Hornets nest in chimney

[londoneye]

Well I think they are hornets - about 1 inch long, black/brown top half of bodies, the bottom half is yellow, but not very stripey. One or two find their way into kitchen every day and we see them buzzing in and out of chimney.

If we just sealed everything up and lit the fire would this get rid of them does anyone know pls ?

[ericd]

The Hornets will not move away with the smoke (they will if their nest is attacked by fire though). Just spoke to my friend who is a beekeeper in 82 and he recommends a full (large size) insecticide spray such as Beggon straight up the chimney conduct.

If you have a long arm blowtorch device to get close to the nest, even better. Usual precautions to be taken when you spray (ie. not in short, flip-flops and t-shirt).

[londoneye]

Hi

Many thanks, and for asking your friend.

Last year we had giant wasps in same chimney (definitely not the same things as this year) and we did the giant can of insecticide thing from top down and it was a little hairy to be honest - OH on double ladder wielding spray, me trying to grab the cat and dog as the wasps somehow got past our reinforcements and stormed the house.

Just thought the light the fire option might be somewhat less hazardous, but pointless if it won't work I guess.

Thanks again - will wait for our neighbours to be back from holiday as they helped us last year (holding ladder etc) and then have another go.

[pachapapa]

My french neighbours are petrified of them and if the nest is disturbed, particularly in the daytime, they can get aggressive. I have had them a couple of times in chimneys where using a little comon sense they can be killed fairly easily. The problem is if the nest is high up in the chimney but several a day in the kitchen suggests the chimney is either not very high or they are close to ground level.

The sapeurs-pompiers will get rid of them professionally; this some years ago was a free service on the basis of public danger, hornets can kill if people are "allergic" to the sting...sort of cardiac arrest; the service since the arrival of the "little dwarf" is now payable; I believe in the order of € 80 if a cherry picker is required.

[ericd]

This attack via gas canister takes some preparation.....get the cat and dog out of the way first. Then, block the bottom end of fireplace with a cloth/pieces of cardboards. Climb on roof with said can and attach to length of string. Tape in place a second piece of string all round the long side of the canister so that when in place, the string sits nice and tight on top of the valve in order to keep it open. Be ready with piece of cardboard + stone. Put string system over canister valve and let canister down chimney flue with long length of string. Put cardboard + stone over the chimney exit and adjust height of canister to half way down chimney.

Enjoy a cup of tea and let the poison take effect.......no charge.

[pachapapa]

The worst nest I have helped with was one high in the timbers of a gable end.

[londoneye]

Is it a special kind of gas canister - sorry to sound stupid, but we used a spray jobbie last year, which clearly wouldn't work in the set up you describe; well I don't think so anyway...

[ericd]

Just a standard pressurised large gas canister with the small cylindrical white button on the top (the one that goes PPPsssscccchhhhh when you press it) The best make is Beggon (or Begon). Whichever type of spray nozzle those cans are fitted with at the moment, you need to think of a system (a la Heith Robinson) that will discharge the gas as you lower the unit in the chinmey conduct. I have just had a look at the system on a bottle of RAID in the office and the mechanism is a tad more complicated than a simple press button but the principle remains the same.

[londoneye]

Ok thanks I will have a look - last year we used a spray can with a long nozzle - that's what confused me (easily done !).

thanks again.

[pachapapa]

[IMG]http://adsoftheworld.com/files/images/insects.jpg[/IMG]

[Grumpy]

Please, if it as all possible don't kill off the nest.

Lets get back to basics.

Firstly check Google immages to check that they are actually hornets and not the European Wasp that is starting to take over from the smaller domestic wasp.

Smoking the chimney will agrivate the animals and probably result in an attack!

Hornets are very docile, in spite of being large and noisy, unless they are provoked and believe you me they are hard to provoke!  Their sting is milder than a wasp or a bee (yes I have been stung by all three) and they are reluctant to attack.

The season for all these insects is coming to an end; as soon as the weather turns colder the "worker" hornets and wasps will die off leaving only the queen to over winter.

Hornets are great controllers of garden insect pests and can take tree sap and eat fruit.  They are attracted to light sources after dark but are so fascinated by the light that they are extremely reluctant to attack.

Grumpy

[londoneye]

the problem is that I cannot find anything which looks quite like them - they don't look like the european wasp (to me) as they are not very yellow and don't really have stripes, just a vaguely yellow bottom (!)

They don't even particularly look like the pictures of hornets.

They come out into kitchen (from chimney) at any time of day and don't seem to be particularly attracted by light. They come in and out of top of chimney at any time of day and there is no great rush (as far as we can see) at dusk for them to dive back in.

They are very hard to kill - and I mean hard to kill - you can bash them with a fly swat a good 20 times and they still get up and fly around and they are hugely noisy - ie they buzz like no tomorrow.

I will keep looking though, perhaps I am looking at the wrong pictures still.

[ericd]

Talking of pictures, one would help.

[pachapapa]

Queen,male or worker? The nuptials etc are long past, at this time of year more likely workers who only live a couple of months.

[sid]

I've had two hornets nests now, the invading Asian variety which is becoming more prevalent here in Poitou Charente.

It's important to be sure that they are not just bees!! No need to kill them, particularly if you're a nature lover; a local beekeeper could remove them.

I used this : http://tinyurl.com/2cagpun

It has a very powerful jet which goes up to 6 metres. Fantastic, as you can knock them down in flight if you get panicky (like me)!

For the nest in the loft I was able to spray from the trapdoor across into the eaves 4 metres away and then immediately duck down and slam the hatch!

The other nest was in a tree in the garden at about 12 feet, and for this I donned boilersuit, wellies, hood, googles, gloves.... you name it. Scared? Me? YES!

I sprayed in the late evening when all appeared quiet. It worked within a few minutes but for my own piece of mind I left it until next day before clearing it away. Fascinating contructions, by the way.

The spray is in a tall cannister over 30cms high and costs around 22€ at bricos (I got mine from Weldom). There was still some left after treating two nests.

I would think you could spray it down the chimney and then put a board across the top? It mustn't be used near an open flame and you must ventilate properly after use.

I take no responsibility for the consequences, you'll have to decide whether to try it or not! [geek]

Sid

[londoneye]

Hmmm - will wait for one to come out today and try to get a picture - afraid it will be a picture of it dead..

[Hereford]

We are getting the odd one  down the chimney, although we cannot see them going in and out.  When ours come out into the room they are mostly "dozy".  We have found the easiest way to kill them is with an "electric" (i.e.battery) fly bat.  When they settle just put it near them and then move until it touches them, press the button and voila electrocuted - you get sparks !

H.

PS Pompiers will not come out around us in Manche, but local firm charge 70 euros.

[londoneye]

OK I found one I killed yesterday but couldn't get a good picture of it but now I have had a really good look close up I will go back to googling.

If a description helps (!)

He is about 2 cm long with a yellow face and reddish brown on top of his head.

The first segment (attached to head) is reddish brown with a black blob on.

The second segment is striped as follows:

1 reddish brown stripe (small)

1 black band

1 very thin yellow band

1 more black band

4 yellow bands with black dots on (not striped).

anyway back off to google again.

[londoneye]

Aha !

Here he is (well his brother) - identical

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1543400/Hornets-hit-France-and-could-reach-Britain.html

[pachapapa]

I am no entomoligist but if asian hornets kill kill kill! First time I have heard of them in chimneys but hey ho the euros seem to like my chimney.[:)]

I always wait till evening and then with minimal light spray profusely up the bottom of the chimney shut the kitchen door and leave to the morning.

Doing anything from the top of he chimney unless you have protective clothing and a cherry picker is fraught with danger.

[londoneye]

Thankfully mine seem to be nothing near the size mentioned in the news report but it is they - unless they have cousins that are a different species and are the same.

[ericd]

Is this it ??

http://www.animalwebguide.com/Hornet.htm

Hornet is frelon in French and my beekeeper friend traps them...they are leathal !

[londoneye]

Hmmm not sure - the one in the Telegraph article looks more like 'mine'. But then again there is no saying, come to think of it, that the picture of the hornet in the Telegraph article is of an asian hornet - they may have just dragged any old hornet picture out of the archives.

Anyway, I suppose between us we have at least identified that it is some kind of hornet! Assume method of killing hornets and wasps is the same, so we shall now consider our plan ....

[londoneye]

Nest has been dealt with in the same way as last year in the end.

Tried spraying up chimney from bottom (kitchen) but obviously the nest was very close to top because they just laughed at us and came to have a look through the kitchen window at what we were doing.

Sadly had to resort to the double ladder, lots of clothing and welders mask again (always gives the neighbours a good laugh).

Don't think there were as many hornets as there were wasps last year though and not a single sting this time.

Thanks for all help - now we can clean the chimney flue ready for winter cooking !