmly took the shirt off. The wasp flew to the wall, like it all in a days work. Unfortantly I had to fix the hole in the sheetrock left by the heel of my boot.

After being stung a few other times by the little suckers.........I HATE WASPS!!!

[Glenn]

Using flammable liquids poured into containers (holes in the ground) with the proper mix of air can and many times IS explosive. You end up with wasps, dirt, wasp nest and all matter of things on fire and being thrown into the air in all directions. A safe distance is measured in zip codes not feet. And if it is near a car, house, or other building, those properties may be damaged, or set on fire.

Do not forget the concerned neighbor that calls the cops, paramedics, fire department, and department of homeland security thinking they are under attack from terrorists. They, a concerned citizen, just made the call, but it is YOU that gets to explain what happened.

Using flammable liquids to kill wasps is not a good idea, or a safe choice of materials.

[Drifter]

Sevin garden dust over the entrance hole works wonders on the ground nesters. Apply after dark as they are snoozing. 1 to 2 days and even the queen has croaked.

Drifter