Chuck:
Just got rid of two nests - yellow jackets and hornets - last week. The
yellow jackets were behind a wood window trim (rotted in part, as I've
now found out). I, too, made the mistake of sealing the access. Boy,
were they mad. We had them all over the gazebo the next day. Apparently,
if they cannot get out, they may simply eat their way into the house.
Not good.
Exterminators to the rescue. Not worth the cost of spray and the
aggravation of trying to kill them as they enter or leave the nest.
Martin
On 27/08/2013 7:50 PM, Chuck Norcutt wrote:
> I had a yellow jacket surprise over the weekend but there's nothing to
> take a photo of. They had built a nest inside the brick/stone wall of
> my enclosed back porch... the far wall of this room
> <http://www.chucknorcutt.com/2712%20Columbia%20Drive/img_5550e.htm>
> We were scheduled to have a weekend party with friends in this room and,
> a few days before, yellow jackets started appearing in the room as from
> no where. I eventually discovered a 3/8" hole in a mortar joint in the
> facing stones outside and about a dozen smaller holes in the mortar
> joints of the brick inside.
>
> I should have waited until dark and sprayed the interior of the nest but
> that would have been tough through such a small hole. I decided to plug
> the hole (in daylight) but made the mistake of choosing a mortar colored
> caulk rather than a fast setting cement. It was easy (and fast) to
> apply and I didn't get stung but, much to my chagrin, I discovered these
> guys have no trouble tunneling through caulk. Spraying the ring leaders
> with wasp and hornet spray only slowed them down as more took their
> place. Since the caulk wasn't working well I stuck a long 3/8" dowel
> into the hole. This gave them a lot more tunneling trouble but they
> kept at it. Periodically I'd go out and spray the tunnelers. I think I
> eventually knocked out the intelligent end of the gene pool since, after
> a while, the remaining workers didn't seem to know what to do and just
> flitted about aimlessly in the vicinity of the hole. However, those
> trapped inside began to find their way out onto the porch. I stemmed
> that flow after plugging about a dozen small holes in the mortar of the
> inside wall... some so small that I doubted that a yellow jacket could
> get through.
>
> The activity is now almost completely over. Now I have to go clean up
> the mess I made with the caulk on the stones and mortar. Engage brain
> first.
>
> Chuck Norcutt
>
>
> On 8/26/2013 3:27 PM, Jim Nichols wrote:
>> As I passed our front door this morning, I noted that some local insects had
>> prepared a surprise for me. This wasp nest would have been within 3 ft of
>> my head on my next trip to the mail box. It has now been neutralized with
>> commercial insect spray.
>>
>> http://zone-10.com/tope2/main.php?g2_itemId=8001
>>
>> E-1 with Leica Summicron-R 50mm
>>
>> Comments and critiques welcomed.
>>
>> Jim Nichols
>> Tullahoma, TN USA
>>
--
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