Today I was cutting grass for
my sheep because there is a shortage of grazing due to the hot summer.
No sooner had I started when I
experienced a sharp pain between my eyebrow and my eyelid and the buzzing around
me alerted me that I was under attack by wasps!
I intended to kill the nest when
it became dark by pouring a bottle of petrol down the hole and sealing it off with
the bottle! My usual trick.
No more than an hour after
my sting, a neighbour visited because he was drumming up support to purchase bait stations and
a new protein based poison for wasps. The stuff is apparently untouched by bees.
I had heard of this Nelson-produced
product, which has been used with success in the Abel Tasman National Park.
So I told her I would contribute
my $20 towards the purchase.
In passing she mentioned that
her husband had tried to follow wasps to locate their nest, but with no success
– he even used binoculars during his chase!
I told her the trick was to tie a piece of
cotton around their middle to slow them down and to make them more visible.
She was skeptical, probably
thinking I was bullshitting, saying that she said she would bring me a wasp to tie
cotton on to.
I didn't let on but it is not hard and it is safe.
Just put the wasp in a sealed jar, and put the jar in the fridge. When the wasp is cool and still, tie the cotton to the ‘waist’, then put the wasp in a sunny position close to where you caught it. When the wasp warms up, it will lead you to its nest.
Just put the wasp in a sealed jar, and put the jar in the fridge. When the wasp is cool and still, tie the cotton to the ‘waist’, then put the wasp in a sunny position close to where you caught it. When the wasp warms up, it will lead you to its nest.
Simple.
The next day :
The previous evening, the beer bottle of petrol did not work because in the torchlight the shadow of the grass cover made the the entrance hole impossible to see. So I abandoned the idea for that evening.
Still dark early next morning, I went with a slasher to clear the entrance. Doing so was only moderately successful. The wasps were angry but only attacked the torch, which I had placed on the ground.
After safely recovering the torch and switching it off, I secured the beer bottle of petrol ready for a daylight attack on the nest. Crawling wasps climbed up each trouser leg and they began to sting! Bugger!
In the light of the day, the hole was still not really suitable for the beer bottle trick, so I attached a small pottle to the end of a broomstick and put in some carbryl powder (insecticide) that I've had on a shelf for about sixty years!
A liberal dessing of the powder in and around the hole soon dealt with that pesky wasp colony!
The next day :
The previous evening, the beer bottle of petrol did not work because in the torchlight the shadow of the grass cover made the the entrance hole impossible to see. So I abandoned the idea for that evening.
Still dark early next morning, I went with a slasher to clear the entrance. Doing so was only moderately successful. The wasps were angry but only attacked the torch, which I had placed on the ground.
After safely recovering the torch and switching it off, I secured the beer bottle of petrol ready for a daylight attack on the nest. Crawling wasps climbed up each trouser leg and they began to sting! Bugger!
In the light of the day, the hole was still not really suitable for the beer bottle trick, so I attached a small pottle to the end of a broomstick and put in some carbryl powder (insecticide) that I've had on a shelf for about sixty years!
A liberal dessing of the powder in and around the hole soon dealt with that pesky wasp colony!
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