Guinea Wasps

[Cassandra]

I wanted to share this because I was shocked and amazed. I guess maybe some of you may think this is obvious, but yesterday was the first time I'd ever seen it and I was wowed.

There was a paper nest of guinea wasps (they are extremely mean little things!) right by my office door. The young boss tried dousing them with dish soap water and missed. We mainly tried avoiding them. But you know--they are scarier to some people than others.

So the old boss (the one I mentioned at BYC had a heart attack a few weeks ago, well he is back at work now) he said, "Let me show y'all how to do this." And he explained how when he was young he and his buddies would rob wasp nests of their larvae for fishing bait.

Old boss grabbed a paper towel and a box of matches. He stood under the nest, lit the paper towel on fire and waved the flames under the nest. The heat from the flames singed their wings off so they couldn't fly. They dropped down on the ground and he stepped on them.

It took a matter of seconds.

DISCLAIMER: I am not in the habit of killing wasps or anything else and neither is my boss. But we don't want them around our doors. And obviously you want to be careful waving flames under your eaves for pete's sake.

Cassandra

 

[OaklandCityFarmer]

Good to know. I've never really had to battle with wasps let alone Guinea Wasps (they look scary).

Now I can't wait to try this out.

 

[Tutter]

I'll have to look Guinea Wasps, I don't know them by that name.

What an interesting method; thank you!

 

[bunch-a-chickens]

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2128/2510776083_83638b665f.jpg?v=0 is that what they are?

 

[Cassandra]

They look very similar to that! I can't swear that I have ever gotten quite that good a look, though! LOL

They are smaller than regular wasps and black & yellow striped. My little boy got stung on the back of the thigh by a couple of them last summer (I think it was)

I had to carry him inside and he lay writing and screaming on the floor because it hurt so bad. (So you can see why I have such a bad opinion of them)

Cassandra

ETA that method should work on any kind of wasps, tho.

 

[bills]

I'm surprised the nest didn't burn up as well! Sounds a little risky, but what the hay, it worked.

Never have seen such a wasp around my neck of the woods, although we have our fair share. Yellow jackets being the real pest, especially when trying to enjoy supper outside.

Here is a good image of a Guinea Wasp I found.
http://www.pbase.com/nezmo/image/43427842