Saturday, July 31, 2010

Yikes, Stripes

But this isn't fruit stripe gum. I was out on the deck the other day, winding up the garden hose. When I looked up, this is what I saw.
I found several of these but this is the first one I spotted. This is a stupid ladder that's always outside leaning up against the house in a corner of the deck. The rungs on the ladder are all hollow and just about every one had a nest in it. After I got the picture, I ran inside to see if we had anything I could spray them with. The only thing I could find was an old can of flying insect spray that said it was for flies and mosquitoes. Good enough and it worked. I sprayed every rung of the ladder.

31 comments:

Sandee said...

I don't like them critters either. Scare me to pieces and they will make a home in any little crack they can find. Wasp spray works really good on these too.

Have a terrific day. My best to Duke. I hope he hasn't gained too much weight eating birthday treats. :)

Tanyia said...

Ummm....AHHHHHH! I hate them, hate them, hate them. How on earth could you get close to them. I hope you zoomed...a lot!

The photo is beautiful though!

Unknown said...

Great photo of them before their impending doom.

Sara
https://www.momentsofelegance.com

Jen said...

I took a picture of some just the other day in the garage - I hate those nasty little boogers and they're everywhere! Glad to know you nuked 'em all *grin*.

gayle said...

Great picture!! Glad you got them!

Marg said...

That was great that you took that picture. I have had the biggest battle with wasps in my barn. They have put nests everywhere. I only got stung once though.
Have a great evening.

jeanlivingsimple said...

I understand your grief. Have to battle them here.:(

Unknown said...

dangers at every turn. never been stung but have seen enough stings to know....I don't wanna be

Lin said...

Those darn things can build a home in minutes, I swear. Maybe they should be contractors.

BeadedTail said...

Oh I don't like those at all! One got in the house the other day somehow but thankfully we noticed before the cats did. Sadie always bites at them - makes me so nervous! Glad you got them before Duke found them too!

Anonymous said...

I don't know what they but they are ugly and creepy - sometimes you can get too good of a pic!

Unknown said...

Fabulous photo Ann. When I was a young girl I was busy brushing a wasp away from me when an elderly gentleman pulled me up about it. He said to me wasps won't hurt you this time of year not unless you hurt them. It is only when the fruit begins to rot and they eat too much of it that they become dangerous and that is because the fruit begins to turn into alcohol. To prove his point he poured some lemonade on the palm of his hand and the wasps came and drank from it and didn't hurt him or myself either. I have copied him on a number of occasions and it is a sight to behold.

What is almost as amazing is - I have found that wasps will come and land on stale cat food that I put out for the blackbirds and merrily dine upon it - they so love fish and meat and will even gobble up kibble!!

Jolly Princess said...

Great photo! The subject may not be very lovable though. (lol)

Just blog hopping. Have a great weekend. :)

tahtimbo said...

I got chills just looking at that photo! I remember a few years ago, I opened the outside covered outlet in our front yard and a whole bunch of those things came flying out at me (of course, they had built a nest inside it).

VanillaSeven said...

Yikes! is the correct word for this. I always scared of those insects. Good thing you managed to get rid of them.

Ann, I need your artistic comment on how my new theme look. Let me know what you think. Thanks!

Philippa said...

Scary ... don't get stung!!

Unknown said...

Spraying them with gasoline will also kill them real quick, but just be careful to not burn your house down, of course. Hosing down the area with water that you sprayed with gasoline should remove the fire danger, but the gasoline will kill your grass and flowers if it gets on them.

Audrey said...

What an amazing photo!! Would not have thought to run and get the camera, only the bug spray :)

Russ said...

Great picture Ann. You are a hard line blogger. Running after the camera first.Watch and make sure they don't come back.

Donna said...

BRAVE Shot Miz Ann! But feel fortunate that you can Find them anymore! They use to be Everywhere here but for the last 2 years...Nada! It's a scary thought that they may be disappearing here!

Sharkbytes said...

Even I have limits on the critters I will tolerate too close to the house. You should have made a game out of where they were nesting. I was trying to figure out what that hole was!

Daisy said...

That is a fabulous (and horrifying!) photo. Once Harley was running around chasing a wasp that got inside.

Out on the prairie said...

I have heard placing a paper lunch bag puffed up on a string will keep them away from and area.For bluebird houses I rub Ivory bath soap inside of them.They do make a long range spray so you can be far away.

Leeuna said...

Oooh! Ouchy! I hurt just looking at those bees. Hope you didn't get stung. Don't let little Duke get near that ladder.

Julie Harward said...

Yeek! I hate them, to me they are a scary sight because I am allergic to bees1 Love the pic below though..sweet thing! :D

Ann said...

Sandee I can't believe how many nests I found. I've never seen them swarming all over one like that

Tanyia not much zoom on the camera. I was too close for your comfort...lol

sara I should have taken an after shot too

Jen well I hope I nuked them all.

gayle me too! and thanks

marg once is enough, Wade got stung a couple weeks ago

Jean I don't have a problem with them so long as they don't become squatters on my land...lol

roschelle I have in the past and that was enough for me

Lin hopefully they go elsewhere to rebuild

beaded tail I don't know what Duke would do, probably same as Sadie

Grace very ugly and creepy

Kloggers I'll just enjoy your story without trying to copy it. I don't think I want to test it out. Those things will eat anything won't they?

Jolly princess thanks for hopping on through. no the subject is not very lovable

tahtimbo they build nests in our grill every spring. First time we go to use it every year we always find them

Vanilla seven I'm not a big fan of them either. Your new blog theme, I love :)

Philippa, luckily I didn't

Fishhawk I think I'll stick with the spray I had. I don't want to test my homeowners insurance out

Audrey well the camera was right there, I had been using it earlier

Russ didn't run too far, it was right there on the table...lol

donna brave or stupid...lol Guess those little buggers all moved up here huh

sharkbytes oh I wish I would have thought of that. a game would have been fun

daisy I can see Harley doing that.

out on the prairie a lunch bag huh? I wonder how that works. Don't the birds mind the the soap?

Leeuna nope no stings for me. Duke was too busy thinking about the pool :)

Sheri said...

They do make their nests in the oddest places! We found a few around here too. Don't get stung!

Joanne Olivieri said...

Ann, that is scary, creepy and so many other horrible adjectives. I would have freaked out. You are brave to capture them so close.

Tammy said...

Very scary! I'm sure the flowers love them but not me.

Miawa said...

Hate that! they give me the creeps and then you have to worry about the grandkids and pets. All I can think of is Kill, Kill, Kill.

Ann Martin said...

Awesome, clear photograph. To tell you the truth though, bug spray bothers me way more than bugs do, but am sure I'm in the minority about that.

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