Da#n hornets

[Glenn the fifth]

I was up cleaning the roof last weekend (one of my favorite jobs) and noticed a few hornets going in and out of the rooftop A/C cover. Darn-it! Noticed there are 12 screws holding that cover on and knew there is no way to get it off without "upsetting" the little buggers and when they get upset, they normally look for a person to be upset along with them (misery loves company kind of thing I guess). Went in the shop and got some hornet/wasp spray and sprayed some in the vent holes (being very sneaky with two feet on the ladder in back while laying on the roof). Now later today I am going to take the cover off find the hopefully now vacant nest (might even have a little sign out front that says "For Rent"). I will then find a way to install some screen to cover those vents from the inside before I reinstall. -Glenn

[Carl32092]

Wait until night time to remove the cover. They are much less active then. Keep your feet on that ladder though!!

[lasater]

Or better still, have someone else remove the cover while you watch from your screened-in porch.

[Ozz]

Good luck with it, the mud-daubers around here leave a big chunk of mud on my fan and that leaves it off balance.

[DQDick]

Basically that's why I pay someone to service the AC's every spring. Let someone else get the surprise. They run often enough here in the summer time that they never have nested on a fan blade, but they do like to find homes wherever they can. Last year it was in the LP storage compartments and in the pin box. Those I had to deal with in person.

[mobil]

A few years ago we noticed 'em in our a/c covers also. Being allergic to those little buggers I didn't want to get too close to 'em. So I went down to a local diy pest control store where they sold me a powdered product in a squirt/squeeze plastic bottle( I think it's called "Ampicide"). I went up there after dark, like others have said, and applied a small 'cloud' of the powder(stay upwind). Well, those little suckers are gone and haven't returned. Once a year a small puff of this stuff keeps 'em away.

[sreigle]

I once was way up on a ladder painting our house and ran across a wasp nest in the corner by the chimney. I took a broom handle and smashed it good. Just a small nest. Later, while painting that area, Dad wasp came home, looking for his family. Finding nothing but fresh paint over the little remaining residue he decided I must be the culprit and started diving at me. Now, I'm up under the eaves. It's a long ways to the ground. I saw him coming and started swiping at him with the paint brush. After a few dives from him and swipes from me I connected and knocked him silly. I took that reprieve and went inside for a break. Later I finished painting and never saw him again.

The other day, however, we were out geocaching and after summoning all of my known stupidity I stuck my hand up in a blind area looking for the cache and connected with a wasp's stinger. Fortunately the stinger did not embed in my finger and the sting went away in a few hours. Now I carry a mirror in the backpack and gloves. Leather gloves. Heavy leather gloves. Nobody ever accused me of being smart. And wasps/mud daubers are high on my list of least favorite of God's creatures.