help - wasps nest
Moderators: KG Steve, Chantal, Tigger, peter
Had a big clear up on my plot yesteday and inadvertently found a wasps nest in an old compost heap. It was pouring with rain today so I had the bright idea of forking it open and running like mad. Which I did and it was OK until about an hour later one or more of the blighters found me at the bottom of the plot and stung me on my nether regions - several times. So I am sitting on one hip and vowing vengeance. Any ideas? I do need to shift the compost heap so leaving alone is not an option. One of the plotholders suggested pouring on some paraffin and igniting but I don't really like that idea. I don't want to kill them (although that may chnage if I get stung again) - I just want them to move house.
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the custodian
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instead of setting them on fire maybe you could have a small one next to the heap with some really smokey material and try and smoke them out
if at first you dont succeed try a mint!!!
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Tony Hague
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I hit some kind of wasp nest in the ground whilst hoeing. I must have looked like something form a cartoon running about swatting them out of my hair and shirt.
I don't like to disturb or kill thinks if I can avoid it, but these were not something I could live with; they were pretty angry creatures ! Eventually I flooded them out with the hosepipe. Took two goes to deter them.
Watch out with setting fire to things - surely the whole heap will burn ? I recall one summer our local safari park had a humongous pile of elephant and rhino dung catch fire. Took some time to extinguish !
I don't like to disturb or kill thinks if I can avoid it, but these were not something I could live with; they were pretty angry creatures ! Eventually I flooded them out with the hosepipe. Took two goes to deter them.
Watch out with setting fire to things - surely the whole heap will burn ? I recall one summer our local safari park had a humongous pile of elephant and rhino dung catch fire. Took some time to extinguish !
Why not call the Pest control at your local Council, if the allotment is council owned they will come and remove/deal with it for you and there shouldn;'t be any charge.
Beryl.
Beryl.
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peter
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Just buy the appropriate aerosol and deal with it.
Nearly all councils now won't touch a next outside a dwelling without charging.
Nearly all councils now won't touch a next outside a dwelling without charging.
Do not put off thanking people when they have helped you, as they may not be there to thank later.
I support http://www.hearingdogs.org.uk/
I support http://www.hearingdogs.org.uk/
Sorry about that, ours at Gosport will. We had one only recently dealt with.
Beryl.
Beryl.
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peter
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Lucky girl, £50 here. 
Do not put off thanking people when they have helped you, as they may not be there to thank later.
I support http://www.hearingdogs.org.uk/
I support http://www.hearingdogs.org.uk/
Actually he was one of our local bee keepers that came. He also dealt with our rat problem as well so he is becoming quite a regular visitor.
Wish he could solve the badger problem too!!!
Beryl.
Wish he could solve the badger problem too!!!
Beryl.
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darkbrowneggs
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This works well for nests in the ground when you can work out where the entrance hole is.
During the day make sure you have a super large barrow of nicely cut fresh lawnmowings. Wait until well after dark when all the wasps are home and the guards are on the doorstep. Then quietly and quickly tip the whole barrow load over the nest.
The lawnmowing will be decomposing and will use oxygen from the nest and kill the wasps/larva. This will only work if you can guarantee to cover all the entrances, as fresh air will negate the action
If this one doesn't work, then I have heard petrol poured in will do the trick, or buy a pest "smoke bomb" from http://www.agropharm.co.uk Fix it to a suitably long bamboo cane with adhesive tape, light the fuse and offer it up to the door of the nest, again do this after dark with the aid of a few flashes of a torch.
All the best
Sue
During the day make sure you have a super large barrow of nicely cut fresh lawnmowings. Wait until well after dark when all the wasps are home and the guards are on the doorstep. Then quietly and quickly tip the whole barrow load over the nest.
The lawnmowing will be decomposing and will use oxygen from the nest and kill the wasps/larva. This will only work if you can guarantee to cover all the entrances, as fresh air will negate the action
If this one doesn't work, then I have heard petrol poured in will do the trick, or buy a pest "smoke bomb" from http://www.agropharm.co.uk Fix it to a suitably long bamboo cane with adhesive tape, light the fuse and offer it up to the door of the nest, again do this after dark with the aid of a few flashes of a torch.
All the best
Sue
Hi Sue,
I can confirm that the barrow of grass clippings will work most of the time but I had a case where the Wasp nest was actually in the place where I dispose of my lawn clippings. I backed my sit on mower up to the pile and using the collection bag to push the clippings already there back a bit I uncovered this rather large nest and within seconds I was covered in the little dears stinging my head and going for my eyes. I didn't have time to turn off the engine and I was off up the green lane towards the house as fast as possible being unable to run. I don't know how many times I was
stung head, face, neck and even down the front of my shirt to my chest. The mower took about an hour before it ran out of petrol and I needed hospital attention which is twenty five miles away. I was not able to drive and couldn't find anybody to drive me so I called an ambulance which took it's time and the response time was 45 minutes so it was about nearly two hours after the event that I got to see a doctor. They kept me in hospital for nearly a week.
The only good thing was that by the time I finally got home again my disturbing the nest had made them move away. This happened about five years ago and I now give wasps as wide a berth as possible!
JB.
I can confirm that the barrow of grass clippings will work most of the time but I had a case where the Wasp nest was actually in the place where I dispose of my lawn clippings. I backed my sit on mower up to the pile and using the collection bag to push the clippings already there back a bit I uncovered this rather large nest and within seconds I was covered in the little dears stinging my head and going for my eyes. I didn't have time to turn off the engine and I was off up the green lane towards the house as fast as possible being unable to run. I don't know how many times I was
stung head, face, neck and even down the front of my shirt to my chest. The mower took about an hour before it ran out of petrol and I needed hospital attention which is twenty five miles away. I was not able to drive and couldn't find anybody to drive me so I called an ambulance which took it's time and the response time was 45 minutes so it was about nearly two hours after the event that I got to see a doctor. They kept me in hospital for nearly a week.
The only good thing was that by the time I finally got home again my disturbing the nest had made them move away. This happened about five years ago and I now give wasps as wide a berth as possible!
JB.
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Tony Hague
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darkbrowneggs wrote:If this one doesn't work, then I have heard petrol poured in will do the trick,
Do you mean just the fumes from it, or do you mean to ignite it ? I would not do either. Petrol/air is just a bit too explosive. One of my father's friends poured petrol down a mole hole and ignited it, raising the neighbour's rockery a few feet into the air !
Thanks for all the replies. i am going up tonight to see if there is still activity there. I think that I broke open the nest on Sunday and we had a lot of heavy rain after that so I am hoping that they have decided to move on. My new allotment is on a private site so the Council won't come out (don't even get me started on our council - oil capital of Europe 
I spent my evenings last week painting classrooms at my son's school. They are so broke that only absolutely essential maintenance has been done for the last 5 years and it is unlikely that they will even be able to do that in the next few years...) Anyway, if the blighters are still there I may try a smoke bomb (have no grass clippings at the moment and no barrow at my plot) or - considering the pain in my nether regions- will probably pay someone to come in and clear it for me. Johnboy, I was wincing reading your post.....
I spent my evenings last week painting classrooms at my son's school. They are so broke that only absolutely essential maintenance has been done for the last 5 years and it is unlikely that they will even be able to do that in the next few years...) Anyway, if the blighters are still there I may try a smoke bomb (have no grass clippings at the moment and no barrow at my plot) or - considering the pain in my nether regions- will probably pay someone to come in and clear it for me. Johnboy, I was wincing reading your post.....Haggis, I know you must be mad at the wasps for stinging you, but just spare a moment and think about their feelings! You destroyed their home, albeit not on purpose.
We often get wasps' nest on the allotment (we have one in the manure heap, of all places, at the moment!) and even in the garden, particularly in bird boxes, right next to the house. And we always leave them there. Wasps won't go for you unless you attack them in some way, in fact, they do a lot of good like feeding their young with caterpillars which they probably pick off your cabbages! So, if at all possible, leave them alone and provide them with a new home, if it's not too late.
We often get wasps' nest on the allotment (we have one in the manure heap, of all places, at the moment!) and even in the garden, particularly in bird boxes, right next to the house. And we always leave them there. Wasps won't go for you unless you attack them in some way, in fact, they do a lot of good like feeding their young with caterpillars which they probably pick off your cabbages! So, if at all possible, leave them alone and provide them with a new home, if it's not too late.
Monika,
I'm afraid leaving them isn't an option as I need to clear that bit of ground to put my new shed (coming in 2 weeks time) on. I deliberately broke the nest as I was hoping that they would move elsewhere if the nest was disturbed. I don't really like killing things but it is looking like that is my only option now as it is just too dangerous to break the nest any further. Not an easy choice but I am not going to put my own health at risk. Doesn't make me happy though - I'm very much a live and let live person if at all possible.
I'm afraid leaving them isn't an option as I need to clear that bit of ground to put my new shed (coming in 2 weeks time) on. I deliberately broke the nest as I was hoping that they would move elsewhere if the nest was disturbed. I don't really like killing things but it is looking like that is my only option now as it is just too dangerous to break the nest any further. Not an easy choice but I am not going to put my own health at risk. Doesn't make me happy though - I'm very much a live and let live person if at all possible.