Kitchen Garden Forum

I got stung again today. Not funny when I cannot take the dogs out into the field without running the gauntlet of them.

Would a swift attack with a wasp spray sort them, please? I once stopped an invasion of the attic by spraying the scouts.

I have never tried a wasp spray but I would think it will work. But why not wait until they die off naturally? That should be very soon. And, on the whole, if you don't get in a wasp's way, it won't bother you either. So could you not avoid going near the nest?

Marigold wrote:Would a swift attack with a wasp spray sort them, please? I once stopped an invasion of the attic by spraying the scouts.

Very unlikely at this stage in the season. Wasps are a nuisance in autumn because the nest is disintegrating. The queen has probably already fled and any remaining workers are aimless, disenfranchised. They subsist on sugary substances — beer, jam, ice cream, the sorts of things we like which is why they're doubly a pest. Spraying any scouts as a Trojan horse won't work because they're unlikely to go back to the nest. They'll all be dead soon anyway.

Monika wrote:I have never tried a wasp spray but I would think it will work. But why not wait until they die off naturally? That should be very soon. And, on the whole, if you don't get in a wasp's way, it won't bother you either. So could you not avoid going near the nest?

The nest is very near the house and by the only way to the fields so this is not a useful suggestion.. The dogs are now terrified also.

And nor is it true that they are not aggressive.

Sometimes attack is the best form of defence.

FelixLeiter wrote:

Marigold wrote:Would a swift attack with a wasp spray sort them, please? I once stopped an invasion of the attic by spraying the scouts.

Very unlikely at this stage in the season. Wasps are a nuisance in autumn because the nest is disintegrating. The queen has probably already fled and any remaining workers are aimless, disenfranchised. They subsist on sugary substances — beer, jam, ice cream, the sorts of things we like which is why they're doubly a pest. Spraying any scouts as a Trojan horse won't work because they're unlikely to go back to the nest. They'll all be dead soon anyway.

Not helpful sadly. Seems the only way is to spray; I was hoping for some more positive responses...And it is more than likely that the new queens are therein.

I have bad reactions to stings.

Marigold
I've found aerosol insect sprays are not much good against wasps unless you can spray directly into the nest - a bit dodgy! or the nest is in a very confined space. However, Rentokil Wasp Nest Killer, a white powder, got rid of a nest for me in the eaves of the house, just by puffing it round the entrance. John N

There is at least one aerosol type can with a short-pipe nozzle they allows you to spray a jet of killing foam from ten test away with reasonable accuracy on a nest or entrance thereto.

When I was a young lad we used to throw home-made fireworks into wasps nests and run like heck. In those days (pre elf and safety) you could buy saltpetre or sodium chlorate quite easily and, boys being boys, the lure of gunpowder and explosives was hard to resist.

The wasps were not amused but I'm not recommending this as a course of action nowadays.

I would try ant powder. This is surprisingly effective against a lot of other insect pests besides ants and a good deal cheaper than all these fancy sprays that are available.

John

Thanks for this. It is of course all my fault as I did not see the nest for weeks and was feeding the fading wasps... Any jam that went hard eetc; they ate an amazing amount and many drowned when rain filled the jars... Hundreds of them ..

Thankfully they moved the cattle the day after I was last here. There are basically two fields, so when the cattle are in one I run the dogs in the other, way away from the wasps.

However a worse invasion than wasps early today. I ran the dogs as it was getting light and the wee dog, a terrier, always gets home before collie and I. I heard a yelp and a loud thud... Could not find wee dog, and was frantic. There was no traffic and all else was quiet. Searched and called and this wee one is very obedient and very noisy if anything is amiss.

I was just going back into the house to call for some help when I saw cattle in the lower garden... The vegetable garden....And suddenly wee dog was there at the door. Cornered the four cattle with a mop(!) and called the landlord's brother who looks after the cattle etc. When he came, there I was keeping four large beasts at bay with a mop..

We have no idea how they got in as there is an electric fence, but we got them out and he has moved them until he sees to the fence.

They have all but destroyed the runner beans and trampled the rainbow chard and also two beds of my young perennial flower seedlings, my sales stock for next year. My sweet peas have vanished too...

We worked out later what had happened with wee dog. She must have tackled the cattle and got kicked; lain out cold all the time I was searching for her. She is jumpy but seems fine else; we will be sure tomorrow as it takes 24 hours for anything serious to manifest itself.

She is feisty and has not the instincts the collie has.

Life in rural Ireland can be interesting... anyways, he was so apologetic and says he will come this week to cut fallen timber for us. Nice..

NB I have ant spray somewhere.. flies and wasps are in great evidence in the warm today..