HELP - Wasp advice please!

[OverWyreGrower]

We have the lovely job this weekend of putting some more fencing up to contain the turkeys and protect the polytunnel. It has to be done this weekend.

However, we were marking out the places for the posts, when we realised that there was a wasps nest in the ground where we wanted to put a post

It is still active, there were a number of wasps going in and out, and whilst we measured they were very interested in us. After last year's debacle with wasps, we are very worried about having another nest, especially when we need to work in the area.

So, since we've not a lot of money and can't afford to call out a Rentokil man or the Council pest control (who charge over £50!)... what should we do?

Mr OWG has suggested we burn the nest/ground by use of petrol and a match.

What will/should the wasps be like this time of year? Given that we've had frost for the last few nights, I'm fairly surprised they're still active.

Any ideas?

[Nicos]

I wouldn't think I'd want any poison near the birds

Urm...would the birds eat the wasps? I wonder if they'd get stung????
...look at this!...

WikiAnswers - Do chickens eat wasps

[Shadylane]

The few wasps I've seen have been sluggish and seem to be on their way out. The nest will die off soon and I don't think they reuse them. Can you not wait a little bit?

[geoff]

My Uncle Jim used petrol & match on ants successfully, do't see why it shouldn't work with wasps. He used about half a pint, so you'd probably need more for wasps
Pity you can't use the same technique on cats

[frias]

Please don't set fire to petrol. It might be the last you'll see of your poly tunnel or even yourselves. How about BBQ lighter fuel? They should be dying off very soon anyway. My chooks are always chasing wasps and anything else flying about and don't seem to get stung.

[walldanzig]

Please don't set fire to petrol. It might be the last you'll see of your poly tunnel or even yourselves. How about BBQ lighter fuel? They should be dying off very soon anyway. My chooks are always chasing wasps and anything else flying about and don't seem to get stung.

I agree with the petrol thing bloody dangerous stuff don't mess with it it flash fires and jumps. How about that spray stuff you can get

[crichmond]

Use a full bottle of bbq lighting fluid and give it a few minutes to permiate into the nest before lighting it.

[OverWyreGrower]

We ended up, in the evening, pouring petrol down the hole then sealing the hole up.

No wasp activity has been seen since, and the hole remains sealed.

*crosses fingers*

After the attack last year, I'm so paranoid about them

We had to do the fencing this weekend, due to borrowed equipment and OH's work schedule for the next month or so... however, we managed 50ft of fencing in the pouring rain yesterday...joy!

[plymouthnick]

Hi first post on here I myself got stung 6 times this year got my first plot and started digging down there and on the 3rd shovel load I disturb a wasps nest called the council and they got a pest controller out that night free of charge !!
funny as the wasps nest was on the plot next to mine !

[Paulottie]

Why were you digging your neighbours plot?

[OverWyreGrower]

Hi first post on here I myself got stung 6 times this year got my first plot and started digging down there and on the 3rd shovel load I disturb a wasps nest called the council and they got a pest controller out that night free of charge !!
funny as the wasps nest was on the plot next to mine !

We disturbed a wasps nest last year... I was stung over 35 times on my head and face (and eyes and ears etc) and OH ended up breaking his foot as we tried to escape them. Hence why I'm so paranoid about it!

Our council don't send anyone out for free!! It cost us £50 last time for a council pest-controller....

[frias]

Every council does something different. My BIL is a private pest controller and doesn't charge £50! Hope you have solved the problem for good and understand why you're paranoid after getting stung so many times.

[plymouthnick]

Why were you digging your neighbours plot?

I wasn't but the pest controller reckons that me digging disturbed it the plot is empty and growing grass !!

[walldanzig]

We had one last year. They are tough little sob's we poured water down it that didn't work we set it on fire they came back we even run over the new one in a truck they came back eventually we had that years bonfire on top of it just kept throwing wood at it that got em.