Man... wtf!!! (hornets or something...)

Okay, so I work on my car in my little carport. It's not huge, but it keeps the rain out (which is good since I have all the glass, hood and hatch off now!). There have always been some hornets/wasps/bees (not sure which). For the most part, they don't bother us, but since my roommate is allergic, I sometimes spray the nest at night, and then repeatedly the next few days, then I usually never get around to taking it down. A couple weeks pass and they're usually back, again, not bothering us but just being sort of threatening.

Now I haven't sprayed in a couple months now but I don't know what happened. I'm always in there wrenching, hammering, grinding, welding and at first I thought it would bother them, but they never did anything. I'm not sure if some sparks flew up and hit their nest or what, but they're after me now! I swear, I can't even go in there. As soon as I open the door they fly right over to me. I was trying to get a picture of them to ID and I couldn't even get my camera. Eventually I was able to sneak in there (with a thick hoodie @ 90*F) and get the camera but I haven't been able to get a good pic.

Again... not sure what the trigger was. Probably sparks flying into their nest of something because lately they've been making new small nests (even though I haven't touched the old one in a while, which I've still seen them in). The carport was open on two sides (front and right), but I recently bought tarps (on sale of course!) at the freight to close it because I'm getting ready for paint, so now it's pretty much closed on all 4 sides. That, and, and this is cool, there was always a mosquito problem in there, and I have a problem with mosquitos. They're obsessed with me. Fatty skin or something. That is... I had a problem with mosquitos. I got this electric bug swatter from the freight, and it's the BEST $3 I ever spent, hands down. Man, this thing is so effective and fun it's unbelievable. I just decimated those bastards. Now when I go out, there's usually 1 or 2 and thank god because if they were completely gone I wouldn't have the pleasure of blasting them, but there aren't so many that its overwhelming. But back to the stingers, I hear they eat mosquitos, so that means they're watching me kill all of them... not sure how much they like that. I'm 99% sure I haven't killed any baby hornet things but 100% sure I didn't kill any when they decided to go after me all of a sudden.

What would you all usually do about this?

This particularly sucks because I only had 2 days to finish the rust repair and get it primed so that when I come back from visiting home I'd have 2 days to paint it before school starts... and today is getting wasted :[

If it's sealed pretty well, you could try setting off several bug-bombs in there.

1. Go to the Big Box hardware store.

2. Buy a couple of Bug Bombs.

3. Read directions on Bug Bomb can.

4. Open door to garage.

5. Activate Bug Bombs per instructions.

6. Toss in said Bug Bombs.

7. Slam door.

8. Drink beer and watch TV for a couple of hours.

9. Sweep hornet problem out of the garage.

10. Paint car.

Unnnfortunately it's not sealed that well. There are actually 2 like 4'x7' openings.

However, the hostility was confirmed while convincing my roommate of the problem, when all we did was look through the hole from 5' away outside and 2 visitors decided we need to be checked out and buzzed around our heads a couple times.

Its good though. Today will be wasted, apparently. Tonight, however, Raid Wasp & Hornet sprays 22 ft with 25% more will be doing some work, and you can bet these mofos are getting all 125%.

Can you staple/tape a sheet of plastic over the opening?

Bug bombs can be better than the spray poison. It will kill everything in the garage, not just the few you hit with the spray.

I cleared a shed full of black widows in one easy go.

Stuc wrote: I have a problem with mosquitos. They're obsessed with me. Fatty skin or something. That is... I had a problem with mosquitos. I got this electric bug swatter from the freight, and it's the BEST $3 I ever spent, hands down.

I need to buy this; they love me too. I need to show them that it's unrequited, and this zapper will probably do the trick.

Is it one of those battery operated zappers that looks like a wire-mesh tennis racket? Those things are fun and work really well.

yeah, seal those oppenings with paper then get all Suddam Hussain on their asses with your wmds.

Um does anyone know if the bug bombs would damage the car's paint? I think it would be safe to say the interior would be extremely stinky and possibly hazardous after soaking up the insecticide.

Those zapper rackets are great, if you hold the button down you can get some sadistic revenge on the bastards

The spray cans are what I use on the bastards. I keep one in the shop and one in the house. I prefer the non-foaming kind, but I sometimes buy the foaming kind by mistake. They will build a nest in no time at all. I kill 'em all and let God sort it out.

The bug bombs won't hurt your interior. You can use them in the house. You just put some paper down under them.

For the 'skeeters, best is to start off with some DEET on you. Don't even bother buying anything less than 40%.

Salanis wrote: Is it one of those battery operated zappers that looks like a wire-mesh tennis racket? Those things are fun and work really well.

The bigger the fly, the better they are. Stinks like crap though.

Yes! That's exactly what it is. I absolutely love it.

Somehow the button disappeared though... I think the skeeters got to it when I left it outside in the carport (not sure how else it would have come off? although they're not strong enough to do it either...) Anyway, just taped a shortened bolt in there and it does the trick.

Okay, sprayed and fogged tonight. Tomorrow morning I'm soaking the nests and hopefully finishing welding patches. :]

Are you kiddin' me...

These things were like $12 for a 3 pack... the bigger ones, for "heavy infestations" deep penetrating Raid crap, each supposedly good for like 800 sq ft. I've got an area like 8x20 and I set two of these things off, and what am I greeted with as soon as I open the door this morning. Well, a random spider. Okay, no prob. Spray him a little directly. 5 minutes later, go out to inspect. Hey look who it is. Mr. Hornet. Now I only saw 1 but I didn't really hang out that long.

Damn... this means I'm stuck to guerilla tactics... spray and run, but that also means I'm not going to be working much today..

I really prefer carb and/or brake cleaner, with a long straw on the can. Yeah, it's a bit tedious when there's a bunch of the suckers, but it's so much more fun than your run-of-the-mill RPG's!

Hahaha yeah but these dudes are 20x faster than your run-of-the-mill RPG targets!

Paintball guns make short work of hives. I had a basketball sized hive in my front yard once and they were the dark colored hornet lookin things. No yellow on their bodies, but they were aggressive and would come after you if you got too close. Well, their hive was right above the steps to the front porch, so they had to go. The paintballs would make an entry hole the size of the ball itself, but would come out the other end with a 3 inch diameter or so. And they'd kill a lot of the bugs on the way. Surprisingly there weren't many left alive after we went through em, so we got the rest with a hose, and stepped on em when they fell to the ground.

petegossett wrote: I really prefer carb and/or brake cleaner, with a long straw on the can. Yeah, it's a bit tedious when there's a bunch of the suckers, but it's so much more fun than your run-of-the-mill RPG's!

You forgot the lighter. I've had to use the flame thrower tactic a few times. Just have a garden hose or something ready in case you catch the house on fire.

It's my theory that these bugs have some kind of collective memory that is passed down when any one generation is killed in any location. Kill aspider somewhere in your house or apartment and the next one that shows up "seems" to be a bit more aggressive. Flying insects seem to be VERY territorial, and would rather "bully" you/us into moving out of their space instead of doing the moving out of ours.

I deliver pizzas, and saturday night I delivered to a woman who has a hornets nest in a corner of her porch, and the remnants of two other nests in other corners. She's allergic...and very afraid. So far they are leaving her alone, but she has to pass this growing nest everytime she goes in or out of her house.

You can make a cheap, effective bee trap.

Get a 2 liter plastic bottle of orange soda. Drink or dump out (better idea) all but the last two or three inches of soda. About six inches down from the top, just past the tapered part, drill four, 1/4" holes (one each, at 12, 3, 6, and 9 o'clock). Leave the cap on the bottle and set it inside the carport.

The bees can find there way into the bottle through the holes, I guess by smell, but they can't find their way out again unless you leave the cap off.

You will end up with a sticky bottle full of drowned bees.

petegossett wrote: I really prefer carb and/or brake cleaner, with a long straw on the can. Yeah, it's a bit tedious when there's a bunch of the suckers, but it's so much more fun than your run-of-the-mill RPG's!

add a disposable lighter to the mix and it's a party!

Woodyhfd wrote: You can make a cheap, effective bee trap. Get a 2 liter plastic bottle of orange soda. Drink or dump out (better idea) all but the last two or three inches of soda. About six inches down from the top, just past the tapered part, drill four, 1/4" holes (one each, at 12, 3, 6, and 9 o'clock). Leave the cap on the bottle and set it inside the carport. The bees can find there way into the bottle through the holes, I guess by smell, but they can't find their way out again unless you leave the cap off. You will end up with a sticky bottle full of drowned bees.

this works well for what we call ( in Oh hi ya ) yellow jackets.

Boring, but works on bees

for 'skeeters.... run out to your local big box or garden shop and buy one of those propane powered foggers. The one with the poison tank below.

Then fog the crap out of your space every couple days.

You'll be able to wrench, nekid.

( just don't fog the oil over a car before paintin')

I have NO idea what's being done, but still sat here and LMAO!!!

-Rob

poopshovel wrote:

The last batch of hornets I found was living in the front fascia of a car I was working on. At the time, I was looking for the radiator petcock. I don't know how I did not get stung.

I prefer the night attack. Wait until all the little guys are home and asleep. Nice and quiet for an hour or two. At about 11 PM, quietly approach with a can of name-brand wasp/hornet spray. Nothing less. Remember that you are dealing with nerve agent - be careful about what you breath in or get on your hands.
Hit the nest simultaneously with light (for aiming purposes) and the spray. Working quickly around the nest, service the targets Use the whole can, Wash carefully afterwards. Do a body count the next morning if you want and dispose of the nest..

If that didn't work, you missed a nest or did something wrong. A straggler or two does not mean failure - it can take them a while to die. HF has the wasp/hornet trap kits to use with 2L bottles. Pretty effective to keep the population down.

Spiders are a whole 'nother matter.