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callmesim · Joined: 27 Oct 2005 Posts: 279 Location: London, UK

Yesterday while laying on my floor (was bored) I noticed a wasp nest hanging from the roof of my balcony. It's not large (maybe 3" x 4") but I have no experience with wasp nests. I know they get mad so I have no freakin' idea what to do.

Is there a way I can tackle this myself or should I tell my landlord? I'm not asking this as someone completely scared and freaking out, I just don't know if this is a dometic job or something more serious. I'm used to seeing wasps fly, not nest.

I discovered it at quite a special time as this morning I saw a larvae wiggling its way out. Lovely stuff. Confused

Sweetsee · Joined: 11 Jun 2004 Posts: 2302 Location: ) is everything

Good question Callmeism! I would say that if you don't use the veranda much, let them be. If you do, ask the landlord.
In our old place, I too noticed a wasp hive in the making. They had just begun and I quickly removed it, in fact I only noticed one wasp buzzing about and seemed to be quite annoyed at not being able to find it's nest.
Fortunately, after I had removed it I never saw them again and assume they chose another veranda, though I have a sneaky suspicion that they return to the same place every year.
Good luck and let us know how it turns out.

Enjoy,
s

P.S. Mosquitos made it impossible to venture onto our veranda throughout the summer.

earthmonkey · Joined: 18 Feb 2005 Posts: 188 Location: Meguro-Ku Tokyo

Get some spray at the drugstore. There will probably be a picture of a wasp on the can. Make sure you spray the nest at night. Wait a day to make sure they are dead and then knock it down.

Happy hunting!

Sweetsee · Joined: 11 Jun 2004 Posts: 2302 Location: ) is everything

Gee, never occured to me to take a life.
Sounds good though Earthmonkey.

callmesim · Joined: 27 Oct 2005 Posts: 279 Location: London, UK

It's clearly the early stages because there's just one wasp doing the deed. I actually use the balcony a lot as it's my only little piece of outside I have and need to dry my clothes somewhere!

Hmm.... I shall have to think some more. Find wasp-killer spray or knock it down. Both night-time pursuits obviously.

So is wasp-spray only available at drug-stores?

earthmonkey · Joined: 18 Feb 2005 Posts: 188 Location: Meguro-Ku Tokyo

If you just knock it down, you'll have an angry homeless wasp. I'd kill it. I don't know if the spray is only at drugstores, that's just where I've seen it.

callmesim · Joined: 27 Oct 2005 Posts: 279 Location: London, UK

Hmmm.... yeah, good point. Death to the wasp!

I shall now find me some chemicals. It's fightin' time!

(I'm not an murdering person, I just had a bad reaction to a sting as a child and while it wasn't confirmed I was allergic, I don't want to find out.)

Sweetsee · Joined: 11 Jun 2004 Posts: 2302 Location: ) is everything

I knocked it down and never had any more trouble, your call I suppose.
Rather be angry and homeless than dead.

JimDunlop2 · Joined: 31 Jan 2003 Posts: 2286 Location: Japan

Also, hardware stores like D2 sell the spray... It ain't cheap.... considering it's just diesel fuel with a few other chemicals mixed in. Anyway, look on the side of the can and it tells you how many meters it can spray... 5-10m is normal. You'll pay more for the 10m range.... Get the 5m if that's far enough...

I wouldn't worry about doing it at night -- best to see what the heck you're doing. Just put on sufficient clothing so you have little bare skin exposed just in case if you mung the job. Stand back as far as you can, take a deep breath and shoot the crap out of the nest (hope your aim is good)... Any wasps buzzing around can be safely shot out of the air with the spray -- it knocks em out FAST... Often these guys are persistant (in my case, they started making a new nest 3 days later in the same spot)... So just wash hands, rinse, repeat.

P.S. I have absolutely NO qualms about killing bugs. We're not talking about sentient beings here... They are freakin' bugs with a collection of ganglions for a brain!

Reminds me of that old joke...

Q. What's the last thing that goes through a bug's mind when it hits your car windhield?

A. It's ass.

callmesim · Joined: 27 Oct 2005 Posts: 279 Location: London, UK

Jim, when you say it isn't cheap, how much are we talking here?

luckyloser700 · Joined: 24 Mar 2006 Posts: 308 Location: Japan

JimDunlop2 · Joined: 31 Jan 2003 Posts: 2286 Location: Japan

Sorry, didn't mean to raise any alarm bells -- I THINK it's under 1000 yen but if it is, not by much. Definitely less than 2000 though.... But it wouldn't surprise me if the 10m range stuff ran you 1400 or so.

Don't take my word for it... I only remember going to buy the stuff and thinking, "Man, I'm glad I don't have to buy THIS every day."

Eva Pilot · Posted: Thu Jun 08, 2006 9:44 am Post subject:

I HATE wasps. If I saw that in my place it would be dead that very day.

moot point · Joined: 22 Feb 2005 Posts: 441

If it is a "suzume-bachi" they could be deadly.

I also discovered one making a nest on my verandah yesterday. I just stepped outside for a smoke and heard a buzz over my head. I looked up and there it was in hard at work building its nest. I quickly snuck inside and reached for a can of insecticide (not for wasps only but a more generic variety) and sprayed the bug and its nest. I knocked the nest down (no eggs this time of year) and haven't seen the wasp again. Get rid of it quick. They can be very dangerous if it grows into a colony.

callmesim · Joined: 27 Oct 2005 Posts: 279 Location: London, UK

i have been told where i can find some of the spray nearby so first thing in the morning i shall be buying some and killing the feckers.