[TowerTalk] hornets nest

Wed Sep 12 19:44:29 EDT 2012

On 9/12/2012 6:25 PM, Mike Ryan wrote:
> Some of the popular bee sprays don't kill all the bees. Most kill wasps
> but I was told by the guy in Home Depot that some just make bees like
> yellow jackets mad.

Normally yellowjackets are little, bad tempered, ground dwellers. IE 
they live underground or under garage floors.

I had a 12' diameter satellite C-band dish disassembled and stacked 
against the back of the garage.  Paper wasps built one of those huge 
football shaped nests between the sections... I was moving it to get rid 
of it. I grabbed a section and found it appeared to be stuck to the one 
behind it.  I really reefed on it. It came loose and so did a cloud of 
wasps.

I waited till dark, set up my 1000 watt shop lights off to one side, but 
pointed at the nest. With a pair of those "shoots 20 feet too kill wasps 
and hornets" cans at hand, I pulled the one section free while staying 
out of the light.  Got 'em all.

I also discovered they were in the vent to the kitchen range. I set up a 
step ladder where I could spray right into the vent by standing on the 
first step below the top.  Again with two cans in hand, I let loose into 
the vent.  There must have been one huge nest in there as I a had a pile 
about a foot and a half across and 3 or 4 inches deep of bees.

Now as to yellowjackets:  Before we lived here, some one had neglected 
one of the downspouts from the eves.  That washed out a spot under the 
garage floor.  They discovered a way in at the junction of the garage 
apron and floor as well as through the siding to the foundation on the 
other end of the garage.

I discovered the entrance on the North end of the garage after I plugged 
up the entrance between the apron and floor.  The next morning every 
garage window was nothing but a mass of unhappy Yellowjackets. Every 
bulb was just a mass of bees hanging from the ceiling.  I turned on the 
lights and went after them, again with two cans of spray.  I used a lot 
of the expandable yellow foam to seal up those openings.

IIRC I accounted for 12 large nests that summer just within the 
boundaries of our 200 X 200 lot.  We've never had such a bountiful crop 
of bees since.  Neighbors had many nests in their trees and elsewhere. 
I'm not sure why this area had so many that year.

I'd not want to mess with them on the tower, but normally bees just seem 
to ignore me and go after any one else close by.
Another ham and I were talking in front of the garage. The Yellowjackets 
chased him clear to the end of the driveway and completely ignored me.

I'd not recommend these to someone else, but I've just used a 10' length 
of 1/2" EMT, brooms, water from the hose, and water from a pressure 
washer to knock down nests. Any of these approaches rely on the ability 
to move FAST! Nor do you want to be sensitive to the venom.

Have some "Adolph's Meat Tenderizer" handy to put on stings.  The 
enzymes break down the proteins in the venom getting rid of pain and 
swelling quite quickly.  At one time I had an allergic reaction to 
stings and black flies. The doc told me to make up some small packets of 
the tenderizer, wet the area and apply immediately.  Applied immediately 
there was no swelling. If I took time to come in the house to apply 
there would be quite a bit of swelling. If I didn't apply the stuff 
there was major swelling.

73

Roger (K8RI)

   I had wasps here so wasn't worried about which was
> which. But depending on what you have around it might be worth a closer
> look at the label.  Now, if they can only come up with an effective
> spray for mother-in-laws.  - Mike
>
> -----Original Message----- From: KD0Q-Glenn
> Sent: Wednesday, September 12, 2012 6:00 PM
> To: towertalk at contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] hornets nest
>
> I had yellow jackets build a nest in my mast this summer.  Found them to be
> nearly inactive early in the morning - I know because I watched for them
> with my binoculars.  I was able to blow the nest out and spray one morning
> and didn't have a problem.  Took 3 weeks before I quit seeing them hanging
> around and dared to work up there.  Haven't seen any since.
>
> 73, Glenn/KD0Q
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Craig Clark" <jcclark at myfairpoint.net>
> To: <towertalk at contesting.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, September 12, 2012 4:45 PM
> Subject: [TowerTalk] hornets nest
>
>
>> I'd like to do some tower work but found I have a hornet's nest on the
>> boom
>> support of my 40 meter antenna at 60'.
>>
>> We have had a couple of cold mornings and I could try hitting it at dawn
>> with a spray but I really don't want to do it and risk being attacked. I
>> could also wait until we have a couple of good frosts and I could take it
>> down then.
>>
>> Any thoughts other than waiting for late fall?
>>
>> Craig
>>
>>
>> Craig Clark K1QX
>> QX Electronics
>> PO Box 209
>> 107 Fitzgerald Rd
>> Rindge NH 03461
>> (603) 899-6959 office
>> (603) 520 6577 cell
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
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