Just been in the garage and heard a rasping noise, looked up to the roof
and there is a wasp building a nest.
It is about 1" diameter at the moment and although I have nothing
against wasps it will be a bit disturbing having a nest above your head
whilst working.
It would be fascinating to see it being built but I need to knock it on
the head before it gets to big, which would be the best way?
I could knock it down or use a weed flame-thrower on it or glue a
plastic pot over it but would it just move somewhere else in the garage
or give up and go elsewhere.

Barry

On 30/04/2015 16:15, Chris Hogg wrote:
On Thu, 30 Apr 2015 15:32:05 +0100, Corporal Jones
wrote:

Just been in the garage and heard a rasping noise, looked up to the roof
and there is a wasp building a nest.
It is about 1" diameter at the moment and although I have nothing
against wasps it will be a bit disturbing having a nest above your head
whilst working.
It would be fascinating to see it being built but I need to knock it on
the head before it gets to big, which would be the best way?
I could knock it down or use a weed flame-thrower on it or glue a
plastic pot over it but would it just move somewhere else in the garage
or give up and go elsewhere.

Barry
Reluctant though I am to suggest a wasp killer spray or powder, given
the nest's location I think you have no option. If it's only small,
now's the time to destroy it, before they get too numerous. You can
get powder puffer packs, although I got rid of a nest under my
mother's house a few years ago (she is seriously allergic to stings)
using an aerosol-type spray, which produced a jet of foam rather than
a cloud of spray, and could be directed at the nest from a safe(ish)
distance, say 10 ft. Attack it at dusk when they're inside, beat a
hasty retreat, and with a bit of luck you'll kill the queen, and so
ends the colony.

At the moment it is only the queen just starting to build a nest so I do
not want to go to the expense of propriety wasp killer sprays and I am
away this weekend so will not have time to go out shopping.
I think I will just wait until she is out collecting materials then cut
it down and hope she does not start to build another one.

On Thu, 30 Apr 2015 15:32:05 +0100, Corporal Jones
wrote:


It is about 1" diameter at the moment and although I have nothing
against wasps it will be a bit disturbing having a nest above your head
whilst working.
It would be fascinating to see it being built but I need to knock it on
the head before it gets to big, which would be the best way?

Vacuum cleaner with an extension hose, you can make further extension
from a long length pvc plumbing pipe taped to the vacuum cleaner one
with electrical/gaffer tape if you want to stand back a bit.
If the vacuum cleaner is of the Henry/ Vax shape a drop of washing up
liquid and water in the container will cause lots of bubbles that
will prevent them from flying out when you empty it.

G.Harman

On 30/04/2015 17:09, wrote:
On Thu, 30 Apr 2015 15:32:05 +0100, Corporal Jones
wrote:


It is about 1" diameter at the moment and although I have nothing
against wasps it will be a bit disturbing having a nest above your head
whilst working.
It would be fascinating to see it being built but I need to knock it on
the head before it gets to big, which would be the best way?
Vacuum cleaner with an extension hose, you can make further extension
from a long length pvc plumbing pipe taped to the vacuum cleaner one
with electrical/gaffer tape if you want to stand back a bit.
If the vacuum cleaner is of the Henry/ Vax shape a drop of washing up
liquid and water in the container will cause lots of bubbles that
will prevent them from flying out when you empty it.

G.Harman
Thanks G. Harmen, I have an old vac in the garage which I will try out
tomorrow, I will wait till the queen is away then try to suck it off.
I have no fear of wasps and only been stung once which was last year
when putting a pair of outdoor shoes on which I keep in the conservatory
where a wasp was hiding.
Not bad for nearly 64 years and a bit of vinegar soon sorted it out.

Barry

Good evening.

On Thu, 30 Apr 2015 15:32:05 +0100,
Corporal Jones wrote:
Just been in the garage and heard a rasping noise, looked up to the roof
and there is a wasp building a nest.

We have made a similar experience, some days ago. First we observed a
wasp rasping wood from our door frame. As it was apparently a beautiful
queen, I explained the details to my wife and even told her, that the
wasp is obviously about to construct her new nest.

The same morning, when I wanted to use our “economic wood cooker� (you
call it a rocket stove), I saw the nest glued right above the front
opening of the stove. I simply removed it and showed the work in progress
to my wife, then went ahead starting the fire. When the weather is fine,
we heat water that way, because wood is the one resource that we are
not short of.

In the evening the same thing happened again as the wasp has
begun reconstructing the nest at the exact same location! My wife
removed it this time, but also appears to have unintentionally killed
the wasp with a piece of wood *inside* the stove.

Kind of tragic.

Michael

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Wait until evening and go in with a broom or whatever you have handy with
a long handle and simply give it a nudge or two until it drops to the
floor. Put the nest in a bag of and place it in the trash.

If you try in the day time you are risking getting stung.

On Thu, 30 Apr 2015 15:32:05 +0100, Corporal Jones wrote:

Just been in the garage and heard a rasping noise, looked up to the roof
and there is a wasp building a nest.
It is about 1" diameter at the moment and although I have nothing
against wasps it will be a bit disturbing having a nest above your head
whilst working.
It would be fascinating to see it being built but I need to knock it on
the head before it gets to big, which would be the best way?
I could knock it down or use a weed flame-thrower on it or glue a
plastic pot over it but would it just move somewhere else in the garage
or give up and go elsewhere.



I've heard it said that if you tie up a paper bag (somewhat crumpled) in
the area they like to nest they will think it is another, bigger nest -
and go elsewhere.

Can't hurt, would be cheap...

"Corporal Jones" wrote in message
...
On 30/04/2015 16:15, Chris Hogg wrote:
On Thu, 30 Apr 2015 15:32:05 +0100, Corporal Jones
wrote:

Just been in the garage and heard a rasping noise, looked up to the roof
and there is a wasp building a nest.
It is about 1" diameter at the moment and although I have nothing
against wasps it will be a bit disturbing having a nest above your head
whilst working.
It would be fascinating to see it being built but I need to knock it on
the head before it gets to big, which would be the best way?
I could knock it down or use a weed flame-thrower on it or glue a
plastic pot over it but would it just move somewhere else in the garage
or give up and go elsewhere.

Barry
Reluctant though I am to suggest a wasp killer spray or powder, given
the nest's location I think you have no option. If it's only small,
now's the time to destroy it, before they get too numerous. You can
get powder puffer packs, although I got rid of a nest under my
mother's house a few years ago (she is seriously allergic to stings)
using an aerosol-type spray, which produced a jet of foam rather than
a cloud of spray, and could be directed at the nest from a safe(ish)
distance, say 10 ft. Attack it at dusk when they're inside, beat a
hasty retreat, and with a bit of luck you'll kill the queen, and so
ends the colony.

At the moment it is only the queen just starting to build a nest so I do
not want to go to the expense of propriety wasp killer sprays and I am
away this weekend so will not have time to go out shopping.
I think I will just wait until she is out collecting materials then cut it
down and hope she does not start to build another one.

I go along with this idea rather than attack with chemicals.

Does the Queen leave the next?