Went out last night to fire up my gasser.
Not only had mud daubers clogged my hand torch.
But I had cocooned caterpillars in the tube of my forge burner.
This had all been clean and clear the night before.

Last year I had a wasp nest take up in my spare gasser and mud daubers decide that the inlet to my propane tanks make perfect nests.

Anyone else having infestation problems?

I had a cave cricket problem in my old forge (look at the pictures, up on the walls)....

Now its just wasps for the most part....

ive had mice in my ko wool ... was nasty ..

Haven't seen too many insets in my forge; but I do have lizards and black widow spiders so there must be some lurking somewhere.

Sometimes I get flies from the horse farm next door and so hang flystrips---nice to have tall ceilings!

No pest strips and a shop cat pretty much cure the problem in my neighborhood.

Oh okay, I share the barn cat.

Frosty

Our cats are indoor only and better half will NOT entertain the thought of outdoor kitties.....

And they're not use against wasps.... LOL!

I've got wasps crawling out from every crack and crevice........and bumblebees attempting a hostile takeover of my forge blower........while I,m using it!
Every few minutes....one hits the fan.
Going to have to install some screen.........

Last year before we tightened up the doorways to the shop / garage we were getting Starlings making nests and babies in there. They were unhappy when we made it so they couldn't get back to their babies. Starlings are messy birds!

Well in my smithy I have a FEW wasps(Smoke em` with a green fire ) .
Also have a shop dog named " SPARKY" , he hangs out in my shop while I`am workin` :cool:

I've got wasps crawling out from every crack and crevice........and bumblebees attempting a hostile takeover of my forge blower........while I,m using it!
Every few minutes....one hits the fan.
Going to have to install some screen.........

Install a screen . . . WHAT!?

And just what fun would THAT be? If I had a set up like that here I could sell tickets.

Some people. :confused: Sheesh!

Frosty

Frosty, So I Take It Ya'll Don't Have Cable?

Jayco, I can imagine that.... "VRRRRRRRRRRR- THWAKKKKK- WHOOPH *time passes* VRRRRRRRRRRR- THWAKKKKK- WHOOPH'

Frosty, this saga is not over yet,.........tomorrow I get to find out if the bumblebees have set up housekeeping in my blower or air inlet pipe.
I may become viewed as the 'invader'!
Tune in for the next episode of........"Jayco vs the giant bees"

By the way Golden eagle, you got the sound effects......'just right'!

Frosty, So I Take It Ya'll Don't Have Cable?

Sure do but ya can't smell the toasting bumbles no matter what channel I tune in to.

Frosty

Video James. We want video.

Frosty

Frosty, I'm already thinking about tomorrow.......if I crank the blower.....then hear buzzing in the pipe...........I'll just have to keep cranking until the buzzing stops.
If I were to stop....the remaining bees will simply climb out of the pipe.........out of the blower inlet.......and hunt me down!

This could turn into a mini series!

Yeah, I could set up the camera on the tripod, I suppose.
as long as I can find a place to put it where I won't trip over it as I run screaming from the shop........being chased by a mob of angry bees!

Can Anyone Hook Frosty Up With Smell A Vision?
Jayco Those Bees Could Run You Into A Coronary;Bee Careful!:rolleyes:

James--you wanna trade for some of our blood thirsty skeeters and black flies?? We got some healthy black gnats that like to drink outta the corner of eyes too just when you got a hot piece lined up for punching on the anvil! These ain't no-see-ums like around the chicken house "down home in Harlan".

Yeah, I could set up the camera on the tripod, I suppose.
as long as I can find a place to put it where I won't trip over it as I run screaming from the shop........being chased by a mob of angry bees!

put a peice of burlap in front of the blower inlet light it on fire crank blower
the smoke knocks out the bees makes them passive

And when the bees wake up, they have a monstrous hang over, reek of smoke, and are looking for revenge.

Consider a side blast forge, this way when you crank up the air, they get a direct route into the fire. They don't add much in the way of fuel, but they are not coming back mad either.

YES PEACE THROUGH SUPERIOR FIRE POWER !
I LIKE IT!:rolleyes:

I know this is sort of off topic, but is anyone else witnessing a HUGE amount of those Crane Flies/large mosquito looking things/skeeter eaters/whatever else they are called. Does anyone know what Im talking about?

James--you wanna trade for some of our blood thirsty skeeters and black flies?? We got some healthy black gnats that like to drink outta the corner of eyes too just when you got a hot piece lined up for punching on the anvil! These ain't no-see-ums like around the chicken house "down home in Harlan".

They don't have stingers?.........Do they?

Luckily, so far, the nights have been cool and we've not had much trouble with skeeters and gnats and stuff like that,.....but when the nights get warmer,.....look out!

I didn't make it to my shop to do battle with the giant bees today, but soon there will be confrontation.I still don't know if the bees were indeed attempting to build a nest in my blower pipe or were just attracted to the sound of the whirring blades.

Even though I'm a 'live and let live' kinda guy, if they are hostile.........I shall be hostile as well.

All this talk of bees reminds me of something that happened when I was a kid.......
Have you ever heard that if you throw a rock into a hornet's nest it(the rock) will come back and hit you right between the eyes?
Well, I'd heard that saying.....and thought..........'well that's just silly!'
So....one day I happened onto a hornet's nest hanging on a low tree limb and decided to test the validity of the old saying.

I was probably 30 ft. from the hornet's nest........I picked up a rock.....threw it and hit the nest dead on target.

One second later.....something hit my upper lip.......and I felt severe pain.
For an instant, I thought the rock had somehow come back and hit me.
It turn out that the hornet is capable of retracing the trajectory of a thrown object back to it's source.

I guess his aim was off a little ....4 inches low........but I went to school all the next week with a swollen upper lip.
Some things you just gotta learn the hard way, I reckon.

James Flannery