work delayed due to wasps

[MrMilbank]

on the 24' ladder about to tie in the new riser to the utility. and 20 wasps decide to come out of their nest located in the siding right where i need to work. I wasted 2 hours and 2 cans of wasp spray. had to be the most unexpected delay ever.

 

[SEO]

I think that everyone in the trade has had bad experences with wasps. It could have been worse had you been stung several times.

 

[ultramegabob]

I think that everyone in the trade has had bad experences with wasps. It could have been worse had you been stung several times.

the most important thing is to maintain your composure and get down the ladder safe, getting stung is alot less dangerous (for most people) than falling off of a ladder in a panic.

 

[hillbilly]

I think that everyone in the trade has had bad experences with wasps. It could have been worse had you been stung several times.

I'll take getting stung a few times verses falling off a 20' ladder.
Of course, I'm not allergic to bee stings either.

The most important thing is to maintain your composure.

Like the old adage says..."When you up to your a** in alligators, it's hard to remember that the #1 objective is to drain the swamp".

steve

 

[hillbilly1]

I was working on level controls on top of a city water tower, when I was swarmed by those striped wasps (kinda cross between yellow jackets and wasps) luckily they didn't sting me, but being over 100' up, on an open ladder, was not a good feeling. They had a nest in the cuppola at the top of the tower.

 

[PetrosA]

We had to install the pipe for a 200A overhead mast that was paralleled a few feet away from a 400A overhead. I was below feeding the pipe up to the other guy when I heard him start yelling. Turned out there was a hornet nest in the 400A head and they started coming out for revenge for all the ruckus. I almost think it's worse than being on a ladder since on the roof you only need to lose your balance for a second to go over.

 

[Cow]

The bees are definitely out in force right now.:roll:

I went through 3/4 of a can the other day working on two yard lights for a gal. Someone left an open KO in a bell box mounted light. Took care of them as they funneled out the hole, thought I had them all, set the can on the roof and low and behold there was another larger nest under the ridge cap I just rattled them out of!!

 

[e57]

I helped a friend open up a long abandoned property - every 3rd thing i opened had wasps in it. Being alergic to the bastards had me running like a clown untill I started flashing the turbo-torch into enclosures first - they're pretty harmless without wings.

 

[ActionDave]

If you don't have wasp spray- contact cleaner will knock them down.

 

[ItsHot]

If you don't have wasp spray- contact cleaner will knock them down.

Was servicing a vehicle today that I have not driven in a while. Wasp had made a nest under the hood, throttle cleaner took instant care of them!

 

[Doug S.]

Starting fluid is also VERY effective in a pinch. It also evaporates quickly leaving no slimy residue. It also often lacks a few of the distillates in carb. cleaner, so it's less likely to "melt" some plastics.

 

[zbang]

This is why PPE is so important .

(I'm a fan of Scotch 77 spray adhesive for flying insects. They stop flying... Oh, brake cleaner works, too.)

 

[jrannis]

The killer bee guy just uses a spray bottle of soapy water. They drop like a rock right in mid flight

 

[Rockyd]

Another "problem child" to be aware of is those darn killer bees. DO NOT kill one that is "out and about" from the nest. I killed one that was interested in my Pepsi - big mistake! 30 of them showed up to attack "whatever" the problem was! So I don't know if they make a sound, or release a some kind of smell, that tells their buddys, but it makes for a bad situation.

 

[Jhaney]

I found out from an old timer that if you have some thing like a light or a cuppola that gets wasps every year if you kill the wasps then leave the nest intact they won't come back until the nest desintigrates on its own, the wasps will not build another nest there. I don't know why but the light by my garage every year had wasps until I left the nest up now they don't come back.

 

[Karl H]

I worked for a guy once, when I was a wee lil apprentice,
that when we encountered wasps or anything that stung for that
matter, would go to the truck,siphon gas from the tank into
a glass jar and throw it on them. Instant death. Freaked me out
everytime.

 

[ike5547]

At least you didn't get bit, right?

 

[MrMilbank]

the spray i used stated it was safe for electrical upto 32,000 volts or something ridiculous like that. I normally dont worry about being bitten by wasps, but theres something about holding live wires on a ladder with wasps landing an inch from my eyes that makes me uncomfortable working.

 

[buldogg]

on the 24' ladder about to tie in the new riser to the utility. and 20 wasps decide to come out of their nest located in the siding right where i need to work. I wasted 2 hours and 2 cans of wasp spray. had to be the most unexpected delay ever.

Certain bug sprays can react with vinyl siding

 

[electricalperson]

I think that everyone in the trade has had bad experences with wasps. It could have been worse had you been stung several times.

ive been down that route before. i feel bad if i kill them though