"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...

In article ,
(Nick Maclaren) writes:
|
| The problem is that she is not trying to kill the nest, ...

What I mean is that she is trying to kill ALL of the wasps, not just
the queen and potential queens.

Which is what the petrol would do, I was not suggesting pouring a gallon of
the stuff into the nest, a eggcup full is more than enough.

Alan



Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In article ,
"Alan Holmes" writes:
|
| What I mean is that she is trying to kill ALL of the wasps, not just
| the queen and potential queens.
|
| Which is what the petrol would do, I was not suggesting pouring a gallon of
| the stuff into the nest, a eggcup full is more than enough.

Yes, but I wasn't joking about an explosion. The risk is small, but
there is a chance that the petrol will filter into the nest, evaporate
and form an explosive mixture with air. A fluid/air explosive with
only an eggcup-full of petrol is getting on for the smallest military
size ....


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On Sat, 19 Aug 2006 16:05:55 +0100, Trevor wrote
(in message ):

Remeber to do it at dusk or dawn when they're least active.


It might be worth asking on a natural history newsgroup. I can think of two
things that could help- insects become a lot less active when cold, and if
cold enough they become totally immobile. So squirting something VERY cold in
there, if feasible, might slow them down enough to make them less of a danger
while you do something else. The other thing is that insects need to breathe
oxygen and will die from lack of it much quicker than mammals do, so maybe
squirting carbon dioxide in there for a minute or two (so that there is no
oxygen to breathe) would solve the whole problem. Just brainstorming- now
back to the sensible replies....

--
VX (remove alcohol for email)

"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...

In article ,
"Alan Holmes" writes:
|
| What I mean is that she is trying to kill ALL of the wasps, not just
| the queen and potential queens.
|
| Which is what the petrol would do, I was not suggesting pouring a
gallon of
| the stuff into the nest, a eggcup full is more than enough.

Yes, but I wasn't joking about an explosion. The risk is small, but
there is a chance that the petrol will filter into the nest, evaporate
and form an explosive mixture with air. A fluid/air explosive with
only an eggcup-full of petrol is getting on for the smallest military
size ....


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

I have used a puffer with a white powder in sold for killing ants (Derris
dust I think - can you still get that?) anyway the important part is the
powder, wait until evening and puff some into the nest entrance, wasps going
in and out get some on them and are cleaned by the other wasps in the nest,
within 24 hours all the wasps will be dead including the queen. Have to say
though the petrol method sounds kind of fun!

--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collection of Clematis viticella (cvs)

I have used a puffer with a white powder in sold for killing ants (Derris
dust I think - can you still get that?) anyway the important part is the
powder, wait until evening and puff some into the nest entrance, wasps
going
in and out get some on them and are cleaned by the other wasps in the
nest,
within 24 hours all the wasps will be dead including the queen. Have to
say
though the petrol method sounds kind of fun!
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.

I wonder if Derris dust or Petrol will work on moles ;-) A number of hills
keep appearing amongst my leek patch. I've tried mole traps and earthworms
treated with special mole poison. I've also tried old cooking oil down the
holes to no avail and urine - it is supposed to frighten them off thinking a
large predator lives there. Perhaps its time to up the stakes and go for a
gallon of petrol and a long fuse :-()) ? I've got more moles than MI5 !
--
David
.... Email address on website http://www.avisoft.co.uk
.... Blog at http://dlts-french-adventures.blogspot.com/

It may not be the quickest but I have had success in terminating wasps using ant powder at the entance(s) to the nest. It takes 10-14 days of powdering daily

I have recently eradicated a wasps nest (to which I only had a hole as access) by squirting the foamy stuff into it, even though I couldn't find the one with the long tube. I did it at night, and spent some time observing to make sure the wasps were inactive - in previous cases I have found they are still active at dusk. As a precaution I put on stout clothing and a face-net, being somewhat allergic to their bites.

Some comments on other people's stuff:

"Wasps aren't aggressive..." Clearly you've never been chased down the garden by a group of them, and been stung, as I have. Social wasps can be aggressive if they feel threatened, and certain chemicals released (eg by stinging) can encourage the rest have a group reaction to the threat - this is a common mechanism found in many social insects with defensive capability. Aggressiveness depends on the exact species, but a more aggressive social wasp species commonly found on the continent is now more common in warming Britain, though it usually nests in bushes rather in holes under them. I suspect those were the ones that chased me down the garden, which happened when I trimmed the hedge they were nesting in.

Petrol. It is actually only possible to set petrol alight if the conditions are just right. Holding a lighted match above a pool of petrol, or pouring petrol on a bonfire, unfortunately provides those ideal conditions. But in many other common situations it won't light, fortunately, otherwise clumsy idiots like me would never be allowed to fill our own cars, or buy petrol lawnmowers. A lighted cigarette dropped into a dish of petrol will go out, rather than light the petrol, because the combustion temperature of a cigarette isn't high enough. A bullet shot into a petrol tank will just make a hole, not an explosion (sorry you movie directors). Petrol soaked into earth is very difficult to set alight, even more so if you pour it down a hole in the earth. Indeed if you had a little petrol and wanted to get rid of it, that would be approximately the safest thing (from a fire risk perspective) to do. See the Insultingly Stupid Movie Physics site for this and other myths: http://www.intuitor.com/moviephysics/

"David (in Normandy)" wrote in
message ...
I have used a puffer with a white powder in sold for killing ants (Derris
dust I think - can you still get that?) anyway the important part is the
powder, wait until evening and puff some into the nest entrance, wasps
going
in and out get some on them and are cleaned by the other wasps in the
nest,
within 24 hours all the wasps will be dead including the queen. Have to
say
though the petrol method sounds kind of fun!
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.

I wonder if Derris dust or Petrol will work on moles ;-) A number of hills
keep appearing amongst my leek patch. I've tried mole traps and earthworms
treated with special mole poison. I've also tried old cooking oil down the
holes to no avail and urine - it is supposed to frighten them off thinking
a large predator lives there. Perhaps its time to up the stakes and go for
a gallon of petrol and a long fuse :-()) ? I've got more moles than MI5 !

Worth a try, but I think I'd o for a lot less than a gallon!(:-)

And leave out the fuse!

Alan

--
David
... Email address on website http://www.avisoft.co.uk
... Blog at http://dlts-french-adventures.blogspot.com/

Progress report:
NB the wasps are in my son's garden, not mine.
He tried drowning the nest by running the hose in the hole. The wasps
have relocated into a nearby wall; (or maybe the nest was in the wall
and had another entrance!)
My son has tried to buy wasp killer, at B&Q and another place with no
success.
Thanks Charlie for the derris dust idea. It sounds safer and kinder
to the lavender bush than diesel or similar!


Pam in Bristol

On 21/8/06 16:20, in article ,
"Pam Moore" wrote:

Progress report:
NB the wasps are in my son's garden, not mine.
He tried drowning the nest by running the hose in the hole. The wasps
have relocated into a nearby wall; (or maybe the nest was in the wall
and had another entrance!)
My son has tried to buy wasp killer, at B&Q and another place with no
success.
Thanks Charlie for the derris dust idea. It sounds safer and kinder
to the lavender bush than diesel or similar!

He could try sticking a hosepipe down the hole and connecting it to the
exhaust of his car at night. I'd suggest he goes back into the house or
locks himself in the car while trying this, though. I do know people for
whom this has worked on moles, once they stopped up all the holes, of
course.

--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/

"Sacha" wrote in message
...

He could try sticking a hosepipe down the hole and connecting it to the
exhaust of his car at night.
--
Sacha
South Devon


:-((((((((((((((

That is what the SS did in WWII in an attempt to exterminate the Jews. They
then progressed to greater achievements. :-(((

Mike


--
--------------------------------------
Royal Naval Electrical Branch Association
www.rnshipmates.co.uk
www.nsrafa.com

He could try sticking a hosepipe down the hole and connecting it to the
exhaust of his car at night. I'd suggest he goes back into the house or
locks himself in the car while trying this, though. I do know people for
whom this has worked on moles, once they stopped up all the holes, of
course.
Sacha

This might just cure my mole problem! I have tried everything else. I'll
give feedback in a few days to say if it has worked or not.

"David (in Normandy)" wrote in
message ...
He could try sticking a hosepipe down the hole and connecting it to the
exhaust of his car at night. I'd suggest he goes back into the house or
locks himself in the car while trying this, though. I do know people for
whom this has worked on moles, once they stopped up all the holes, of
course.
Sacha

This might just cure my mole problem! I have tried everything else. I'll
give feedback in a few days to say if it has worked or not.

Do take care not to melt the end of the hosepipe. Ideally you need an
inefficient (non green) engine that belches loads of carbon Monoxide.
One final caution:- Moles do have burrows under sheds and outbuildings into
which CO may rise/seep

"Alan Holmes" writes:

"David (in Normandy)" wrote in
message ...

I wonder if Derris dust or Petrol will work on moles ;-) A number
of hills keep appearing amongst my leek patch. I've tried mole
traps and earthworms treated with special mole poison. I've also
tried old cooking oil down the holes to no avail and urine - it is
supposed to frighten them off thinking a large predator lives
there. Perhaps its time to up the stakes and go for a gallon of
petrol and a long fuse :-()) ? I've got more moles than MI5 !

Worth a try, but I think I'd o for a lot less than a gallon!(:-)

And leave out the fuse!

You need the Rodenator Pro (TM)
http://www.rodenator.com/products2.htm#rodenator

Watch the videos...

Anthony

You need the Rodenator Pro (TM)
http://www.rodenator.com/products2.htm#rodenator

Watch the videos...

Anthony


My God! That's an impressive looking bit of kit! I can hardly believe it is
serious! It makes my mole traps look a bit tame. If only Sigourney Weaver
had one of those things the alien wouldn't have stood a chance!
--
David
.... Email address on website http://www.avisoft.co.uk
.... Blog at http://dlts-french-adventures.blogspot.com/