Hornets nest in Monty - Montana Owners Club

MikeandBarb · 07-09-2006, 02:15 AM

The other day while making several trips in and out of the camper getting ready for a camping trip, I shut the door and was met by a huge number of hornets! They were coming out of the vents right next to the door. (There are two little circular vents one on top of the other) Early the next morning Mike sprayed the nest and later that day he was digging the nest out with a long wire. The size of that nest was huge! Wonder what would've happened if we turned on the furnace with that thing in there... We're trying to come up with something to cover the vents which can be easily removed to prevent that from happening again - any ideas? Barb

CountryGuy · 07-09-2006, 02:49 AM

If you are talking the furnace vents on the outside of Montana, they sell something called mud daubber covers (or something like that) at CW and other camping/rv supply stores. They are made of wire, closely meshed. You permanently install, no need to remove to use the furnace.

We have to have our home and pole barn and sheds sprayed 3 times a year for hornets and those black European Wasps (which are so bad and so hard to kill that the bug man will not guarantee against them, sighhH). We have them do under the slide toppers of Tana too. Last year I cleaned out at least 10 nests in the inside of the van doors. So far this year, 2 in Big Butts doors.

So glad you found before you did turn on the furnace, it is scary even contemplating what may have happened.

Carol

Charlie · 07-09-2006, 03:04 AM

Wow....and I thought fighting to keep the fire ants out of the trailer (and the stick house) was bad.

One item that I had not thought of, and had to remove a mud dauber nest from the other day, was from the battery case vent. It now has a screen across it.

MikeandBarb · 07-09-2006, 03:31 AM

Thanks for letting us know about the mud daubber cover thingy, Carol. I will check CW right now! We're heading up to Grand Marais on Lake Superior so the furnace isn't out of the question now!! ha
And I am going to look up what the heck a black European wasp looks like! I hunt for nests all summer long around the yard and usually around July 10th I find at least a couple of those nasty things. (I mark it on the calendar every year!)
Sure didn't expect to find one in that spot - yes, its the furnace vents! eeeegads- Now its not just the mice to worry about!! Barb

CountryGuy · 07-09-2006, 03:42 AM

The wasp looks like a wasp to me, they told us that it was a European relative, and it loves wet lands (hmmmm, Irish Hills of Michigan, glatial dumping ground, hmmmm, ponds and loads of low spots, wonder why they like it here?? HA HA NOT!!! We know!!)

In the fall when it starts getting cool, if there is a warm sunny day, thousands of em (no kidding, that many) will cover our house. Between that and those wonderful box elder bugs and the even more wonderful Oriental Lady bug wannabees, that come out of the soy bean fields, UHGGGG, I almost hate to see the sun come out. SIGHHHHH

Enjoy that trip to the UP! What a wonderful place! Love camping up there!

Carol

MikeandBarb · 07-09-2006, 06:46 AM

Don't forget tent worms, mosquitoes and of course wood ticks, Carol!!
Mike put some steel wool in the holes until we get the covers so I guess we're ready to go. Oh forgot about the severe weather warnings for tonight! Gotta be tough to live in Michigan, eh! Barb

CountryGuy · 07-09-2006, 06:59 AM

And, the livin is easy! All that aside, Michigan still is a great place to live and visit! Come on up ya all!!!

Chuck and Carol · 07-09-2006, 09:01 AM

We found a bees nest in the awning, that little groove where we putting those strip lights. Never thought to look anywhere else. Have nests behind every shutter on the house. We kill them and they keep coming back.

Carol

sreigle · 07-09-2006, 04:39 PM

Those mud daubers/wasps love propane and that's why the mud dauber screens are so popular in mud dauber country. I've had one on every fifthwheel we've ever owned and will never be without it.

Awhile back, after a month stay in the Kansas City area I went to disconnect the water, opened the little water connection door and found wasps in there. Once I cleared them out of there it took weeks to get nearly all the nest out. That "mud" just doesn't clean out of there very well. There are still traces in there. Now, when in mud dauber country, when I connect the water hose I stuff the little hole in the door with a rag to keep them out.

You also can get them in the pinbox, so be careful up there. Vicki has some bells, kind of wind chimes, we hang on the back of the pinbox. It sems to keep all sorts of critters out of the pinbox. So far.

MikeandBarb · 07-10-2006, 01:15 AM

Thanks for giving us a heads up on other "hot spots" to check, Steve.
Just walking around the camper looking for nests doesn't seem to be good enough!
Be careful everyone and Happy Camping! Mike and Barb

Montana_1240 · 07-10-2006, 07:50 AM

I can't wait for the Chinese to manufacture a square Mud Dauber screen for ours. There's no way to search those things out on the Internet. (The company who seems to make all of them doesn't have a presence on the web.)

The only square one they make so far isn't made with the bump right in the middle, like our Monty's furnace plate is constructed. The dealer didn't even notice their stock wouldn't fit.

If I ever see anything flying in or out of that hole, I'm gonna turn the furnace on, ASAP!

Steve

sreigle · 07-13-2006, 04:18 PM

Doesn't yours have the two holes in the furnace outlet? If so, you want the separate circular screens rather than the rectangular one, unless you can get the rectangular one to fit. Here's a picture and the url at Camping World. Or search CW for mud dauber screen. They are individual screens, one for each circular opening.

http://www.campingworld.com/browse/s...S/skunum=24293

Montana_1240 · 07-13-2006, 05:19 PM

Steve,

The later models have been coming out with a square panel with the intake/exhaust dead in the middle.

And the screens I’ve found everywhere don’t hack it.

I'm not sure those circle ones would work on this design, though. There are some holes outside those circles’ diameter.

(Gotta love Wi-Fi and functioning computers....)

I Just went out, snapped a few photos of it, lightened it up enough to get the idea, and sent it to my web space.

So here's what I'm talking about. You'll see the problem immediately:

Steve

sreigle · 07-14-2006, 10:54 AM

Steve, I guess I'll find out in a few weeks if the round ones will work. I'm taking them off the 3295rk . If it will fit over that round hole it should attach ok to the bar across the hole (I think). Time will tell.

Montana_1240 · 07-14-2006, 12:41 PM

Steve,

It might fit the exhaust hole. But there are intake holes, (those barely visible square ones,) almost directly behind the center exhaust hole piece.

That'd leave it open to bugs, even if they'd have to be slightly more intelligent ones to get through a smaller entryway.

Steve

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