Wasps in the woodpile

Someone else suggested carharts, and along the same lines I'd suggest:

1. Long Pants & Shirt
2. Gloves & Hat
3. Rubber bands at bottom of pants and end of shirt sleeve.
4. I have an archery face mask (sort of bank robberish) made of mosquito netting (about $5) that I put on backwards (the holes are in my hair on the back of my head).

Go get em. I've done this a few times and never been stung.

gyrfalcon said:

...We've just had a long discussion on another thread about not using chemical bug sprays on firewood...

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Hey when your getting stung...you have to take action. Some folks are allergic to bee stings and can die from them. The stinging insects drew 1st blood so there's no dishonor in the judicious use of nerve gas. In that other topic bees weren't even discussed.

When the nest has calmed down carefully remove the logs your going to re-stack away from the suspected wasp nest. If your slow and no threat to them they'll just leave you alone and be content with the occasional fly by. Work slowly and don't bounce the removed logs on top of one another...they just hate that. When you get to the nest or hole in the ground...you'll know what to do. Have faith...they won't bother you.

Step 1: Go buy a sack of onions to cut in half and apply to the sting. This really does work takes the fire right out of a sting.
Step 2: wait until dark sneak up on them when they are sleeping
Step 3: Stack a little wood until you disturb them
Step 4: quit for a while lull them into a false sense of security
Step 5: wait till they are asleep again
Step 6: repeat from step 3 until you uncover their lair
Step 7: eradicate them any way you see fit

Step 8: bask in your glorious victory over the marauding horde of stinging exoskeletal minion

oilstinks said:

I always use a good carb cleaner spray. it just evaporates. Guess ill try alcohol.

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Carb cleaner is methyl alcohol

sapratt said:

I use brake cleaner or ether to kill wasps and yellow jackets. Cheaper than Raid and kills them instantly.

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Brake cleaner is the best!
Gasoline down a Yellow jacket hole works great too.

Once you locate the nest, there is nothing that works better than a pressure washer. Then run like hell.

firebroad said:

Once you locate the nest, there is nothing that works better than a pressure washer. Then run like hell.

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That just relocates them. I usually want them dead.

Eastern Yellow Jackets (from Germany) are a major and painful pest around here, and sound like what you're describing. Relatively small and cute, but they sting repeatedly when provoked, and a single nest can contain several thousand yellow jackets. They typically build their nest underground, or at the base of a tree, but will also take advantage of things like hollow logs and woodpiles. They're extremely agressive, and my last sting left me in pain for several days, and with swelling that lasted close to two months. Others have a less severe reaction, but no one I know is fond of them. Not being native, their's no excuse for sparing their lives! They're not honey bees.

Found two European Wasps in my third floor suite last week. They're the most enormous damn wasp I've ever seen (think small bird), but thankfully, much less agressive.

Whisky and sand. They get drunk and then throw rocks at each other.