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Board Wasps
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John
John

Posts: 4357
Joined:
Apr 04, 2014
From:
Sedalia, MO, USA

My house, and my shed, are wasp magnets.  One thing I hadn't anticipated was that thos 100 degree weather, which has been around for a while now and is expected to keep hanging around for some time, just excited the heck out of the local wasps.  They're thick and they're all over the place.  They keep getting in the house and I don't know where they're coming in.  I can't use insecticide just anywhere and I can't use a fly swatter just anywhere.  This morning one landed on my computer.  Well, I can't spray it or smack at it on my computer, so I have to make him move to where I can, and it's easy for one to disappear as I try to follow it wherever it goes next.  I had to take the grandson's dog out yesterday and there were so many wasps flying around, it drove us back indoors.

I try to have a "live and let live" philosophy about it, but they have no such philosophy.  Over the years I've been stung 3 times by wasps I didn't even know were there!  One crawled up my pants leg.  I felt an itch, scratched it, and he got my leg.  One crawled under my bed covers and got the same leg.  One crawled under the band of my wristwatch and he got my wrist.  Enough was enough.  As the movie put it, "They drew first blood", (although I didn't actually bleed).

And they hurt.  Man they hurt!  All 3 left little craters in my skin that burned for weeks.  I tried a couple of remedies.  One was an old American Indian remedy, mud.  One was making a baking soda paste.  They...don't...work!  All that being the case, any wasp that invades my space is risking its life.  John

message 2 of 8 »
CoolCyberCats
CoolCyberCats

Posts: 3542
Joined:
May 12, 2000
From:
Helena, MT, USA

It the old house I sometimes would get wasps in the shop where I worked. Once I had like 10 in there and had to take them all out.

 

David and the CoolCyberCats


Forever in my heart





Cats Nap. Only Humans Put Them "To Sleep": Sterilize, Don't Euthanize!

 

message 3 of 8 »
John
John

Posts: 4357
Joined:
Apr 04, 2014
From:
Sedalia, MO, USA

Curiously, the wasps in my shed are all what they call "mud daubers", while the ones around the house build paper nests.  Not sure how they differ.  Most are the common yellowjackets, while others are the big red ones.  I've been stung by both, but I couldn't tell you which was worse.  John

message 4 of 8 »
Patty E
Patty E

Posts: 184
Joined:
Oct 15, 2025
From:
Averill Park, NY, USA

message 5 of 8 »
CoolCyberCats
CoolCyberCats

Posts: 3542
Joined:
May 12, 2000
From:
Helena, MT, USA

There was a nest (wasp?) in my roof line, but we havea big 45 minute wind storm Wednesday and it blow the paper nest away. Now they are all huddling on the side of the house. Just the workers, so I assume thee queene was blown away.

 

David and the CoolCyberCats


Forever in my heart





Cats Nap. Only Humans Put Them "To Sleep": Sterilize, Don't Euthanize!

 

message 6 of 8 »
John
John

Posts: 4357
Joined:
Apr 04, 2014
From:
Sedalia, MO, USA

I never thought about wasp nests being organized like that.  I can imagine the wasps just hanging around and thinking, "Well, now what?"  John

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