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Wasps


Blodwyn
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Wasps are busy already; I found a nest in the unused post box near my door. Last year I was stung 4 times and each time had a worse reaction, And I found 5 nests in my car last summer - so I'm a bit paranoid now.!

I sprayed the box with Raid and all round the car doors as I was going out and wasps were lurking. The supermarket doesn't have any wasp killer yet. Does anyone have any idea how to deter them, especially from the car?
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We had tons of them when we lived in the Vaucluse. I always kept bottles of the wasp spray on hand.  We also found them under the hood of our car and inside our car too.  And dozens of them always hovering around the pool.

I would spray around the entry doors and any windows that I liked to open.  I was told to cut a 1.5 litre plastic water bottle in half and put about half a jar of cheap sweet jam in it, mix in a couple of cups of water and place it around 3 meters from the area that seems to be attracing them.  When they go in to eat the stuff, they get wet and get stuck in and die.  Now, I know there will be a bunch of folks who wouldn't want to do this, but we often had hornets around our pool and it was just downright dangerous.  So, that is where we did this.  It did help.

As for the car, I would always look to see if there were any obvious wasps hovering around the car.  If so, I'd get the spray (it sprays from a far distance) and spray them.  Then, use the garden hose on full nozzle to spray the nest away.

Hate them.  However, I must say that we had far more spiders, scorpions and bats in the house than wasps/hornets...  Those were always a challenge, especially the bats.

I'm not much help.  Good luck !

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Thanks Lori. I don't like to kill things, but prefer not to be stung. In a tree across the field is an Asian hornet nest. Apparently they don't return to the nest in spring - but they lurk nearby and build another, I wonder where? Never had a bat in the house; mice despite having 4 cats at the time, lizards, a loir in the loft, deer , rabbits, wild boar outside. It's interesting living in the country.
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It must be remembered that wasps, like bees are important in pollenating flowers and are part of the eco system. I agree that should they try and live in a car or somewhere else that is inconvenient then they have to be eradicated. Unfortunately far too many people kill them when it isn't necessary by using the 'bottle' trap or spray nests that are not causing a problem. In my experience wasps won't simply sting someone without a reason, no more than a bee will.

Incidentally I have bats in my loft and in the sous-sol. Apart from a 'little messy' they are no problem, remember they eat mozzies!!! Spiders, yep, them also! some big buggers too! My wife hates them and is forever telling to remove them when they stroll around the living room! It should be remembered that they also do a good job . It's a shame that so many people resort to killing things when it isn't necessary.
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I never really liked bats in my house.  They too can carry disease and their droppings can transmit disease.  They like to make house behind volets.  I once closed my bedroom volet only to find about a dozen all tucked in with mounds of poop on the window ledge.  We did not have window screens, so this was just not good.

As for spiders, most of ours were Wolf spiders.  There were dozens of them nearly all the time.  I found one in the upper corner of a wall in our dining room once.  It looked huge, much bigger than the usual ones.  Just couldn't have it next to me dining table.  I sprayed it.  All kinds of baby spiders dropped off and fell on the floor.  So, that was why it looked so big.  I counted 95 tiny spiders.  Chastise me if you like, but I'm pretty sure there were plenty of other spiders in the house that I never saw living along side me and the family.  Had to see a doctor once for a bite that was presumed (by the doctor) to be a spider bite.  I just don't like them living in my house with me.

Loire are extremely destructive and can be very hard to get rid of.  We had loads of neighbors that had them.  Somehow, we never did.

Some Summers, I'd count about 80 wasps hovering and taking dips in the pool.  Mostly when we were in drought conditions.  I got stung 3 times and that was enough for me.  I felt it was dangerous for children around the pool too.

I don't like to kill things, but I do have my limits.

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Lori,

About bats: The only disease that can be contracted from bats is rabies and here in France that is unheard of. There is a respiratory disease that can be contracted from the guano but the guano has to be deep and old! The odd bit lying around the house or garden poses no risk at all.

They do perform a very vital function regarding nature, so much so that they are a protected species and you can't remove them without permission!! There are 34 varieties here and all are perfectly safe.

I have photographed and videoed bats flying around my loft, many with young attached to their breasts, absolutely amazing. Yes, I do have to go into the loft and clear up once a year but to see these creatures up close is the most wonderful thing.

They are an endangered mammal that is why they are protected,incidently the only mammal that can fly!! Many myths and nonsense surround bats; they are not blind and they do migrate, sometimes thousands of miles across Europe. Will never attack humans and even help with pollination! They were here when I bought the house 23 years ago and I'm very pleased they are here every year. I would be quite sad if they were to permanently leave!
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Interesting Ken. 

I certainly don't attempt to kill them.  I just didn't enjoy trying to get them OUT of the house once they were in.

We eventually had screens put on the windows to lessen the presence of wildlife in the house.

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Any wasp nests on our balcony in France are immediately removed, using a bombe! I’ve needed swift medical attention to risk having any close to me.

I have an allergic reaction to wasp stings, which worsens each time I’m stung - nobody knows that they are allergic until the first time it proves to be so. Previous experience of no symptoms doesn’t guarantee that it will continue like that.

I carry epipens from around the end of March until October, but they are never far away outside those dates.
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Lori wrote: We eventually had screens put on the windows to lessen the presence of wildlife in the house.

From time to time I'm aware of a 'fluttering' in the bedroom during the night and sure enough it's a bat trying to find it's way out.

Left alone it always succeeds. sometimes when they are being a bit dense they have a little trouble and then they will find a little quite and dark corner to have a rest. Once rested they will then set off again and find their way out.

Honestly, they are perfectly harmless and kill the mozzies in the room which is why they came in in the first place!!
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I can understand completely that anyone suffering allergic reactions will want to remove any nests nearby. Fortunately I don't suffer allergies. I removed a nest by hand in my garden ( For the cat's sake!!!!) and suffered around 20 or so stings to my hands and arms, to me a wasp sting is just a little 'sting' and, as I said, I suffer no allergies at all.

A similar occurrence with Asian Hornets didn't end so well and required a visit to the doctor!!!! You can't win them all!!!!
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Wow Ken! I think 20 stings might kill me. One resulted in a swollen sore arm that kept me awake.

I like bats but haven't experienced them indoors. i don't mind mice outside but don't like them in kitchen drawers and cupboards. Two types of humane trap failed so I had to resort to the other sort.

I can't cope with spiders - one of the 100 reasons I miss my husband as he would put them outside. The spikey ones bit.

I posted wondering if anyone knew of a wasp deterrent. I don't like killing things and Raid is expensive when I have to spray a car with 4 doors and a hatch.
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I understand the problems you have with these things, particularly wasps. With regard a deterrent for wasps, unfortunately there doesn't appear to be one!!!! I can only say that they are not aggressive and won't sting you unless you upset them!!!

If one or even several are in the car I would simply recommend that you open the windows and they will leave, eventually!!!

Not easy I know especially if you want to go for a drive!! Obviously if they are making a nest they have to be eradicated but making a not in a car is very unlikely unless the car is sitting there for months and not being used.
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The European wasp isn't particularly aggressive unless the nest is disturbed. That applies to any wasp of course!

I had a nest of European wasps in my garden and watched them daily go about their business. usually they took the same route out of the garden, going God knows where, and returned by the same route. Not once was I troubled by them.

A neighbour spotted the nest and told me I had a nest of Asian Hornets in the garden. I pointed out to them that although large, (They are in fact bigger than the hornet!) They were European wasps and harmless.

Not content with that they called the Police! The two Policemen who came also said they were Asian Hornets and wouldn't accept what I told them. They called an expert who confirmed that they were European wasps and harmless. Exit two embarrassed Policemen and neighbours!!

The neighbours who called the Police haven't spoken to me since!!! I like to think they are too embarrassed but I'm not particularly bothered. The point is that all too often people are willing to kill insects without the foggiest idea of the way these insects live.

I have another neighbour who kills, without a thought, any snake he finds. Some snakes are protected in France but that doesn't deter him at all. He says that they frighten him!!!!

Just what is it with people that the first thought is to kill anything that they find 'inconvenient' or slightly frightening?
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I don't think I have paper wasps and I don't make a point of annoying wasps, but was stung 3 or 4 times last year. As for them not nesting in a car unless it hasn't moved for months - my car is never still even for a week! (How would the wasps know how long it had been unused anyway?) Of course I try opening windows if I know a wasp is in the car, though that could let more in, but sometimes they just appear and I don't want that when I'm driving. I spray wasps if there's a nest close to the house, trap mice in the kitchen but otherwise let everything live. I hate it when hunters come on my land as I like to see wildlife, but I know deer and boar can damage property and have no other preditors to keep numbers down.

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Unfortunately we often can’t know that wasps are where we want to be or are sitting - I’ve needed urgent medical attention twice in recent (pre-Covid) times, having already needed to use Epipens.

Once when I went close to a couple of small pots on our balcony and another time when I sat at our table on the balcony.

Wasps had begun making a nest in one of the pots and another nest was being made underneath our table; there was no intention of disturbing wasps either time.

Another time wasps had made a nest in the external part of our aircon unit, so were despatched by the men who had installed our aircon a few years previously - we couldn’t risk me having another sting.

We also have pest controllers in to intervene here where we live in the UK - none so far this year, thank goodness.
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  • 8 months later...
On 02/04/2021 at 07:16, Lori said:
We had tons of them when we lived in the Vaucluse. I always kept bottles of the wasp spray on hand.  We also found them under the hood of our car and inside our car too.  And dozens of them always hovering around the pool.

 

 

I would spray around the entry doors and any windows that I liked to open.  I was told to cut a 1.5 litre plastic water bottle in half and put about half a jar of cheap sweet jam in it, mix in a couple of cups of water and place it around 3 meters from the area that seems to be attracing them.  When they go in to eat the stuff, they get wet and get stuck in and die.  Now, I know there will be a bunch of folks who wouldn't want to do this, but we often had hornets around our pool and it was just downright dangerous.  So, that is where we did this.  It did help.

 

As for the car, I would always look to see if there were any obvious wasps hovering around the car.  If so, I'd get the spray (it sprays from a far distance) and spray them.  Then, use the garden hose on full nozzle to spray the nest away.

 

Hate them.  However, I must say that we had far more spiders, scorpions and bats in the house than wasps/hornets...  Those were always a challenge, especially the bats.

 

I'm not much help.  Good luck !

 No no! Its a good help. I appreciate you.

 

 

 

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  • 2 months later...

Update on wasps. In the autumn I was attacked by loads of them; they got into my clothes and I had severall stings.  I think they were nesting in  a hole in the ground which I unwittingy walked near.  I rushed back to the house followed by wasps, flung off the clothes, took two anti-histamine tablets, appled vinegar, sprayed all round.  There were at least 20 bodies.  I was awake all night with pain and the horrendous itching continued for severall days.  I was very scabby!

I'm really worried about wasps now.

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