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There is a wasp on my deck... It could be thinking of making a wasp nest here since it's made out of wood... Birds I don't mind, there are birds that go on my deck all the time.. but wasps are scary and evil... Worse, there could be two and one of them could be crawling on me right now... Posts: 9942 | Registered: Mar 2003
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Now, now. Don't panic! She's just dropping by. Wasps are beautiful and useful (they eat pest caterpillars). If you don't want her to make herself at home, tell her so. And look to any crevasses. Wasps like water nearby and gardens. They're really not out to sting you. That's just their defense mechanism.
See the "Mommy Bugga Bugga" thread for more on wasps.
I must say, I have a special fondness for wasps. I have lived at peace with my local Hymenoptera for 6 years.
Posts: 3141 | Registered: Apr 2000
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Yank, I must say I am really disturbed by your attitude. "That's what Raid is for"
The wasp in question has done absolutely no harm. Why kill it out of hand? Have you so little respect for living things and the ecosystem?
Yes, lets go spray a bunch of poison around just to kill an insect that happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Posts: 3141 | Registered: Apr 2000
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I sprayed Pure Power orange stuff on her. I feel guilty, but they are so scary. There's another outside my door that I won't kill unless it tries to attack me. Wasps are Varelse... but it always makes me feel guilty if I smash insects. Except for maybe Mosquitos... I think she flew away... *whew* As long as she is not in here... waiting to get me in my sleep...
Posts: 9942 | Registered: Mar 2003
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*feels guilty over the ones I killed last year in wasp killing gear* But they were in the house... (
Posts: 9942 | Registered: Mar 2003
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I hate wasps, but try to avoid killing them. I won't let them nest on my property though, all my kids have been stung. I don't use poison though- wasp traps or water.
Posts: 2711 | Registered: Mar 2004
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Syn, why this overreactive fear? Can I help you come to a better understanding of wasps?
"Wasps are scary!" Why?
In my home, I routinely catch and release wasps. I respect their stings, but I do not unduly fear them. I teach my family how to behave around wasps, and I have learned under what conditions wasps are most likely to sting. This helps me not to fear them.
Also, they are fascinating and lovely.
Posts: 3141 | Registered: Apr 2000
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Jenny, it's a well-established that wasps are the insectoid minions of Satan, sent to be a torture to mankind. It's us versus them, and I don't intend to lose.
Posts: 9945 | Registered: Sep 2002
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Maybe if I had a squirt gun... I never smash them if I see them outside. I just run screaming. You JG would love Nausicaa. Read it... You can find them at any borders or barnes and nobles at the Manga section... You'd love it. I hope the one outside my door doesn't crawl under the door... I don't know where she went... *fear* She might set up that old nest that was there last year... right...on...the window.
Posts: 9942 | Registered: Mar 2003
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I'm sorry if I've offended. I agree that insects are fascinating, but not right by my house. Especially wasps and fireants. Although I probably should re-think that somewhat. In theory, I respect life more than that, and it's always a little disconcerting to realize that one's theory does not concur with one's practice.
Posts: 1631 | Registered: Sep 2001
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At my farm we found this HUGE old wasp colony-fortress-thing in the attic (the farm is 150 years old and no one has been up there for probably 50 yrs). It was about the size of a large beach ball. It was apandoned but we finally understood why we had a wasp problem all though my childhood.
[ April 16, 2004, 04:06 PM: Message edited by: Telperion the Silver ]
Posts: 4953 | Registered: Jan 2004
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Wasps are kind of cute.. they have a neat design. But they sting and stings are scary. I got stung ONE TIME by a bee and I never want that to happen again. I was standing outside by some grapes in the playground minding my own business when one came and stung my hand! right by my pinky finger. It hurt! I was sitting in class crying... So never again. If I see one I run screaming. It's a funny site, actually.
Posts: 9942 | Registered: Mar 2003
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For the second year in a row I'm having wasp/hornet/yellow-jacket problems in my loft.
It's a problem since my roommate is deathly allergic to wasps and bees and such.
I can't really identify the insects... they are large-sized like wasps but they are striped like a bee, black and yellow. Their wings are decidely wasp-like and I'm tempted to call them yellow-jackets, but from pictures I've seen on the internet a yellow-jacket's body is less wasp-like than what I've seen at my home. Also a yellow jacket apparently houses itself under the ground, which would make it odd for them to be fluttering inside my windows, since they sit about 150 feet above solid concrete that extends around my apartment building for, oh, about 2-300 yards in every direction.
This happened last year but it happened much later in the summer, and I seem to remember the wasps looking a lot more like regular-oh wasps.
My windows haven't been open during the day time for more than a few hours this year, and that's also troubling. Three waspy creatures in a day and a half and they don't have anywhere to come from? Do these things hibernate? Could they have a nest somewhere in my apartment??
So today I put a little note in the elevator while I was on my lunch break. It said: "Residents, please place a check mark on this paper if you've encountered wasps, hornets, or yellow-jackets in your apartments already this year."
By the time I left to go back to work there were six extra checkmarks on the sheet.
What if they're in the ventilation system???
It really sucks because I have these 12-foot high ceilings and the wasps will eventually make their way up there and then they're hard to kill without having to use some kind of toxic spray gun. Last year I spent one night hunting them because I couldn't sleep with them over my head; picture me stalking around my own loft rambo-style, a fully cocked rubber band constantly pointed towards my out-of-reach enemies and a fly-swatter sticking out of my belt for up-close combat if it was necessary.
I'm going to start taking digital pics of the things if I see any more and try and make the owners do something about it. I can't imagine being able to prove, though, that they aren't just flying in through the windows--even though I don't think it makes much sense for wasps to be randomly flying 10 stories high and coming into my apartment en masse.
On my property, we have certain areas I call the "Wasp Preserve". The wasps are allowed to nest there, and this is my truce with the wasps.
They may nest in this area unmolested by me and mine. I expect them to leave me and mine unmolested in all other areas.
I have trained mine to respect the wasps and learn their ways. The only stings we have had on our land in 6 years have been the following:
One neighbor girl went into the wasp preserve and poked around. My daughter was stung about a week after my husband rudely took it on himself to "clean out" the preserve. I was furious. My daughter was hurt, but she didn't blame the wasps. She knows they only sting in self-defense or in defense of their homes.
This year, I have renegotiated the truce. My husband may not molest the wasps, and thus far, they have been quite friendly. They have flown very close to us, showing themselves to us, but not threatening. We have given them a respectful space but have come close enough to admire them.
Posts: 3141 | Registered: Apr 2000
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I really don't know a lot about the obligations of a landlord (since my landlords have been kind of lax when it comes to maintenance and such), but I think that if you've got a bug problem—especially if someone's deathly allergic—they're obligated to get an exterminator. If there are cracks or holes that are letting bugs in, they need to patch them up.
Posts: 9945 | Registered: Sep 2002
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Jenny, you rock. Bugs and the like are VERY cool to study. I even like spiders (when they are not ON me *wink*).
Posts: 4953 | Registered: Jan 2004
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Telperion - What you found was a hornet's nest. Hornets are very aggressive in defending their homes. We have hornets in the neighborhood, but I haven't seen the insects themselves very often. I've watched the big paper hive move to a different tree every year. It's amazing. To get rid of hornets, smoke has classically been used to make them sleepy. I'd leave removing hornets to a professional, though. They'll chase you down!
Syn, I'm sure the bee was as surprised as you were! Bees lose their lives when they sting.
JohnKeats - post pix and I'll try to ID them for you. Wasps can hibernate. Mine overwinter under my patio pavers. They can also fly quite high. I suspect your beasties may be paper wasps. They like to chew wood into paper and nest under the eaves of houses. They're really not very aggressive, but I understand that you need to keep them away from your roommate. Right now, the wasps are starting to warm up and come out, and they'll explore anywhere they can. Your window may seem like the entrance to a cave or hole or crevasse, which would be their natural nesting spots. Keep your windows closed, or use a screen, or dangle a multitude of scented ribbons across your window opening if you want to keep them out. An open window is an invitation to all sorts of insect visitors. Remember, a wasp doesn't want to be trapped in your house. It WANTS to get out. Sometimes you can just close up a room with a wasp in it and when you return it will have flown back out the window.
Posts: 3141 | Registered: Apr 2000
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Wasps will get in if you leave your windows open. That's not the landlord's responsibility. Now, if there's an infestation or a nest in a bad place, maybe you can expect the landlord to do something. But several wasps coming in an opened window is not an infestation. I doubt seriously whether they're actually coming from INSIDE the building.
Posts: 3141 | Registered: Apr 2000
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I discovered that one way to get a bee out of a room is to turn off all the lights and open the door to the hallway. Make sure the hallway light is on. I did this when I was in Richardson and a bee was right in the computer lab. It worked. There were once wasps over the door of my grandmotehr in MS's house. They were so cute. Black polistis (sp) wasps which the book said only attack when attacked. They were fascinating to watch. Heck, I'm sure you'd like Nausicaa so much I'd let you borrow my copy through the mail!
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Jen, the wasps at my windows are most definitely trying to get out... suffice it to say that I help them on their way.
I really really really doubt that these (after describing them to a coworker, he tells me that they are actually hornets; not clear on his level of expertise, though) have come in through my windows. As I said, I've only had two windows open this year and that was only for a few hours. Also the three 'hornets' I've dealt with over the past 24 hours were walking along my windowglass in a very groggy-like way. As if they had just woken up from a deep slumber. If what you say is true and they like to burrow into wood, I suspect that the source of the insects must be inside the building itself, since so many other apartments have them as well.
Although another possibility, certainly, is that OTHER people have kept their windows open and the insects are just going wherever they like in the building. Hadn't thought of that.
Screens, unfortunately, are not an option. I have ten windows, each of them about six feet tall and four feet wide. They span the northern and eastern walls of my living space. They would cost a lot, they would be dangerous to install, and they would give my home a prison-like appearance.
Keeping the windows closed is something I can do, but I don't know that my respect for insects is weighty enough for me to sacrifice personal comfort inside my own home. Plus, Liz is allergic of course.
I'll get pictures and email them to you soon.
Posts: 4350 | Registered: Sep 2000
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I would be ok with negotiating a truce with our yellowjacets but we don't have enough land to have a preserve. Ciara was stung on the nose at least twice last year when they were eating the falling apples. I kept them raked up as much as possible in distinct areas to localize the exploring yellowjackets to certian places.
But then I inadvertantly disturbed their nest that I had no idea was there, but happened to be right next to our front door. Fortunately I leaped insid as they came boiling out of the nest and only got stung twice but that wasn't an acceptable place for the yellowjackets and I to live in harmony together. So I did use yellowjacket killer on them at night. They also swarmed my neighbor Betty's schnauzer to the point where he was at the vet's for a week, so it feels like they have declared war while we were minding our own business and letting them live and let live.
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If they are hornets, they may have a nest somewhere. Sounds like they're just waking up. You do need to find their nest and get rid of them, since you have an allergic person. A hornet nest could be in a building, if there's a big enough place for them to get it. Give the poor gals a wide berth. If you are brave, put a glass over one and then slip a thick card underneath. Carry to a windowsill, tip the glass, and back off quickly. If you are not so brave, kill them while they are sluggish. It's much easier than when they are flying around the room!
Posts: 3141 | Registered: Apr 2000
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Jenny, I'm allergic. They cannot be in my home. The chance of something happening is too high. I've been stung twice - the first time I was in pain, and had redness and swelling in my hand. The second sting, the redness travelled up my arm in seconds, and my whole arm was swelling.
The reaction stopped with benadryl.
Neither time was I bothering them, I just made the mistake of putting my hand down on my deck handrail and it apparently thought I shouldn't have done so. And on the other occasion, he was on my car, and when the car door opened he flew at me and stung me when I tried to swat him away from the kids.
Posts: 14428 | Registered: Aug 2001
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You're right, Banna, NOT an acceptable place to nest. My local wasps are paper wasps, and they're less likely to swarm.
If you want to send me something in the mail, Syn, feel free! I think I WOULD enjoy it. And I'll keep a look out. We have one (crappy) chain bookstore in my town, but I'm bound to go to Indy someday.
Posts: 3141 | Registered: Apr 2000
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Probably "she", Belle. I understand your fear. If you have a bad reaction, you want to stay far away from stinging insects. And you can't have them near your home.
I'm just concerned because many people kill insects without taking time to learn about them. They get squicked out and rush to kill the aliens without even taking time to appreciate their contribution to our world.
Do what you must, but don't hate insects because they do what they were made to do.
Posts: 3141 | Registered: Apr 2000
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I'm completely phobic about stinging insects. If I so much as hear a buzz, I tense up and my heart starts racing. I think I would probably have trouble letting wasps live in my yard.
Posts: 3546 | Registered: Jul 2002
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I saw the title of this thread, and thought you were discussing the ever-famous White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, in and of itself an interesting critter, I'm sure.
A lot of your comments are particularly amusing if you reread them with that sort of wasp in mind.
Or I could just be very, very tired.
Posts: 11 | Registered: Apr 2004
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My grandmother handled wasps in a professional manner. She would wait for the offending insect to land somewhere in the room, then walk right over to it. She would let them walk onto her body, then carry them outside. I swear I saw this more than once...
I'm not nearly as forgiving.
quote: Then the raft rocked, and she turned to see Ender calmly crushing the life out of the wasp with one finger. "These are a nasty breed," Ender said. "They sting you without waiting to be insulted first..."
Now, granted, I don't remember being stung by a wasp without provocation. However, that doesn't mean I'm going to let it happen. I'll try to be patient, but I'm gonna keep the flyswatter handy, as Caleb said, for close air support. (And yeah, Caleb, I've seen several wasps trying to enter my apartment through my balcony door. I'm on the 3rd floor. No make/model on the wasps themselves, just noticed it.)
Not to go off topic, but don't start with spiders. I'm death on them. I won't hesitate to use chemical warfare on them.
On other insects, I'm more forgiving. I'll keep a pet ant lion handy for ants. Hehe, I feel like Jabba the Hut, tossing the unfortunate/condemned into the pit for digestion. Posts: 1813 | Registered: Apr 2001
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My dad was taking the shutters off our second story windows. He was hammering and prying from his perch on the ladder for about 10 minutes on one of them. When it came off, he saw a was nest bigger than a dinner plate absolutely crawling with wasps. He slowly backed down the ladder and into the house. He figured, since they didn't sting him while he was on the ladder, he would give them a chance to go away. But they didn't even after two days so he had them killed.
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And on the other occasion, he was on my car, and when the car door opened he flew at me and stung me when I tried to swat him away from the kids.
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I swear I saw this more than once...![[Evil]](graemlins/evil.gif)
