Jump to content

A hornet appears to have moved into my kitchen. And I've abandoned ship

BlueStringPudding

By BlueStringPudding
in General Boating

 Share

Featured Posts

Timleech Veteran II

Timleech

Posted
Posted

Of the many adjectives which I might apply to wasps, "social" would be well down the list. "Anti-social" would give a more accurate impression.

 

Social wasps are the ordinary yellow and black ones which cause annoyance by buzzing around your jam sandwiches in September.

So called because they live in groups or nests.

There are lots of other types of wasps.

 

Tim

Link to comment
Share on other sites
MtB Veteran II

MtBDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted

BSP, no one has yet mentioned a common or garden fly swatter - cheap to buy, effective in use.

 

 

 

I disagree. Fly swatters are great in principle but modern plastic ones don't work. This is because the handles are bendy meaning when you lash out maniacally at the fly (or hornet) in flight, the handle bends and you miss.

 

I have a large collection of ineffective fly swatters as I always buy a new design when I see it, as I search seemingly futilely for a fly swatter as good as the one I lost 20 years ago, which had a nice rigid handle and batty bit on the end.

 

If you could link to a fly (or hornet) swatter that actually works I'd be most great full.

 

Thanks in anticipation.

 

MtB

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Grace and Favour Veteran II

Grace and Favour

Posted
Posted

 

 

I disagree. Fly swatters are great in principle but modern plastic ones don't work. This is because the handles are bendy meaning when you lash out maniacally at the fly (or hornet) in flight, the handle bends and you miss.

 

I have a large collection of ineffective fly swatters as I always buy a new design when I see it, as I search seemingly futilely for a fly swatter as good as the one I lost 20 years ago, which had a nice rigid handle and batty bit on the end.

 

If you could link to a fly (or hornet) swatter that actually works I'd be most great full.

 

Thanks in anticipation.

 

MtB

How about removing one of the 'batty' bits from the end of one of your less effective fly swats, and firmly affixing it to the end of a well-chosen, thin, but strong, bamboo cane (length of your choice)

 

This will afford you the 'firmness' you require of the shaft, with the necessary flexibility of the 'batty' bit to minimise the damage you may impose upon any innocuous objects you may inadvertently strike.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
haggis Veteran

haggisDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted

I have a battery operated insect killer and it is great! It is like a small tennis raquet and you press a button and swipe. Great for midges too. When you get a hit it makes a very satisfying zapp noise :-) It was bought in Poundstrtecher (or similar) for about £5 and it is now in it's third year on the same battery

 

haggis

Link to comment
Share on other sites
BlueStringPudding Veteran II

BlueStringPudding

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I have a battery operated insect killer and it is great! It is like a small tennis raquet and you press a button and swipe. Great for midges too. When you get a hit it makes a very satisfying zapp noise :-) It was bought in Poundstrtecher (or similar) for about £5 and it is now in it's third year on the same battery

 

haggis

 

I have one too but I ain't getting anywhere near this b*gger with it - it'd snatch it out me hand and electrocute me with it. Same applies for any kind of swattage.

I'm getting worried - who has won the battle between hornet and Clanger?

 

Richard

 

:lol: It's psyching me out. I can't find the ruddy thing. heard buzzing behind the blinds in the bedroom this morning and thought it had found its way in there. But when I plucked up the courage to open the blinds and spray the window with hideous poison, there was no creature to be seen.

 

It's playing with my mind!!!

 

Also its mates keep coming to visit, traumatising me outside the front door so now I sit in a baking hot boat with the doors and window closed.

 

It's winning the psychological battle, that's for sure

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Henhouse Community Regular

Henhouse

Posted
Posted

It's winning the psychological battle, that's for sure

 

You need to use a bit of reverse psychology, and lull them into a false sense of security.

 

I once had a case of random ants in the kitchen, but didn't know where they were coming from.

 

I put a big dollop of jam on a piece of paper on the worktop.

 

Within an hour it looked like the M6 at Birmingham.

 

One line of ants heading for the jam, and one line of fat ants heading home for a nap.

 

I then ring fenced them with a circle of ant powder.

 

The ones which were headed home took it back to the nest, and it killed the lot.

 

Within 24 hours I was antless !!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
BlueStringPudding Veteran II

BlueStringPudding

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Have you tried your local authority pest control folk? If there is any possibility this (and its mates at the door) is an alien hornet, they would be the people to deal with it.

Possibly. But without knowing where the nest is there's not a great deal I can report to them. Maybe I should be brave and go looking for the nest. :(

Link to comment
Share on other sites
tree monkey Veteran II

tree monkey

Posted
Posted
BlueStringPudding, on 16 Jun 2014 - 8:45 PM, said:

Possibly. But without knowing where the nest is there's not a great deal I can report to them. Maybe I should be brave and go looking for the nest. sad.png

i was going to suggest this as it happens, next time i visit i don't mind following them to the nest dealing with it

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Bob the welder Community Regular

Bob the welder

Posted
Posted

I've been at my nice countrified mooring for a couple of weeks now. And I've noticed the odd visit from giant wasp things that have a very low pitched buzz like a bumble bee but more constant in tone. They look like a wasp but are between 2 and 3 inches long. They buzz outside the door when I've got it open which results in me flapping about in a panic and they go away

This afternoon one came in when I wasn't on guard and is now in a window of my kitchen. I took a photo and stuck it on Facebook and people are telling me it's a hornet. That doesn't sound good.

I sprayed it with a mostly run out bottle of bug spray and it didn't so much as flinch. And I closed the venetian blinds hoping it'd stay where it was till it kindly chose to die. Just looked from outside and there is no zombie hornet on the window ledge suggesting it's elsewhere in the boat. So I've abandoned ship

When I've finish my beer in the pub I'll head to the shops to buy some more bug spray. My concern is there must be a nest somewhere nearby :( (not on my boat though thankfully but close enough to be causing me problems)

At the moment my main plan of action is to go home once drunk enough to be less afraid freak out like Ace Ventura did in the cave of bats.

Any better suggestions?

w d 40 no prob
Link to comment
Share on other sites
system 4-50 Veteran II

system 4-50Donate to Canal World

Posted
Posted (edited)

Anything flying: Wait until stationary or slow-moving on a flat surface. Cover with tumbler then slide a sheet of paper between the tumbler and the surface, trapping the (fluffy) beastie. Take tumbler & paper away from surface without releasing beastie and take outdoors. Empty the tumbler with a throwing action to propel the contents forward. Express regret at the loss of the tumbler with a loud expression of your favourite four-letter word. Job done.

Alternatively use a jam-jar and replace the paper smartly with the lid. Then the jar & contents can be consigned to the rubbish bin.

For beasties that won't settle or slow down, the plastic fly swatter is the thing but takes quite a lot of practice to get right. Otherwise try a mace. Can anybody oblige with a picture of a mace?

Edited by system 4-50
Link to comment
Share on other sites
RLWP Veteran II

RLWP

Posted
Posted

Anything flying: Wait until stationary or slow-moving on a flat surface. Cover with tumbler then slide a sheet of paper between the tumbler and the surface, trapping the (fluffy) beastie. Take tumbler & paper away from surface without releasing beastie and take outdoors. Empty the tumbler with a throwing action to propel the contents forward. Express regret at the loss of the tumbler with a loud expression of your favourite four-letter word. Job done.

Alternatively use a jam-jar and replace the paper smartly with the lid. Then the jar & contents can be consigned to the rubbish bin.

For beasties that won't settle or slow down, the plastic fly swatter is the thing but takes quite a lot of practice to get right. Otherwise try a mace. Can anybody oblige with a picture of a mace?

 

mace+on+a+nutmeg.JPG

 

Richard

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.