Found a wasp next in my attic yesterday. I use the space for storage (boarded out) so the wasps had to go.
I could see part of the nest from the ceiling hatch, but most of it was hidden behind a roof joist. I called Rentokil, and they said the nest killer spray might not work if I couldn’t get to the whole nest….so I should spray the external entrance with wasp spray (tetramethrin & permethrin). The nest entrance was at the top of my gable end wall (7 – 8m up). I didn’t fancy renting 9m ladders from HSS and going up there with a can of spray to end up falling off after a wasp attack, so I called the council.
£54 per visit; s*d that.
Given a can of wasp killer spray costs £1.50, I thought I’d have a go at making something to extend the reach. There are commercial kits in the USA, but they seem expensive (>100 USD), and anyway, they’re not sold over here.
<Dusts off toolbox and left over screws>
There are 3 sections of 2.4m timber, all overlapping slightly and screwed together (lengthwise). Three screws per join for rigidity. I used 2x4cm section (approx). Sturdy enough.
The top part is made into a ‘T’ section. This helped with standing the pole off from the wall (while resting on it), as keeping the nozzle 5cm or so from the target was very difficult if you just kept the pole floating about in mid air – too much flex in the pole. Simple solution, just rest the pole against the wall with a standoff and fire.
The bit that activates the aerosol nozzle is just another piece of timber fixed with a single screw at one end and a long bit of string at the other. Once the pole was in position, pulling on the string depressed the nozzle.
With all three sections screwed together, I’d say the total length was around 6.5m, but once leaning against the wall, you could grab hold of the pole and raise it up above head height (another 2m) if need be.
All you need to make this is a box of self tapping screws, a screwdriver, some timber and a ball of string. The whole project including the wasp spray came to less than £10. A bit Heath Robinson, but much cheaper than a pest control call out (£35 - £55), and repeat treatments cost £1.50
.
Some things I learned:
1. Don’t stand directly below the area you’re spraying. If your target is the nest entrance, you’ll score some direct hits. Wasps will drop to the floor. Just stand a bit back.
2. Once I did the entrance, I could see the little blighters trying different entry points along the soffit – so I gave the entire soffit along the gable wall a good dose too.
I could see part of the nest from the ceiling hatch, but most of it was hidden behind a roof joist. I called Rentokil, and they said the nest killer spray might not work if I couldn’t get to the whole nest….so I should spray the external entrance with wasp spray (tetramethrin & permethrin). The nest entrance was at the top of my gable end wall (7 – 8m up). I didn’t fancy renting 9m ladders from HSS and going up there with a can of spray to end up falling off after a wasp attack, so I called the council.
£54 per visit; s*d that.
Given a can of wasp killer spray costs £1.50, I thought I’d have a go at making something to extend the reach. There are commercial kits in the USA, but they seem expensive (>100 USD), and anyway, they’re not sold over here.
<Dusts off toolbox and left over screws>
There are 3 sections of 2.4m timber, all overlapping slightly and screwed together (lengthwise). Three screws per join for rigidity. I used 2x4cm section (approx). Sturdy enough.
The top part is made into a ‘T’ section. This helped with standing the pole off from the wall (while resting on it), as keeping the nozzle 5cm or so from the target was very difficult if you just kept the pole floating about in mid air – too much flex in the pole. Simple solution, just rest the pole against the wall with a standoff and fire.
The bit that activates the aerosol nozzle is just another piece of timber fixed with a single screw at one end and a long bit of string at the other. Once the pole was in position, pulling on the string depressed the nozzle.
With all three sections screwed together, I’d say the total length was around 6.5m, but once leaning against the wall, you could grab hold of the pole and raise it up above head height (another 2m) if need be.
All you need to make this is a box of self tapping screws, a screwdriver, some timber and a ball of string. The whole project including the wasp spray came to less than £10. A bit Heath Robinson, but much cheaper than a pest control call out (£35 - £55), and repeat treatments cost £1.50
.Some things I learned:
1. Don’t stand directly below the area you’re spraying. If your target is the nest entrance, you’ll score some direct hits. Wasps will drop to the floor. Just stand a bit back.
2. Once I did the entrance, I could see the little blighters trying different entry points along the soffit – so I gave the entire soffit along the gable wall a good dose too.
