The Bees! The BEEEESSSS!

[G.]

So, I was looking at the bathroom exhaust fan. It used to run fine, but it one day just stopped.

I finally looked at it last night, yep, wasp nest. Somehow it broke loose from wherever it was attached in the vent pipe and lodged in the fan impellers.

Hilarity ensues while I try to spray crap at it while trying to tape plastic over the opening. How poisonous is Black Flag wasp killer again? Never mind. :yuck:

We have various places around the house where we see wasps going into crevasses. No visible signs of nests, but we know they've gotta be in there.

Time for a pro.

<wayback machine> When we were building the house, the foreman told us that we would be continually fighting the battle with wayward wasps. He mentioned that there are two ways to combat them, have an exterminator come out every month or so to fight the good fight, or to pay more for a once-a-year service that prevents them from taking up residence for that season, in all the little cracks and openings.</wayback>

Our builder's foreman told us lots of stuff that wasn't accurate (go figure), so, anyone here have experience with Professional wasp genocide, both as-needed as well as preventative (if that mythical beast exists)?

What do I need to look for with my hired killer?

Any good keywords to put into The Google?

Thanks.


http://www.gifsoup.com/imager.php?id=187912&t=o (http://www.gifsoup.com/view/187912/not-the-bees.html) GIFSoup (http://www.gifsoup.com/)

[Elmo T]

I know wasps aren't bees, but perhaps a call to a local beekeeper might be helpful?

[cameraman]

Your house shouldn't have all of those small cracks and openings. You don't need an exterminator, you need caulk.

[Gnam]

Agreed, seal the cracks. The ones inside will die. The ones outside will stay out. If that doesn't work, nuke them from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.

:p

[diamond dave]

if the 'bees' are going into voids/cracks/crevices...they are most likely the Yellow Jackets (wasp):irked: there are 'treatments' than can help discourage stinging insects activity but can't guarantee no nests ever.
caulking/sealing the openings would be just as effective to prevent activity inside your home.

PS: yellow jackets are mean mutherf*&%^...piss them off with caution


that'll be $50:D

[G.]

Alright, the cracks and crevasses that we see the wasps going into are not really sealable.

Lemme explain, but it's going to be real boring.

Fairly new construction (<10 y.o.) and covered in vinyl siding. Around the windows we have the J-channel moulding, and it is snugged up tight to the window frame. but the siding itself has about a 1/16" to 1/4" gap where it meets the J-chan (varies - it's an expansion-type joining). Each summer, we see maybe a total of 10 wasps giving too much attention to that joint opening (on one or two windows). We'll see one or two disappear into the gap. There's nothing but wood and Tyvec house-wrap behind it. (a bit more on that, later)

Another gap that gets some waspy attention, is corner joints on the siding. The outside corner moulding also sees just a few visits per summer.

We don't watch it constantly, but it's not heavy traffic.

I have seen a gap in years past that was active and obvious, between the roof flashing. Shoulda seen me - ladder, flashlight in teeth, spray in one hand, caulk in the other, c-clamps on my belt - it was glorious! :D

Another place that is seeing too much action is the front porch. They are climbing in through the soffit weep-holes (sort-of-corrugated AL soffit) . This one is most likely a nest or three. Caulking this can be done, but it doesn't seem quite right. There are a whole LOT of holes, and a light fixture (recessed can) that would need sealing. Thought about shoving steel wool into the gaps, then caulk, but really, if this is the issue, then it is for the whole house, and I'd need to do this to about 800-1000 lin. feet of 2nd story overhang.

Kinda like this:

http://www.ezexteriors.com/images/Soffit.jpg



Now, about the Tyvec-housewrap. (This infuriated :flame: me when they built the house. I seriously would not have purchased the place, had I known, since it gives a hint of other "cost-savings".)

Standard stick-built house, 2X4's, covered with sheeting. On about 1/3 of the sheeting, second floor only (I think), they used the fiber crap scattered about. It looked similar to dark corkboard, and was a little bit stronger than that. You can easily push a screwdriver through it. I ain't talking about OSB here. They said it saved money, and is allowed by code. Of course I verified. Other 2/3 is wood.

What does this have to do with wasps? Wasps have been known to chew through material in order to make their homes. (they have also been known to chew through drywall to escape the evil caulker, but maybe that's legend)
I'm concerned that there may be a few nests actually in between the 2X4's.

Paranoia? SURE!

So, by the OP, it is also true that they are entering the exhaust vents (3 on 2nd story, couple of others elsewhere). They may be entering gaps that are not really sealable. They may be in the freaking walls (The call is coming FROM INSIDE THE HOUSE! :) ).

So I want a pro to come by.

Just looking for anyone that has been through this before.

[Elmo T]

Standard stick-built house, 2X4's, covered with sheeting. On about 1/3 of the sheeting, second floor only (I think), they used the fiber crap scattered about. It looked similar to dark corkboard, and was a little bit stronger than that.

Our Township code prohibits this. I tell folks every day, the code is a MINIMUM code - I can't make builders do more than the minimum code though.

I see folks spend big money on security doors and locks, when you can break into their house with a utility knife - you cut through siding and the exterior sheathing. :shakehead

Might be helpful:

Penn State Extension (http://ento.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/dominulus-or-european-paper-wasp)

[NismoZ]

OK, another question...I don't mean to change/hi-Jack anything but has anyone else experienced the BEE-52s? They are definitely BUFFs... big, ugly, fat and they burrow into soft earth leaving large dirt mounds outside a single large hole. There is ALWAYS one flying CAP and let's you know to stay away. Bee, wasp, hornet, I don't know, but it looks like an elongated bumble bee with invasion markings! Never saw them in these parts until last summer and...they're baack! They love the soft moist earth along the driveway, sidewalks and between the flagstones on our patio. Do I need outside help or can I just use bunker buster RAID?

[nrc]

Hmm. Pretty sure nothing can be done about a B52 infestation.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploads14/b+52s+2+l_t3501234073290.jpg

Maybe try Rock Lobster?

G, I was afraid that you were going to say vinyl siding. Seems like sealing it off would be hopeless. Maybe a professional exterminator can pump in enough chemicals to dissuade them but I don't know that cans of Raid are going to help.

Check here (http://www.livingwithbugs.com/yellowjacket_bait.html) for information about a poison bait called Onslaught that might allow you to exterminate the colony without having to bomb your whole house.

[NismoZ]

Hmmm...they're called Cicada Killers. Makes sense, plenty of THOSE around now. We used to hate their buzzing sound because it always meant summer was more than half over and SCHOOL was on it's way!:irked: They are BIG, but not too unfriendly. Only the females are mean, which figures;). I'd rather not disturb them, but they're building a dang bee CITY about 3 ft. From our back door! The dogs don't seem to be bothered, but maybe they haven't meant Queenie yet!

[diamond dave]

cicada killers keep to themselves. the males (smaller) don't even have stingers - I'm told. the big mama's use their stinger for....the cicadas;) paralyse them then lay their eggs in them. eggs hatch and have instant food.
to get stung by her, you'd have to pretty much step on it or swat at it


G. where do you live? (roughly) don't need an exact locale:p

[G.]

G. where do you live? (roughly) don't need an exact locale:p

Half way between Chicago and Danica's birthplace, little closer to Chicago.

[diamond dave]

:irked:just out of my Companies range...we're in Wizcompton. I think they service Lake County or whatever the border County is called ...

[G.]

So diamond dave, does the preventative magic unicorn dander stuff really prevent them from making their home, or does it just chase the weak ones away, leaving my home open for only the baddest M-F-ers?

Any tips on how to find out if there's a nest in the wall?

Thanks to everyone.

I understand more everyday why people buy ranch-style houses. (ladders suck)

[NismoZ]

MY cuz's house (ranch, halfway between Danica's and Daley's:D) just had a WALL of hornets! We sprayed and foamed up the crack where the cement patio met the house just below the siding. Big mistake. They couldn't get out so they went IN! A closet, luckily, filled with pissed-off insects! We duct-taped the door cracks and called Orkin. Expensive, he was there a looong time, but it worked. The survivors seem to have limped across the cull-de-sac to my place.:\

[diamond dave]

in Spring we spray a product called - termidor - on the soffit areas. it helps reduce stingers and others from nest building but it wouldn't stop anything from going into an opening etc.
the magic dust we use is called alpine. used when a nest exist and you want to exterminate, like bald faced hornet with their paper machet ball nest or yellow jackets in a void etc.
is there access to your attic or soffit areas? I see mud daubers - they build the piper organ or dirt clod looking nest all the time in attic spaces, usually near the ridge line or gable ends. they are harmless and eat spiders etc. Paper wasp build the hanging honeycomb looking nest mainly exterior but can be in attic too. they are pretty mellow but can/will sting.
go to Batzner.com, company website - they have some good info there;)

[manic mechanic]

It would really help to know exactly what type of vespid is troubling you.

Dave has the PCO scoop, but I might be able to garner you some advice from my father. He spent 30 years with the UC system as a research entomologist (specializing in vespine wasps), and although he is retired from the field he still dabbles in the research (and is listed as an Emeritus at the University of Washington.

Get a picture of a dead one (easiest way not to get stung) and I'll forward it on to the old man.

manic

[Gnam]

Ha. Who knew the easiest way is also the funnest? :D


A Washington state fire chief says a man dumped gasoline on a beehive in a tree in retaliation for a bee sting, then ignited the hive, causing an explosion heard throughout his suburban neighborhood just a few miles south of the Canadian border.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2011/08/29/national/a194752D77.DTL#ixzz1WU0AAgvU

The only good bug is a dead bug. [/starship troopers]

[Elmo T]

Not sure if this will work...

http://gapersblock.com/merge/Oprahs-Bees.gif

If not, here you go:

Oprah and bees (http://gapersblock.com/merge/Oprahs-Bees.gif)