I have noticed a lot of wasps around my house recently and today I went on a
hunt! I noticed wasps going in and out of a ground floor airbrick so
presumably that's where the nest is. I was giong to ring a 'wasp trouble'
man but then thought "how will he remove it?" Assuming he will not demolish
my wall or lift my living room floor up I presume he will treat the entrance
(airbrick) with something. Before I pay said man £50(?) to do this is there
any point in me buying these foam or powder destroyers that are available.
If I can do the same as the man would but at a fraction of the cost I will.
The activity of the wasps isn't causing us any problems but I would just
like rid of the little b**gers!!

Cheers

John

John wrote:

Before I pay said man £50(?) to do this is there
any point in me buying these foam or powder destroyers that are available.

Yes. Nippon ant / crawling insect powder. £3 from morrisons. Sprinkle
liberally on the air brick. They will be gone in three days.

Google back for the thread in uk.d-i-y "Wasps nest under floor" on the
3rd July.

--
Adrian C

"Adrian C" wrote in message
...
John wrote:

Before I pay said man £50(?) to do this is there
any point in me buying these foam or powder destroyers that are
available.

Yes. Nippon ant / crawling insect powder. £3 from morrisons. Sprinkle
liberally on the air brick. They will be gone in three days.


Or perhaps more appropriately wasp nest destroyer powder.

1. Close all windows and doors and pets/children inside (they can get
seriously hacked off, the wasps that is)
2. Late afternoon in the sun when activity is high wallop large quantity in
through and around airbrick fairly smartish - saturation bombing
3. Retire indoors and keep door shut for an hour or so.


--
Bob Mannix
(anti-spam is as easy as 1-2-3 - not)

"Bob Mannix" wrote

"Adrian C" wrote in message
...
John wrote:

Before I pay said man £50(?) to do this is there
any point in me buying these foam or powder destroyers that are
available.

Yes. Nippon ant / crawling insect powder. £3 from morrisons. Sprinkle
liberally on the air brick. They will be gone in three days.


Or perhaps more appropriately wasp nest destroyer powder.

1. Close all windows and doors and pets/children inside (they can get
seriously hacked off, the wasps that is)
2. Late afternoon in the sun when activity is high wallop large quantity
in through and around airbrick fairly smartish - saturation bombing
3. Retire indoors and keep door shut for an hour or so.


--
I've used the nest destroyer foam before successfully, but be prepared to
repeat a number of times if the nest is big.
Also may not be advisable if there is an easier route for the wasps to
escape through gaps between floorboards or similar inside your house.
I've also heard that the ant powder works well on wasps nests!

Phil

On 10 July, 14:52, "TheScullster" wrote:

I've also heard that the ant powder works well on wasps nests!

Not AFAIK at this time of year. Later on it will.
Wasps change their diet by season and they're more "ant like" (ie
susceptible to sweet lures) in the late Summer.

"John" wrote in message
...
I have noticed a lot of wasps around my house recently and today I went on
a hunt! I noticed wasps going in and out of a ground floor airbrick so
presumably that's where the nest is. I was giong to ring a 'wasp trouble'
man but then thought "how will he remove it?" Assuming he will not
demolish my wall or lift my living room floor up I presume he will treat
the entrance (airbrick) with something. Before I pay said man £50(?) to do
this is there any point in me buying these foam or powder destroyers that
are available. If I can do the same as the man would but at a fraction of
the cost I will. The activity of the wasps isn't causing us any problems
but I would just like rid of the little b**gers!!

Cheers

John

Why do you need to get rid?

You have stated that it isn't causing your family a problem.

If you leave them alone they will go away in autumn, and then if you block
the entrance to the air vent next spring and they will not return.

Adam

Andy Dingley wrote:
On 10 July, 14:52, "TheScullster" wrote:

I've also heard that the ant powder works well on wasps nests!

Not AFAIK at this time of year. Later on it will.

Nope, early with the ant powder is much better. The wasps are focused on
gathering food for the nest, and a nice dose of Permethrin is what's in
Nippon ant powder (and probably the others). It will kill the nest
occupants when they bring it home and feed the others.

Wasps change their diet by season and they're more "ant like" (ie
susceptible to sweet lures) in the late Summer.

Yeah, but by then ye'll have to kill each one by hoping they all crawl
through the powder left out. Larger task with more wasps. By then, ye
may have to use the foam and the deadlier alternatives aimed
specifically at nests.

--
Adrian C

I have noticed a lot of wasps around my house recently and today I went on
a hunt! I noticed wasps going in and out of a ground floor airbrick so
presumably that's where the nest is. I was giong to ring a 'wasp trouble'
man but then thought "how will he remove it?" Assuming he will not
demolish my wall or lift my living room floor up I presume he will treat
the entrance (airbrick) with something. Before I pay said man £50(?) to do
this is there any point in me buying these foam or powder destroyers that
are available. If I can do the same as the man would but at a fraction of
the cost I will. The activity of the wasps isn't causing us any problems
but I would just like rid of the little b**gers!!


Unless they are actually causing you or your family a problem then leave
them alone. They eat a lot of garden pests. If you really must deal with
them then the power or foam sprays work well but make sure you follow the
instructions carefully.

Peter Crosland

ARWadsworth wrote:
"John" wrote in message
...
I have noticed a lot of wasps around my house recently and today I went on
a hunt! I noticed wasps going in and out of a ground floor airbrick so
presumably that's where the nest is. I was giong to ring a 'wasp trouble'
man but then thought "how will he remove it?" Assuming he will not
demolish my wall or lift my living room floor up I presume he will treat
the entrance (airbrick) with something. Before I pay said man £50(?) to do
this is there any point in me buying these foam or powder destroyers that
are available. If I can do the same as the man would but at a fraction of
the cost I will. The activity of the wasps isn't causing us any problems
but I would just like rid of the little b**gers!!

Cheers

John

Why do you need to get rid?

You have stated that it isn't causing your family a problem.

If you leave them alone they will go away in autumn, and then if you block
the entrance to the air vent next spring and they will not return.

Adam



IME they don't return, even if the same access is available. Probably a
precaution against becoming predictable. Apart from a few days in late
Autumn when they have trouble finding their way home, they really aren't
a problem.
A friend of mine with 2 young kids had a hornets nest above her back
door. They didn't bother anyone either.

"John" wrote in message
...
I have noticed a lot of wasps around my house recently and today I went on
a hunt! I noticed wasps going in and out of a ground floor airbrick so
presumably that's where the nest is. I was giong to ring a 'wasp trouble'
man but then thought "how will he remove it?" Assuming he will not
demolish my wall or lift my living room floor up I presume he will treat
the entrance (airbrick) with something. Before I pay said man £50(?) to do
this is there any point in me buying these foam or powder destroyers that
are available. If I can do the same as the man would but at a fraction of
the cost I will. The activity of the wasps isn't causing us any problems
but I would just like rid of the little b**gers!!

Cheers

John


John, you could try RAID spray. Stand back and know where you will run
to take cover! I had one under the front bedroom floor and was mad enough
to lift the floorboards and poke at the nest. I had hornets and they went
absolutely wild. The noise was terrible and I had to put the boards down
fast! After a few hours I sprayed RAID in the nest and around the entrance.
The never returned. The nest was about 3ft long and wrapped around
heating pipes. It was amazing to see the way it was built.
You can sometimes get your local council to call as they have a service.
You
pay them far less than private companies.

Before I pay said man £50(?) to do this is there any point in me
buying these foam or powder destroyers that are available.

A good coating of Nippon ant powder on the horizontal surfaces of the air
brick will do the job. £2.50 from your local £1 shop (eh???). Wait for a
cool part of the day, give the brick a good blast. Sorted.

The foams are OK, but the powder will poison the entry/exit point
effectively. I've only used the foam once, when it was impractical to use
powder (wasps entering up a verical wall), but it did the job. Expect to
pay £3.50 from your local £1 shop (eh again???).

Al.

ARWadsworth wrote:
"John" wrote in message
...
I have noticed a lot of wasps around my house recently and today I went on
a hunt! I noticed wasps going in and out of a ground floor airbrick so
presumably that's where the nest is. I was giong to ring a 'wasp trouble'
man but then thought "how will he remove it?" Assuming he will not
demolish my wall or lift my living room floor up I presume he will treat
the entrance (airbrick) with something. Before I pay said man £50(?) to do
this is there any point in me buying these foam or powder destroyers that
are available. If I can do the same as the man would but at a fraction of
the cost I will. The activity of the wasps isn't causing us any problems
but I would just like rid of the little b**gers!!

Cheers

John

Why do you need to get rid?

You have stated that it isn't causing your family a problem.

If you leave them alone they will go away in autumn, and then if you block
the entrance to the air vent next spring and they will not return.

Adam


Oh yes they will.

A L P

Adrian C wrote:
Andy Dingley wrote:
On 10 July, 14:52, "TheScullster" wrote:

I've also heard that the ant powder works well on wasps nests!

Not AFAIK at this time of year. Later on it will.

Nope, early with the ant powder is much better. The wasps are focused on
gathering food for the nest, and a nice dose of Permethrin is what's in
Nippon ant powder (and probably the others). It will kill the nest
occupants when they bring it home and feed the others.

Wasps change their diet by season and they're more "ant like" (ie
susceptible to sweet lures) in the late Summer.

Yeah, but by then ye'll have to kill each one by hoping they all crawl
through the powder left out. Larger task with more wasps. By then, ye
may have to use the foam and the deadlier alternatives aimed
specifically at nests.

Carbaryl (permethrin) powder. Works outside too, when you find the
entrance. Here they make nests in the garden and in clay banks, as well
as sometimes in houses. You're lucky, your wasps are in a place you can
get at easily to do the job yourself. Late evening when they have gone
home for the night sling a tablespoonful of the powder into the entrance
so they carry it into the nest on their feet next day. They go out,
they come home, get the powder on their feet and one by one carry it
back to the nest.

And DO get rid of them. They die off in winter, sure, but not the
queens, Next season the original queen and the young ones start up new
colonies and build up to huge numbers quickly unless weather and food
supplies are in *your* favour!

A L P

A L P

On 10 July, 14:28, "John" wrote:
I have noticed a lot of wasps around my house recently and today I went on a
hunt! *I noticed wasps going in and out of a ground floor airbrick so
presumably that's where the nest is. *I was giong to ring a 'wasp trouble'
man but then thought "how will he remove it?" *Assuming he will not demolish
my wall or lift my living room floor up I presume he will treat the entrance
(airbrick) with something. *Before I pay said man £50(?) to do this is there
any point in me buying these foam or powder destroyers that are available..
If I can do the same as the man would but at a fraction of the cost I will.
The activity of the wasps isn't causing us any problems but I would just
like rid of the little b**gers!!

Cheers

John
John,
the only advice worth having is to get in a professional, DIY attempts
to destroy wasps or nests can be hardardous and ineffective. we
covered this last year in fact-
http://groups.google.com/group/free....15c0e77f0929cd
£50 is a reasonable cost to do the job quickly and finally.

AJH wrote:
On 10 July, 14:28, "John" wrote:
I have noticed a lot of wasps around my house recently and today I went on a
hunt! I noticed wasps going in and out of a ground floor airbrick so
presumably that's where the nest is. I was giong to ring a 'wasp trouble'
man but then thought "how will he remove it?" Assuming he will not demolish
my wall or lift my living room floor up I presume he will treat the entrance
(airbrick) with something. Before I pay said man £50(?) to do this is there
any point in me buying these foam or powder destroyers that are available.
If I can do the same as the man would but at a fraction of the cost I will.
The activity of the wasps isn't causing us any problems but I would just
like rid of the little b**gers!!

Cheers

John
John,
the only advice worth having is to get in a professional, DIY attempts
to destroy wasps or nests can be hardardous and ineffective. we
covered this last year in fact-
http://groups.google.com/group/free....15c0e77f0929cd
£50 is a reasonable cost to do the job quickly and finally.

Strange how something as harmless as a wasps nest can trigger the
fear/aggression response in the male of the species. On the odd occasion
where they're a nuisance I'd pay the £50 but, otherwise, find something
else to worry about.

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember Stuart Noble
saying something like:

Strange how something as harmless as a wasps nest can trigger the
fear/aggression response in the male of the species. On the odd occasion
where they're a nuisance I'd pay the £50 but, otherwise, find something
else to worry about.

Some people are so sensitised a single sting could kill them. In that
case it makes no sense to tolerate a nest in the vicinity. Whether the
OP or his family are in that position I don't know.

"Grimly Curmudgeon" wrote in message
...
We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember Stuart Noble
saying something like:

Strange how something as harmless as a wasps nest can trigger the
fear/aggression response in the male of the species. On the odd occasion
where they're a nuisance I'd pay the £50 but, otherwise, find something
else to worry about.

Some people are so sensitised a single sting could kill them. In that
case it makes no sense to tolerate a nest in the vicinity. Whether the
OP or his family are in that position I don't know.

I learn something new every day: I always thought that bees rather than
wasps caused that problem, but a little research supports GC

http://www.allergy-clinic.co.uk/anaphylaxis.htm

That said, I'd still side with the wasps *unless* they are causing a problem
or small children or pets are likely to disturb them

Stuart Noble wrote:
AJH wrote:
On 10 July, 14:28, "John" wrote:
I have noticed a lot of wasps around my house recently and today I
went on a
hunt! I noticed wasps going in and out of a ground floor airbrick so
presumably that's where the nest is. I was giong to ring a 'wasp
trouble'
man but then thought "how will he remove it?" Assuming he will not
demolish
my wall or lift my living room floor up I presume he will treat the
entrance
(airbrick) with something. Before I pay said man £50(?) to do this
is there
any point in me buying these foam or powder destroyers that are
available.
If I can do the same as the man would but at a fraction of the cost I
will.
The activity of the wasps isn't causing us any problems but I would just
like rid of the little b**gers!!

Cheers

John
John,
the only advice worth having is to get in a professional, DIY attempts
to destroy wasps or nests can be hardardous and ineffective. we
covered this last year in fact-
http://groups.google.com/group/free....15c0e77f0929cd

£50 is a reasonable cost to do the job quickly and finally.

Strange how something as harmless as a wasps nest can trigger the
fear/aggression response in the male of the species. On the odd occasion
where they're a nuisance I'd pay the £50 but, otherwise, find something
else to worry about.

Unlike a bee which stings once and then the poison sac and the sting
itself are torn from its body and it dies, a wasp can sting over and
over and over. This is unpleasant in the extreme and can be
life-threatening, not just for those with allergic response but anyone
who inadvertently disturbs a wasp nest and is attacked by a great many
furious wasps.

Another thing that should concern anyone interested in home gardens and
the agricultural and horticultural industries is that wasps present a
very real threat to bee hives. Without bees, pollination of most common
crops is extremely poor. Wasps steal honey. Bees have to spend time
defending the entrance to the hive instead of gathering nectar while at
the same time their stocks are being stolen and their numbers reduced in
the attacks. Eventually a hive is so weakened that it cannot survive
through winter, let alone be in a condition to quickly build up to
increasing the swarm to the point where it can be divided to make
another hive with a young queen.

From the point of view of the individual town householder wasps may not
be a problem, not in first year or two anyway. Taking a wider view,
they have a significant ill effect and personal short-term convenience
is not clever.

A L P

A L P

newshound wrote:


"Grimly Curmudgeon" wrote in message
...
We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember Stuart Noble
saying something like:

Strange how something as harmless as a wasps nest can trigger the
fear/aggression response in the male of the species. On the odd occasion
where they're a nuisance I'd pay the £50 but, otherwise, find something
else to worry about.

Some people are so sensitised a single sting could kill them. In that
case it makes no sense to tolerate a nest in the vicinity. Whether the
OP or his family are in that position I don't know.

I learn something new every day: I always thought that bees rather than
wasps caused that problem, but a little research supports GC

http://www.allergy-clinic.co.uk/anaphylaxis.htm

That said, I'd still side with the wasps *unless* they are causing a
problem or small children or pets are likely to disturb them

What is the effect of a wasp nest on the ventilation, and on fire risk,
in this particular building, I wonder. It might be as well to check
with the house insurer before deciding to leave the wasp nest in place.

A L P

A _L_ P wrote:
Stuart Noble wrote:
AJH wrote:
On 10 July, 14:28, "John" wrote:
I have noticed a lot of wasps around my house recently and today I
went on a
hunt! I noticed wasps going in and out of a ground floor airbrick
so presumably that's where the nest is. I was giong to ring a
'wasp trouble'
man but then thought "how will he remove it?" Assuming he will not
demolish
my wall or lift my living room floor up I presume he will treat the
entrance
(airbrick) with something. Before I pay said man £50(?) to do this
is there
any point in me buying these foam or powder destroyers that are
available.
If I can do the same as the man would but at a fraction of the
cost I will.
The activity of the wasps isn't causing us any problems but I
would just like rid of the little b**gers!!

Cheers

John
John,
the only advice worth having is to get in a professional, DIY
attempts to destroy wasps or nests can be hardardous and
ineffective. we covered this last year in fact-
http://groups.google.com/group/free....15c0e77f0929cd

£50 is a reasonable cost to do the job quickly and finally.

Strange how something as harmless as a wasps nest can trigger the
fear/aggression response in the male of the species. On the odd
occasion where they're a nuisance I'd pay the £50 but, otherwise,
find something else to worry about.

Unlike a bee which stings once and then the poison sac and the sting
itself are torn from its body and it dies, a wasp can sting over and
over and over. This is unpleasant in the extreme and can be
life-threatening, not just for those with allergic response but anyone
who inadvertently disturbs a wasp nest and is attacked by a great many
furious wasps.

Another thing that should concern anyone interested in home gardens
and the agricultural and horticultural industries is that wasps
present a very real threat to bee hives. Without bees, pollination
of most common crops is extremely poor. Wasps steal honey. Bees
have to spend time defending the entrance to the hive instead of
gathering nectar while at the same time their stocks are being stolen
and their numbers reduced in the attacks. Eventually a hive is so
weakened that it cannot survive through winter, let alone be in a
condition to quickly build up to increasing the swarm to the point
where it can be divided to make another hive with a young queen.

Do wasps have any good points/uses?


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

In article ,
"The Medway Handyman" writes:

Do wasps have any good points/uses?

Yes, they kill/eat most of the harmful garden insects.
Wasps are also pollinators of many plants.

I would never normally get rid of a wasps nest. I've done
it only a couple of times - once where a nest was a nuisance
to a neighbour who is allergic to stings, and another time
when they built one over my parents back door. We watched
it with much interest for months as it grew, but it started
dropping lots of half-dead wasps out which the cat had to
step across to get in/out of the cat flap, and at that point
it had to go.

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

"Andrew Gabriel" wrote in message
.. .
In article ,
"The Medway Handyman" writes:

Do wasps have any good points/uses?

Yes, they kill/eat most of the harmful garden insects.
Wasps are also pollinators of many plants.

I would never normally get rid of a wasps nest.
snipped

Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

Mary must be on holiday!

"Andrew Gabriel" wrote in message
.. .
In article ,
"The Medway Handyman" writes:

Do wasps have any good points/uses?

Yes, they kill/eat most of the harmful garden insects.
Wasps are also pollinators of many plants.


Going off at a tangent, I was on the net earlier trying to identify a
particular variety of ragwort, and was amused to find this "pro" site:

http://www.ragwortfacts.com/

Of course I am instantly suspicious of anyone claiming to have "the facts".

Thanks to political correctness, the DEFRA environmental impact assessment
in their Ragwort Control leaflet tells you there are at least 71 types of
insect which live on it.....

"Huge" wrote in message
...
On 2009-07-11, newshound wrote:

Thanks to political correctness, the DEFRA environmental impact
assessment
in their Ragwort Control leaflet tells you there are at least 71 types of
insect which live on it.....

Our ragwort gets infested with Cinnabar Moth caterpillars every year, so I
leave it alone - I'd rather have the moths.

Unfortunately mine is in the starvation paddock for fat little
Shetlands......

In article ,
"newshound" writes:

Mary must be on holiday!

I thought of Mary Fisher as I was writing that.

Her last post looks to have been 14th December to alt.support.cancer.breast
which is perhaps not a promising sign.

There are a few posts from just Mary (different email address)
this year which might be same person, but nothing since April.

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

Once you've solved this problem, it's worth thinking about whether the
air-brick is blocked. I had a nest behind one air brick a while ago,
treated with foam and though nothing of it. Then the boiler man came
for the annual service a few years later and took a look at
ventilation etc - It turned out this was the way in for the boiler air
(odd system but then it's hot air, not a normal setup) and it was
comprehensively sealed, buggering the balance of the boiler. It
didn't take me long to fix it (cut the brick out, cleared the nest and
mortared a new one in) but it could have been pretty dangerous.

In article ,
writes:
On 11 Jul,
(Andrew Gabriel) wrote:

I thought of Mary Fisher as I was writing that.

Her last post looks to have been 14th December to alt.support.cancer.breast
which is perhaps not a promising sign.

There are a few posts from just Mary (different email address)
this year which might be same person, but nothing since April.

She's posted in the last week to a mailing list I subscribe to.

That's good to know.

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember "newshound"
saying something like:

Some people are so sensitised a single sting could kill them. In that
case it makes no sense to tolerate a nest in the vicinity. Whether the
OP or his family are in that position I don't know.

I learn something new every day: I always thought that bees rather than
wasps caused that problem, but a little research supports GC

http://www.allergy-clinic.co.uk/anaphylaxis.htm

Indeed. A veterinarian friend of mine has been so stung over the years
she is in real danger if she gets stung again and makes sure anyone in
her company know what to do. Mind you, it makes working out in the
fields a bit of a problem, but hey ho.

That said, I'd still side with the wasps *unless* they are causing a problem
or small children or pets are likely to disturb them

Quite so. I have a nest of bees about ten feet above head height as I
leave my building - can't get rid, no matter how many attempts. I've
just got used to them and leave them alone, but the buggers are probably
gnawing away at the timbers. If they'd leave me alone it'd be fine, but
any time I want to drill the wall or just get up a ladder in their
vicinity, they get rather aggressive. That's when I get all on their
arse back.

The Medway Handyman wrote:
A _L_ P wrote:
Stuart Noble wrote:
AJH wrote:
On 10 July, 14:28, "John" wrote:
I have noticed a lot of wasps around my house recently and today I
went on a
hunt! I noticed wasps going in and out of a ground floor airbrick
so presumably that's where the nest is. I was giong to ring a
'wasp trouble'
man but then thought "how will he remove it?" Assuming he will not
demolish
my wall or lift my living room floor up I presume he will treat the
entrance
(airbrick) with something. Before I pay said man £50(?) to do this
is there
any point in me buying these foam or powder destroyers that are
available.
If I can do the same as the man would but at a fraction of the
cost I will.
The activity of the wasps isn't causing us any problems but I
would just like rid of the little b**gers!!

Cheers

John
John,
the only advice worth having is to get in a professional, DIY
attempts to destroy wasps or nests can be hardardous and
ineffective. we covered this last year in fact-
http://groups.google.com/group/free....15c0e77f0929cd

£50 is a reasonable cost to do the job quickly and finally.
Strange how something as harmless as a wasps nest can trigger the
fear/aggression response in the male of the species. On the odd
occasion where they're a nuisance I'd pay the £50 but, otherwise,
find something else to worry about.
Unlike a bee which stings once and then the poison sac and the sting
itself are torn from its body and it dies, a wasp can sting over and
over and over. This is unpleasant in the extreme and can be
life-threatening, not just for those with allergic response but anyone
who inadvertently disturbs a wasp nest and is attacked by a great many
furious wasps.

Another thing that should concern anyone interested in home gardens
and the agricultural and horticultural industries is that wasps
present a very real threat to bee hives. Without bees, pollination
of most common crops is extremely poor. Wasps steal honey. Bees
have to spend time defending the entrance to the hive instead of
gathering nectar while at the same time their stocks are being stolen
and their numbers reduced in the attacks. Eventually a hive is so
weakened that it cannot survive through winter, let alone be in a
condition to quickly build up to increasing the swarm to the point
where it can be divided to make another hive with a young queen.

Do wasps have any good points/uses?


Hmmmm..... there's the meat-eating part of the year when I suppose they
help to clear up little corpses. Can't remember any report anywhere,
ever, of a place where people were bemoaning the lack of wasps because
_____ had got out of control through lack of predation by wasps ( for
instance) :-)
I should google it some time.

A L P

Andrew Gabriel wrote:
In article ,
"The Medway Handyman" writes:
Do wasps have any good points/uses?

Yes, they kill/eat most of the harmful garden insects.

I've never heard of or observed this here (New Zealand) but they are an
introduced species here so may not have the natural niche that they do
elsewhere. Likewise with this:
Wasps are also pollinators of many plants.

~ snip ~

A L P

If they'd leave me alone it'd be fine, but
any time I want to drill the wall or just get up a ladder in their
vicinity, they get rather aggressive. That's when I get all on their
arse back.

A few years ago I was up a ladder re-pointing round a wasp entry hole.
The first hour was scary, but then they saw the benefits of using my
chisel as a landing stage. By the end of the day we were just ignoring
each other and going about our business.

On 10 July, 16:27, Adrian C wrote:

Nope, early with the ant powder is much better. The wasps are focused on
gathering food for the nest, and a nice dose of Permethrin is what's in
Nippon ant powder (and probably the others). It will kill the nest
occupants when they bring it home and feed the others.

What's in Nippon powder? Is it plain permethrin or (like the liquid)
mixed with something sweet to entice the ants into taking it indoors?

"A _L_ P" wrote in message
...
Andrew Gabriel wrote:
In article ,
"The Medway Handyman" writes:
Do wasps have any good points/uses?

Yes, they kill/eat most of the harmful garden insects.

I've never heard of or observed this here (New Zealand) but they are an
introduced species here so may not have the natural niche that they do
elsewhere. Likewise with this:
Wasps are also pollinators of many plants.

~ snip ~

A L P

Possibly a different species of wasp to the typical wasp that makes a nest
in a UK house?

Adam

PS I have seen peacocks eat wasps

Andy Dingley wrote:
On 10 July, 16:27, Adrian C wrote:

Nope, early with the ant powder is much better. The wasps are focused on
gathering food for the nest, and a nice dose of Permethrin is what's in
Nippon ant powder (and probably the others). It will kill the nest
occupants when they bring it home and feed the others.

What's in Nippon powder? Is it plain permethrin or (like the liquid)
mixed with something sweet to entice the ants into taking it indoors?

I've got some here ...

/me tastes a bit

Nah, it don't taste sweet.

*thud*

Ah opps, should have looked at

http://vitax.co.uk/wp-content/themes.../antpowder.pdf

Talcum base, Permethrin 0.5%

Think I'll live :-)

--
Adrian C

In message , Adrian C
writes
Andy Dingley wrote:
On 10 July, 16:27, Adrian C wrote:

Nope, early with the ant powder is much better. The wasps are
focused on
gathering food for the nest, and a nice dose of Permethrin is what's in
Nippon ant powder (and probably the others). It will kill the nest
occupants when they bring it home and feed the others.
What's in Nippon powder? Is it plain permethrin or (like the liquid)
mixed with something sweet to entice the ants into taking it indoors?

I've got some here ...

/me tastes a bit

Nah, it don't taste sweet.

*thud*

Ah opps, should have looked at

http://vitax.co.uk/wp-content/themes.../antpowder.pdf

Talcum base, Permethrin 0.5%

Think I'll live :-)

Surprisingly quick knockdown of Wasps if you can get the powder in the
right place.

We have horizontal gutter board and they find their way in to the eaves
through gaps between that and the wall boarding.

Homebase do Ant powder in 500g packs but squirting powder uphill does
not work. The D-I-Y solution has been a short length of Bundy tube
fitted to the opened out hole in the dispenser.

regards


--
Tim Lamb

ARWadsworth wrote:
"A _L_ P" wrote in message
...
Andrew Gabriel wrote:
In article ,
"The Medway Handyman" writes:
Do wasps have any good points/uses?
Yes, they kill/eat most of the harmful garden insects.
I've never heard of or observed this here (New Zealand) but they are an
introduced species here so may not have the natural niche that they do
elsewhere. Likewise with this:
Wasps are also pollinators of many plants.

~ snip ~

A L P

Possibly a different species of wasp to the typical wasp that makes a nest
in a UK house?

You could be right. Ours are reputed to have come over as stow-aways :
Hymenoptera: evolution, biodiversity and biological control - Google
Books Result by Andrew D. Austin, Mark Dowton, International ... - 2000
- Science - 468 pages
The German wasp arrived in 1945, about 30 years before the common wasp.
Both species are now distributed throughout New Zealand in a wide range
of habitats ...
books.google.co.nz/books?isbn=0643066101...

And there are a couple of pictures he
http://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/re...asps/index.asp

Adam

PS I have seen peacocks eat wasps


Is that why peacocks make that knee-weakening shriek?

A L P

A _L_ P wrote:
...
Another thing that should concern anyone interested in home gardens
and the agricultural and horticultural industries is that wasps
present a very real threat to bee hives. Without bees, pollination
of most common crops is extremely poor. Wasps steal honey. Bees
have to spend time defending the entrance to the hive instead of
gathering nectar while at the same time their stocks are being stolen
and their numbers reduced in the attacks. .

Wasps are only a problem for beekeepers in late summer when their normal
food sources are disappearing. Robbing is minimised by reducing the hive
entrance size so it's easier for the bees to defend.
Strong colonies are barely affected (indeed the beekeeper removes far more
honey over the season that wasps could ever do). Weak colonies are robbed
just as much by bees from stronger hives, and as the colony is probably weak
through varroa-mite infestation it may be no bad thing if it does die out.

Eventually a hive is so
weakened that it cannot survive through winter, let alone be in a
condition to quickly build up to increasing the swarm to the point
where it can be divided to make another hive with a young queen.

It is the *old* queen that goes off with a swarm to found a new colony,
leaving behind an unhatched queen cell in the original hive.

--
Reentrant (a beekeeper)

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember "ARWadsworth"
saying something like:

PS I have seen peacocks eat wasps


Ah's seen a house fly...

In message , Grimly
Curmudgeon writes
We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember "ARWadsworth"
saying something like:

PS I have seen peacocks eat wasps


Ah's seen a house fly...

But have you seen a fly tip ?

--
geoff