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Wasps

 
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DavidW



Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 31
Location: South Wales
PostPosted: Mon Aug 22, 05 7:40 pm    Post subject: Wasps Reply with quote
    

I have a wasp’s nest in my green compost bin on the allotment, is there anything I can do to get rid of them, as my council want £20 to come and solve the problem.

Thanks
David

sean
Downsizer Moderator


Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42207
Location: North Devon
PostPosted: Mon Aug 22, 05 9:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

How urgent is this?

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator


Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism
PostPosted: Tue Aug 23, 05 5:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Do you need to get rid of them? If the compost is not going to be used until Spring then they will be dead come the Winter.

In the past I've used those powder wasp and ant killers. Wait until dusk so all the wasp are at home and then puff plenty into the entrance and leave for a few days. I'm not sure what the modern powders are like but the old one I used a few years ago killed the wasps in one application. Worth checking how toxic they are to other animals first.

judith



Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22789
Location: Montgomeryshire
PostPosted: Tue Aug 23, 05 11:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Depends how brave (or foolhardy) you are. If the nest is a discrete unit, you could get a binbag around it, tie a very firm knot at the top(!) and simply move it somewhere else (or put it in your freezer to kill the wasps).

If the nest isn't a neat ball, then you will either have to use the spray or wait for them to move out themselves.
If you leave the lid off the bin, though, you might be lucky and some animal will come along and kill the wasps for you. That happened with the nest that was built in an old bird nest box on the fence near our back door. I was just plucking up courage to deal with the nest myself when I woke up one morning to find out that something had done it for me. Still have no idea what it was, as the box was up a pole and only had a robin/great tit size hole in the front.

wellington womble



Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands
PostPosted: Wed Aug 24, 05 12:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

If you found out what it was, you could train it, and rent it out!

judith



Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22789
Location: Montgomeryshire
PostPosted: Wed Aug 24, 05 12:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

wellington womble wrote:
If you found out what it was, you could train it, and rent it out!


I can see that there would be a market for it.

My suspicion is that it might have been a squirrel, but OH is convinced that it was a hedgehog as he read somewhere that they climb trees.

McLay455



Joined: 23 Nov 2004
Posts: 89
Location: West of Scotland
PostPosted: Fri Aug 26, 05 5:26 am    Post subject: eliniating wasps Reply with quote
    

The best thing is a foam spray -- costing about £5

If the byke is big, you may need two of them.
If you know a beekeper, borrow his veil and wear a broad brimmed hat under it
Make sure you are well covered with thick clothes and wearing thick gloves (I use welders gauntlets)
Do the spraying early morning or late evening.

Good Luck and Be Safe!!!!

Ivan

DavidW



Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 31
Location: South Wales
PostPosted: Sat Aug 27, 05 1:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

After I phoned the council to see how much it would cost to remove the nest (£20), I spoke to my allotment co coordinator. He rang the leisure gardens department and asked for the nest to be removed, urgently. This they did for no cost.

Thanks
David

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