OT: Carolina Wasp

[starkvegasdawg]

Mods feel free to move this but I wanted to start this here to get some views. Just had an exterminator come out to the house because we had just become overrun with a large orange wasp that was nesting up in the eves of my house. It was far enough up in there that I could not get it with wasp spray. He called it a Carolina Wasp and said they were ultra aggressive (I figured that out) and had a sting about like that of a hornet. Also said we had the worst infestation he has ever seen. Long story short...have any of you had many dealings with these things before? I had planned on caulking up the places I saw them entering the house this winter and he said that woudl not do any good as they would always find a way. Being mildly allergic to wasp and hornet stings I am borderline phobic of them and will not hesitate to use half a can on one of them to make sure the SOB is dead. Have y'all tried any control methods for these, and other wasps, that seems to work? Here is a pic I found on the net of what was all in my house.

http://www.jeffpippen.com/hymenoptera/polistes071105-2526facez.jpg

[Goat Holder]

I know your pain, dude. Check out this thread from months ago: http://www.elitedawgs.com/showthread.php?13878-Red-soldier-wasps&highlight=wasp

I've done extensive research on the bastards, I've consulted with the Dept. of Ag, Co-ops, County Extensions, everything. First, the bad news. You'll never completely get rid of them. They are the top wasp predator, they run the others out. They build in eaves so they can survive better. Their stings hurt. They swarm in early spring and live all year.

Good news: I think I have almost won the war on them this year, but it wasn't easy. I am in the same boat as you, I have gutter/fascia board cracks where they easily get in and try to build nests. So, this March, when they were bad (reason I started the thread), I went up there at night and bombarded them on their nests. I used a fishing pole and a hook to pull the nest down - that's very important, don't leave it up there, it'll get taken over again. This process wiped out a bunch because I believe it's mostly the queens that are flying around making nests in the early spring. Workers then come out in summer. AND....I haven't been stung yet and I've been warring with them all year. I've probably killed 100 or more this year. And at night, they won't f*ck with you. I was in the attic putting up some mesh and had one 3 inches above my head the whole time, and he didn't poke me. But I f*cked his world up when I finally saw him. In general, I've found they don't really mess with you anyways unless you squeeze them. I just had a phobia similar to you.

More bad news: All you have to do this battle is Wasp Spray. I also use the Talstar like the other posters mentioned but that's more a prevention tactic, not a killing tactic. Gas works, but you don't want to spray gas on your house. Paint thinner works too, but as you now know, it's finding the damn nests and gaining access that sucks in regards to these bastards.

They really were only bad back in March when they were swarming, and have been very manageable since then. I have to caulk my fascia though, because they still have a few nests in the corners that I couldn't get to in the attic. Once you get them under control, they are much easier to manage. I'll be spraying the talstar in February next year, hopefully this repels them when they swarm.

[cpilkenton]

Mods feel free to move this but I wanted to start this here to get some views. Just had an exterminator come out to the house because we had just become overrun with a large orange wasp that was nesting up in the eves of my house. It was far enough up in there that I could not get it with wasp spray. He called it a Carolina Wasp and said they were ultra aggressive (I figured that out) and had a sting about like that of a hornet. Also said we had the worst infestation he has ever seen. Long story short...have any of you had many dealings with these things before? I had planned on caulking up the places I saw them entering the house this winter and he said that woudl not do any good as they would always find a way. Being mildly allergic to wasp and hornet stings I am borderline phobic of them and will not hesitate to use half a can on one of them to make sure the SOB is dead. Have y'all tried any control methods for these, and other wasps, that seems to work? Here is a pic I found on the net of what was all in my house.

http://www.jeffpippen.com/hymenoptera/polistes071105-2526facez.jpg

This is just a species of common paper wasp. It's nothing special or worse than run of the mill. They do build nests in eaves or any other overhang. The nest is made of wood pulp. If you have a wood deck or any untreated wood around, you may see them frequently chewing up the wood to make pulp. They are agressive, but pretty much all wasps are. As the weather cools down, they'll leave. There's not a lot you can do to prevent them, they are more of a regular maintenance type thing. Just look in corners and under eaves to knock down wasp nest before they get big.

[starkvegasdawg]

Interesting we both found and used the same picture for illustrative purposes. I will say that if the main remedies mentioned in your thread don't work I might have to opt for this treatment method:

http://img4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20140808182804/unturned-bunker/images/d/dc/Nuclear-explosion.png

[Goat Holder]

Just look in corners and under eaves to knock down wasp nest before they get big.

If only it were that easy. The red soldiers go INTO your house/attic and build nests. If they were always outside (which they sometimes are), maintenance would be easy. But in the attic, it's just you and them. IF you can find them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFDX0tjntAQ

[PassInterference]

Foggers?

[cpilkenton]

I now how they work, I am an entomologist. It's just one of those types of bugs, where you can't get overly worked up about them. They fly, so you can't anymore stop them then you could a bird from flying into your yard. Sometimes, I've seen those attic nests get so large that they start invading the house. Make sure you have a good seal around attic doors to prevent that. Once, you make it to the colder months, even those in the attic will become less active and more manageable.

[fishwater99]

Sounds like your only options are to move or burn your house down and start over..

Good Luck

[Goat Holder]

Interesting we both found and used the same picture for illustrative purposes. I will say that if the main remedies mentioned in your thread don't work I might have to opt for this treatment method:

http://img4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20140808182804/unturned-bunker/images/d/dc/Nuclear-explosion.png

Hopefully you won't have to go that far. My step by step advice would be this:

1) Kill as many as you can find now, if you're exterminator hasn't already done that. If you can get up in the attic and find the nests, bombard them at night and take the nests down.
2) During the colder months when they aren't active, caulk all your fascia board.
3) Coat your fascia board and eaves with Talstar or similar in February.
4) Avoid them when they are swarming in March.
5) After the swarm dies down, go up in your attic and spray any that have survived. You'll have to look hard, they will be small with likely just one wasp on each nest. That's the queen, and if you kill her, you wipe out a generation.

Remember, the spring is where you do the biggest prevention, and it helps you all year. I try to stamp out those big yellow jacket queens early in the spring too. Same with carpenter bees. They are easier to spot since they stay outdoors. Yellow jackets are fast though, hard to spray.

[Oxfordawg]

That is the Nickoe Whitley wasp them boys come with bad intentions

[starkvegasdawg]

Hopefully you won't have to go that far. My step by step advice would be this:

1) Kill as many as you can find now, if you're exterminator hasn't already done that. If you can get up in the attic and find the nests, bombard them at night and take the nests down.
2) During the colder months when they aren't active, caulk all your fascia board.
3) Coat your fascia board and eaves with Talstar or similar in February.
4) Avoid them when they are swarming in March.
5) After the swarm dies down, go up in your attic and spray any that have survived. You'll have to look hard, they will be small with likely just one wasp on each nest. That's the queen, and if you kill her, you wipe out a generation.

Remember, the spring is where you do the biggest prevention, and it helps you all year. I try to stamp out those big yellow jacket queens early in the spring too. Same with carpenter bees. They are easier to spot since they stay outdoors. Yellow jackets are fast though, hard to spray.

I hope the exterminator took out the bulk of them. He said there were probably some he missed due to the time of day he was there because they would have been out foraging. He put a residual poison down to hoepfully get those. My main hope is that he nailed the queens still on the nests and there are nothing but a few straggling workers left. I''ll be out inspecting when I get home to see what I see. I have noticed in this hottest weather they mainly stay on the edges of the house around the entrances to their nest areas...I am assuming because it is cooler. That will be mainly where I look. This winter on some day it is colder than mammoth snot I will get up in the attic and see what I can see. Thanks for all the advice. Fortunately, no one has been stung by them. My 4 year old son got stung by some little black wasp a few weeks ago but I am sure it was nothing compared to these demonic creatures.

[Political Hack]

conservative propaganda to kill helpless tiny wasps.***

[Goat Holder]

conservative propaganda to kill helpless tiny wasps.***

I'm an idiot who talks out my ass.

[DownwardDawg]

conservative propaganda to kill helpless tiny wasps.***

Hahaha!!!!

[DownwardDawg]

I'm an idiot who talks out my ass.

Even better!!! hahahahahahahahahah

[Political Hack]

Even better!!! hahahahahahahahahah

glad someone is enjoying the trolling today.

[DownwardDawg]

glad someone is enjoying the trolling today.

Those were both good ones hack.

[codeDawg]

Damn it. I just noticed them at my house this year. They are making it inside the house through the recessed lighting. Sounds like I'm going to have some fun in the attic. Great.

[RougeDawg]

On the bright side, you aren't dealing with the formosan termites we have to deal with down this way. Like others said, wait until it gets cold and they are more sluggish and seal up the entry points.