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Washing and wasps.
Posted On 05/30/2015 05:22:09 by dabbymac

Now that spring has sprung here in New York I spend as much time as possible outdoors.  Although I do have workman do some of the work on my property, there are things I do myself.  I like using the power washer.  It's an adult reason to get grubby and wet on a warm day.  As a bonus, the outdoor furniture and the brickwork get clean.  That's how I planned to spend today.  Mother nature had other plans.  Everytime I got started, yellow jackets (wasps) would start buzzing around too close for comfort.  I would duck, bob and weave, flail my arms like a windmill, shout childishly for Momma,  and finally complete the 20 yard dash to the front door.  It was not pretty.  I would sneak back out, avoiding the yellow jacket radar and continue the task, within a few minutes I would have to repeat my newly acquired skills...bob, weave, windmill, call Mommy and dash.  It was feeling a lot like a workout at the gym not to mention a ridiculous display for anyone passing by. 


I can hear everyone telling me that the yellow jackets are more afraid of me than I am of them. Ummm....nope.  The other statement is if you don't bother them, they won't bother you.  Once again, untrue.  I've only been stung once, but I was at an outdoor service and had my hands folded in my lap when I was divebombed and stung on the back of my hand.  I didn't get ill, but son of a gun that hurt like the devil for hours.  My reaction is involuntary.  I'm not entirely sure I can control my flight instinct and I'm not inclined to make the effort.

I'm not generally a scaredy-cat.  I can handle most insects, including spiders.  I don't even kill them.  I pick them up on a piece of paper and remove them to the outdoors.  Yellow jackets are my achilles heel.  I called the pest control company.  The bug-boys will be here on Thursday.  Since the yellow jackets are pollinators, I will have the nests removed.  Yellow jacket home-wrecking is okay, but pesticides are not.  

In the meantime, I'm using this blogging time to avoid my tiny little nemeses but my cleaning job is only half done.  I really have to go back outside and finish up, but I think I'll have a sandwich first, perhaps a cup of coffee, do a load of laundry, watch a game show, make dinner...who am I kidding?  The yellow jackets win this round.



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Viewing 1 - 9 out of 9 Comments

From: dabbymac
06/28/2015 06:30:04

Thank you all for your comments and good information.  The wasps have been defeated.  The experts removed 7 yellow jacket nests, one paper wasp nest.  Thanks to all of you I now have new weapons at my disposal for 2016.

From: BreeWolfe
06/03/2015 17:16:22

I have black wasps on my patio. They aren't very agressive, of course if you touch one accidently you will get stung. They like to nest under the tables and chairs.  So, I routinely go out with my handy can of Freeze hairspray. It won't kill them but it sure slows them down :-) It gives me time to clear out the nests. I don't use any other sprays because my puppies also sit with us on the patio, and they clean their paws by licking. 



From: Swanlady
06/02/2015 10:53:07

At the age of 4 I was attacked by swarm of wasps and was stung from head to toe. The mean old things had to be pulled off me. Back then soda and water was the only thing we had to treat the stings with. Now believe it or not , no bees will bother me. I stand still and they fly right away. I have only been stung once when I grabed a handrail that had a wasp underneath it and I mashed the wasp. Give respect to the flying critters that can give you a pound of hurt.

From: Julio
05/31/2015 17:21:40

I can relate. I love nature and try to be tolerant of nature's innocence, but sometimes there is no alternative but to claim your domain over marauders. I grew up in western NY on a farm and had some epic battles with white faced hornets that were mad as heck because I inadvertenlty drove my tractor too near their nest in a hole in the ground. 

In my experience, yellow jackets were more docile, but still could really put a damper on backyard picnics as they all flocked to the koolaide and soft drinks, but until the family learned that covering cups and drink glasses, using red plastic Solo plastic plates and red Solo cups and avoid light colored clothing, there were a lot of comical choreographic moves that were mercifully lost to the ravages of time and the disappearance of super 8mm film photography!

Thankyou for the Sunday read, Regina.

From: dabbymac
05/31/2015 04:18:01

Thank you all for your comments and excellent information.  I had no idea that YJ's had the ability to bite AND sting.  Last year the bug-boys removed 6 YJ nests, one paper wasp nest and a carpenter bee hive.  Once they are gone they don't rebuild and there is peace (and clean brick-work) in the valley.  

From: oppsgal
05/30/2015 18:30:12

My great Uncle was killed by those yellow jackets plowing a field on his farm he plowed up a nest.  they swarmed him.  so they are nothing to mess with..




From: oppsgal
05/30/2015 18:27:01

Yes I hate those dive bombers. !!!!!  and try to go to a picnic outdoors in the summer.. its no fun.




From: dabbymac
05/30/2015 13:04:14

I guarantee I will not be power washing the wasps.  I leave them to the professionals.  I don't use any kind of pesticide.  If I had those giant wasps or killer bees I might reconsider but these are just the garden variety.  I am aware they are not active at night, but when it comes to wasps my cowardice knows no bounds.   


TouchedPainter wrote:

Wasps are afraid of nothing. they can't think, nor have emotions like humans. They have just enough brain tissue to ensure the survival of future of their species. that's it, no other thought pricessies. It is best to slowly move away. That is what they ignore. Sudden movement is concidered a threat. DO NOT POWER WASH ANY NEST DAY NOR DARK... If you can find the nest, it could be a hole in the ground... After DARK... spray into the entrance hole a poison that immobilizes or freezes, they can't fly they just drop like a rock... it will say it on the can of spray (I use ShooFly brand) so you don't have an angry swarm pour out at you. Only use a shooting spray that will shoot up to 20 feet, do not use a fogger nor scatter spray. Or leave to the professionals. Be careful, we now have in the US & Australia the foreign invasion of the Asian Killer Wasps.  They are 15 times larger than the common yellow jacket and as many times more agressive than the Africanize Killer Honey Bees. If you see one slowly back off & get to indoors & call authorities, DO NOT TRY TO SPRAY. Leave these monsters to the professionals. (Google it)



From: TouchedPainter
05/30/2015 11:54:38

Wasps are afraid of nothing. they can't think, nor have emotions like humans. They have just enough brain tissue to ensure the survival of future of their species. that's it, no other thought pricessies. It is best to slowly move away. That is what they ignore. Sudden movement is concidered a threat. DO NOT POWER WASH ANY NEST DAY NOR DARK... If you can find the nest, it could be a hole in the ground... After DARK... spray into the entrance hole a poison that immobilizes or freezes, they can't fly they just drop like a rock... it will say it on the can of spray (I use ShooFly brand) so you don't have an angry swarm pour out at you. Only use a shooting spray that will shoot up to 20 feet, do not use a fogger nor scatter spray. Or leave to the professionals. Be careful, we now have in the US & Australia the foreign invasion of the Asian Killer Wasps.  They are 15 times larger than the common yellow jacket and as many times more agressive than the Africanize Killer Honey Bees. If you see one slowly back off & get to indoors & call authorities, DO NOT TRY TO SPRAY. Leave these monsters to the professionals. (Google it)



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