lexikia Posted April 8, 2015 Report Share Posted April 8, 2015 Last year there was a wasps' nest in the eaves of my house. Eventually all activity stopped, does this mean the nest is now empty and I can remove it? Or will there be any grubs growing in it? Just want to know if it is safe to move it. Thanks in advance, Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashman Posted April 8, 2015 Report Share Posted April 8, 2015 Give it a poke with a stick and see what happens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bullet1747 Posted April 8, 2015 Report Share Posted April 8, 2015 I had one phoned council ,came that day sprayed it and I moved it about six that night Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxie Posted April 8, 2015 Report Share Posted April 8, 2015 It`s last years nest you can safely remove it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougall Posted April 8, 2015 Report Share Posted April 8, 2015 just leave it if you wish as wasps do not return to same nest.There will be nothing 'in it'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
panoma1 Posted April 8, 2015 Report Share Posted April 8, 2015 If it was last years nest It will be empty now, but wasps have a habit of returning to the same place though making a new nest!..................and the queens will be active in starting a new nest now! When you say the eaves I assume they were gaining access to the nest via the eaves? And the nest was actually in the soffit (difficult to remove) or in the roof space (sometimes easier to remove) proper? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oliver90owner Posted April 8, 2015 Report Share Posted April 8, 2015 (edited) Look up life cycle of wasps. All but (mated) queens die off in the autumn/winter (well, nearly always). Queens hibernate and emerge in spring to found a new nest, although it may be near a previous one. They hibernate in shaded places, so the earliest warm days in spring do not rouse them from their hibernation too early in the year. They do not 'hide' to pop out and sting you, as was suggested on a forum thread recently! Queen only becomes queen of the nest when the first round of workers emerge (not 'hatch' - eggs hatch!). Until then she is the only skivvy there. Worker wasps are sugar eaters, but the larvae are the carnivores - they eat the food brought back to the nest and secrete a sugary liquid for sustenance of the adults. The nest breaks down after a single round of queen cells is produced later in the summer (for mating and hibernation through the next winter). That is why wasps go for fruit later in the summer - no more larvae to feed, so no more sugary secretions for the adults. Another reason why they can destroy a bee colony if the colony is unable to repel, or kill, all invaders. Honeybees are more likely found in the soffit and wasps more likely suspended (initially) somewhere in the roof space. Questions? RAB Edited April 8, 2015 by oliver90owner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kyska Posted April 8, 2015 Report Share Posted April 8, 2015 Give it a poke with a stick and see what happens. Agreed, best action to take Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted April 8, 2015 Report Share Posted April 8, 2015 28 grammes of No 6 through Full choke! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
felly100 Posted April 8, 2015 Report Share Posted April 8, 2015 Tin of Zippo lighter fluid into it. Light it. Job done. Maybe call 999 depending. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grrclark Posted April 8, 2015 Report Share Posted April 8, 2015 Tin of Zippo lighter fluid into it. Light it. Job done. Maybe call 999 depending. I know someone who tried to burn a wasp nest out of their double skinned garden shed, they stuffed the cavity with newspaper to keep the wasps in there then thought it would be a good idea just to burn them out. They were genuinely surprised when the shed went on fire too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mentalmac Posted April 8, 2015 Report Share Posted April 8, 2015 Saw some hilarious ones when I was at a large well known pest control company. One technician who is quite old used to just go in armed with a spray bottle with muscatrol and a fly swat... for the 'sport'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
felly100 Posted April 8, 2015 Report Share Posted April 8, 2015 I lit one once. By Jove it went up b Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thepasty Posted April 8, 2015 Report Share Posted April 8, 2015 a few years back I tried an improvised thermobaric air burst on a nest I found in the garden (war was declared after I dug through the nest resulting in much running and shouting).... it didnt end well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grrclark Posted April 8, 2015 Report Share Posted April 8, 2015 Saw some hilarious ones when I was at a large well known pest control company. One technician who is quite old used to just go in armed with a spray bottle with muscatrol and a fly swat... for the 'sport'. That is just mental, wasps are the very embodiment of evil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oliver90owner Posted April 8, 2015 Report Share Posted April 8, 2015 a few years back I tried an improvised thermobaric air burst on a nest I found in the garden (war was declared after I dug through the nest resulting in much running and shouting).... it didnt end well. Would that be around 1939 or 1914? Agreed, best action to take Noo, not necessarily. I am wondering why the OP would want to remove it; just leaves even more space for a new nest. I lit one once. By Jove it went up b Why wouldn't it? It is basically only made of paper. Well chewed by the wasps and with lots of space previously occupied by them, along with possibly some remains of cocoons all usually in a very dry location. Most people add an accelerant in season as there is some urgency to set it on fire and it will contain soggy little larvae and much less air space (also maintained at a higher humidity so the larvae do not become dessicated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danger-Mouse Posted April 8, 2015 Report Share Posted April 8, 2015 Saw some hilarious ones when I was at a large well known pest control company. One technician who is quite old used to just go in armed with a spray bottle with muscatrol and a fly swat... for the 'sport'. :lol: He`s a braver man than me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartynGT4 Posted April 8, 2015 Report Share Posted April 8, 2015 This could be fun.. http://bugblaster.net/index.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 If in any doubt , give a stick to the wife and ask her to go and give it a poke Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tallshort Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 Had one on an allotment I rented a few years ago. It was in a compost heap so I got a couple of pallets and leaned them over it in a sort of A frame, then chucked a load of hedge cuttings on top and left it all to dry out for a week or so. lit it using a litre of unleaded and a match. By god did the little **** take it personally, must have chased me and my mate about 400 yards up the road got stung about 5 times. My Grandad used to swear by wasp grub for catching Chub on the Trent. If he found one he would give it a blast with a CO2 fire extingisher and take the grubs and the 'cake' which he mashed with bread crumb to make ground bait. It was banned by a number of clubs running matches on the Trent for a time until they decided banning bloodworm was more fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oliver90owner Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 In days long past, cymag was the 'weapon'of choice to dispose of ground nesting wasps. Often the nest would be dug out when clear of workers, the larvae 'farmed' and then off fishing - or pop them in the fridge (if you were lucky enough to own one back then) for a later fishing trip. I remember Dad parking me the far side of a 10-12 acre field while he ploughed up to the hedge of one paricular field. Tractor wasn't that fast, but it made the plough rattle and bounce when he tripped it out and departed as quickly as possible! Told us later (some years) that there were several nests along that hedgerow but the last one was not buried but just broken up. Last time I used cymag was 1966 but it was not withdrawn until much later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vole Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 Wait till after dark and pop a bin bag over it and twist it off letting it drop in . Knot bag and dispose . Works for the accessible ones . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexikia Posted April 9, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 If in any doubt , give a stick to the wife and ask her to go and give it a poke Good idea, never thought of that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShootingEgg Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 An old nest wont be used by wasps again, but hornets will use them.. Like has been said give the wife a stick or try the bin bag trick.. It should be an empty nest ( i did say should) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris1961 Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 If it on the outside just use a hose pipe it will disintegrate as soon as it gets wet more fun in summer with jet wash they don't like that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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