Help! Wasp!!

[huskerlaw]

There is a wasp in my roomie's bedroom. It is HUGH!1!11!!

No, really. The bastard is super big.

And we're both extremely scared of bugs in general and of stinging ones in particular.

Right now it's on the wall behind her bed, so we're waiting for it to come out.

Plan A: RAID the living hell out of it.
Plan A's problem: RAID is not good for living things.

Plan B: Wait until it's on a flat surface, slap a cup on top of it, slide a piece of paper over the cup opening.
Plan B's problem: Wasp doesn't die. Letting it go outside isn't really an option, as this isn't the first time it's come indoors.

Anyone got any other ideas? Or better yet, anyone want to come over and kill it for us? ;)

[Fire Walk With Me]

1. Option 2 should work.

[huskerlaw]

3. But what do I do with it

after I catch it in the cup?

I don't want to let it go outside, since it keeps coming inside.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. My dear huskerlaw!

Yikes! How scary is that?

How about vacuuming it up?

We've done that with bees.......

Sorry, sweetie...

I'm staying right here...:scared:

:yoiks:

Good luck...


:hug:

[huskerlaw]

4. We don't really have a vacuum...

as our entire apartment is hard wood floors (or linoleum).

We only have a little one for the rugs and it doesn't have attachments.

Otherwise, I'd be all over that.

We're both really freaked out!

I don't blame you for staying put. I would too!

:hug:

[TZ]

5. I've talked to vets about pest control (I get ants)

and I've been told anything with pyrethins (which Raid does have in some cases) is pretty safe for pets and people. You basioally have to drink a glass of the stuff to be poisoned. All you need to do is keep the kitties away for a couple of minutes until it dries.

[huskerlaw]

7. Good to know!!

I'm guessing I'll be spraying a window or a wall, so keeping them away shouldn't be a problem.

:woohoo:

[quakerboy]

20. Ya, but

http://www.idph.state.il.us/envhealth/factsheets/pyrethroid.htm

[Recursion]

6. Flat part of shoe + velocity + bug = no more bug

Just a suggestion

[Brigid]

8. Direct. To the point.

Me likey. :rofl:

[huskerlaw]

10. Unfortunately

my extreme fear of bugs negatively impacts my hand-eye coordination. I'd probably miss it. Or graze it just enough to piss it off. :scared:

[XemaSab]

12. Just do it.

:patriot:

[huskerlaw]

14. Go forth and splatter?

:rofl:

[XemaSab]

17. Use something HEAVY

They're harder to kill than you would think. :scared:

[Recursion]

22. Xema is right. Screw up your courage to the sticking point.

Go forth and conquer

:patriot:

[XemaSab]

9. 1. Put on full PPE

A loose hoodie, and jeans.

2. Wait until it lands and hit it with a book.

This has worked for me.

Good luck.

[huskerlaw]

11. Hahaha

I suppose a hoodie and jeans would be more proper attire than my current shorts, t-shirt and bare feet...

I'm not the least bit confident in my ability to hit it with one swing though. :rofl:

[XemaSab]

16. I gotta tell ya:

Three years in a row I have dealt with a wasp thinking my apartment is the place to be.

It's probably nesting, and would you rather kill it now or deal with 10 babies in a few months?

Also, I didn't think I could do it, but I totally did. If I can do it, you can do it. :patriot:

[huskerlaw]

18. Want to come down and help?

;)

I really don't think I can get close enough to it to kill it with a book.

I have issues with bugs. My typical reaction is to scream and run. Seriously.

The only thing that's making me proactive is an even bigger fear of sharing space with the bastard (and/or his/her offspring).

I think I'm going to have to go with the Raid. At least that way I can spray it from many feet away. :scared:

[XemaSab]

23. Raid doesn't kill them instantly

How is it getting in? :scared:

[huskerlaw]

26. Well...

we have these annoying windows wherein the screens aren't sealed shut. Apparently they're quite common here in the SoCal.

It actually looks like at one time, the windows didn't even HAVE screens, then someone added them later.

Most of the time, this is perfectly fine, as we're in a 2nd floor apartment, but it's not so great with the waspies.

[Sugar Smack]

13. It may be cat food that's attracting it. Here's some advice from

a website I found:

Seal entry points. Solitary wasps in the home can be a nuisance; daily sightings of wasps in the home may indicate inside nest building, and more attention to the problem is required. Searching for and sealing off their point of entry is the best line of defense. Check your house for unsealed vents, torn screens, cracks around windows and door frames and open dampers. Observe the flight path of a wasp, especially in the morning, which may reveal the entry/exit point.


Remove food sources. In spring and early summer, wasps are attracted to protein foods. Any food left outdoors, such as pet food, picnic scraps, open garbage containers or uncovered compost piles should be removed or covered. Wasps imprint food sources, and will continue to search an area for some time after the food has been removed.


In late summer and early fall, the wasp food preference turns to the sweet. Their behavior is also more aggressive. Open cans of pop, fruit juice, fallen apples beneath fruit trees and other sweet food sources will attract wasps. Be sure to cover drinks and open food containers, keep a lid on the compost and avoid walking barefoot near fruit trees. Remove any fallen fruit rotting on the ground.
Avoid swatting. Swatting and squashing wasps is counterproductive. When a wasp is squashed, a chemical (pheromone) is released which attracts and incites other nearby wasps. It's best to walk away from a hovering wasp.

http://eartheasy.com/live_natwasp_control.htm

[huskerlaw]

15. It's actually in the room

furthest from the cat food and both times we've seen it, it's come in around this time (6 pm-ish) and it just hangs out in my roomie's bedroom, then it disappears.

Our windows are such that the screens are not sealed. Alas, this is not uncommon in Southern California housing of this vintage, and short of replacing the windows, there's not much we can do. It's most certainly entering (and probably exiting) from the roomie's window.

We've searched outside for a nest and haven't seen anything. :shrug:

[Duer 157099]

19. Hairspray! Or spray starch!

really, those are the best solutions. Stops em cold.

[huskerlaw]

21. Hairspray?!

Really? Does it kill it faster than Raid??

[Duer 157099]

25. No, doesn't kill, just gums up their wings

Once it cannot fly, it's much easier to figure out what to do (toilet comes to mind...)

[Scooter24]

31. If you have a lighter, I'm sure that can of hairspray could work wonders

though you might want to have the fire dept. on standby :P

[hippywife]

24. Look at it this way...

it's either you or him. I agree with the opinion that you need to screw up your courage and just do it.

Take good aim and use something heavy and with enough of a flat, rigid surface. They are hard to kill if you hit it with something like newspaper.

We get them all the time. If you wait until it's dark and has cooled off, they move slower and are easier to sneak up on and kill.

Good luck! :hi:

[huskerlaw]

28. He will die.

Unfortunately, he seems to have disappeared. He went behind the bed about an hour ago and hasn't been seen since. But upon next reappearance, he dies.

:hi:

[Duer 157099]

27. If it is still just standing on a wall, I'd trap it

stealthily approach with a clear glass (jar?) and cover it; then slide a heavy piece of paper (like a postcard, or the junk mailer ads, between the glass and the wall and keep the paper on top of the glass.

Then, put it somewhere, upside down, on a surface that you won't knock over, and that won't bother you with the buzzing noise.

Left alone long enough, it will die.

Cruel yeah, but these are tough times.

[huskerlaw]

29. I might do that

though I think "Raid him till he dies" is the leading option at this point, as it allows me to stay as far away as possible.

[Duer 157099]

37. I would never pick that option, myself

1) I just don't trust the spray to kill em before he gets pissed off enough at me
2) I lose my mind and any rational way of thinking with a flying wasp in my vicinity, so I know I'd panic at the worst time
3) In that panic state, the spray would be going everywhere, and I'm sure I'd hold the button down for a good 5-10 minutes more after it was dead, thus totally fouling up the air for a good long time

I either want it immediately immobilized (starch or cheap hairspray -- important point, it's gotta be the cheapest stickiest stuff you can buy) or trapped in a small space (jar/glass) that I can control.

Good luck. I don't envy your situation.

[Wapsie B]

30. What have you got against white anglo-saxon protestants?

:P

[huskerlaw]

34. Not a thing!

I am one... :P

However, the WASP is in my roomie's bedroom and she's Jewish, so she's offended.

:rofl:

[Mugu]

32. My guess is that it's just waiting for you to go to sleep.

They're sneaky like that.
Does it look anything like this? Because these guys are vicious. I've been stung numerous times while photographing them.



Regards, Mugu

[huskerlaw]

35. EWWWWWWWWWWWW

OH MY GOD.

That picture is so scary. :scared:

I have no idea if he looks like that, and I'm not getting anywhere near close enough to find out.

[Mugu]

38. Aw come on. He's cute in a bug sort of way. n/t

[Arugula Latte]

33. Quick! Destroy its hedge fund!

[huskerlaw]

36. Hahahahaha

Damn it. Why didn't I think of that?!

[1]

39. that wasp most likely means you no harm...

if its a yellowjacket (the bad guys) then i might consider the "kill" thoughts here, but normally wasps have no interest in you aside from curiosity. they feed off flowers or bugs and are normally not protective of nests. they mean you no harm.

i know they look scary as all get out but...

give the little guy a chance. crack a window if you can. if he is truly trapped he will die in a few days from lack of food and water.

when i first moved to my farm from LA i was scared of all of the wasps that lived here. then i was schooled that the favorite food of the brown wasps i have here is spiders, particularly the brown recluse. the brown recluse is something to fear, not the "scary" wasp. so after five years i have learned to get along with my wasp buddies. they kill and eat spiders. and i thank them. and i learned the brown wasp is just naturally curious. they love to fly at me and check me out, never meaning to hurt me. so i learned to let them.

the only time i was ever stung was when i put on a boot and a wasp was checking out inside the toe. my foot went in, crushed the little dude, and he just did a "take that with you before you crush me" thing.

i now shake out my boots before i put them on. the wasps taught me well...

[huskerlaw]

40. Thanks for the info

I'm actually in L.A., so this is kinda a weird situation. There's an almost alarming lack of bugs here. (not that I'm complaining)

I just googled "yellowjacket" and our wasp definitely is NOT one of those, thank goodness.

I think he must have escaped, as we haven't seen him in about 2 hours. I would leave him alone if he were outdoors, but I'm not too keen on sharing indoor space with him. Mostly for the reason you stated...stepping on or otherwise aggravating him into stinging either myself or my roomie.

I also have 3 cats that wouldn't have the sense to leave him alone...

[Firespirit]

48. It's not a cicada killer, is it?

From ye olde Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cicada_killer
It looks like there is a western U.S. variety as well as the more commonly known eastern one.

These are huge, and bad-ass looking wasps, but they're effectively harmless. If you have one of them, it's best to let it out, as they are a natural predator of pests.

I am allergic to stings myself, so I prefer to just avoid wasps whenever possible. I assume nobody in your place is allergic...?

[huskerlaw]

49. Nope

That doesn't appear to be it either. It's a bit strange looking in that there's a weird gap between the thorax and the abdomen.

I don't really know how to explain it, but he's really...long...

Neither of us are allergic, thankfully.

[1]

56. hey fellow (although my-ex) LAer.

i know what you mean. a wasp is like the scariest thing in nature. its whole construction is like something made up by a hollywood horror film. they fly, they have that warrior-like body (i would die for those abs) AND THEY CAN STING!

when i went rural i was scared of all "bugs". (please, no correctness about bugs and insects and whatever. bugs is a generic term.) then i was fortunate enough to learn about "good" bugs and "bad" bugs. the wasps scared the crap out of me. but when i learned what they did to help me, i started to love them. they fly at my face all of the time now. and i almost want to kiss them (almost). in the spring i can walk out and its like that hitchcock movie "the birds", but with the wasps.

if these were hummingbirds or cardinals or doves i would feel so special. so, they are wasps. i am cool with that. and i still feel so special.

know your bugs. fear what you should fear. love the rest.

[Pierre.Suave]

41. Whats the Nuclear Option?

???

[krispos42]

42. B, then A

trap it under a glass or bowl, then spray a little puddle next to the glass/bowl. Slide the glass/bowl/wasp combination over the Raid puddle and let chemistry run its course.

[huskerlaw]

43. I think we have a winner!!

Good call. If that little bastard ever comes out of hiding, this is now the official battle plan.

:thumbsup:

[krispos42]

45. Sweet...

I feel just like Dale Dribble...

[petronius]

44. It's your roommate's bedroom - why is it even your problem?

:shrug:

However, if you choose to be a Good Samaritan about it, wasps are easy. Just place a large cup over the wasp, slide a heavy piece of paper under cup, lift cup (with paper covering top), take it outside, remove paper, shake cup until wasp flies away.

There's only a one in a hundred chance that it'll bite you, and even if it does it's not life-threatening. (At worst, you'd just need to have a limb amputated.)

Good luck!

[huskerlaw]

46. Because her door opens...

and it could easily end up in my room...or elsewhere in the apartment. ;)

[Ahpook]

47. Funny..

I walked in on my brother having a life and death struggle with a palmetto bug. He had a shoe in one hand and his arse in the other.

It was an epic battle before the bug flew out a window.

Ah well:)

[huskerlaw]

51. Ew.

I think I'd rather deal with the wasp.

I have HUGE issues with Palmetto bugs. They creep me out to a degree that is very unhealthy. :scared:

[badgerpup]

50. They are open to bribes, believe it or not...

Seriously.

While in college, I'd get some apple juice and sit outside, and I'd get visited by yellowjackets.
:yoiks:

Came up with the bright idea of pouring just a leetle bit of juice on the FAR side of the table...they'd go to the puddle and leave me the hell alone.

Yellowjackets happy, full of apple juice and not all pissed off by being screamed and swatted at, and they would fly away. :hi: (<----actually bye-bye)

Me happy, not being bugged by insects that can sting and sting and sting.

Win/Win :thumbsup:

[huskerlaw]

52. We actually considered leaving a cup of Coke...

out, hoping that it would climb in and drown.

I might use that as a lure, should one become necessary. Thanks!

[Ellen Forradalom]

53. Don't kill me! I'm harmless!

[huskerlaw]

58. Actually...

I think she's killed 2 of her husbands/boyfriends. :yoiks:

Then again, both roomie and I are girls, so we might be safe!

[Neshanic]

54. Lure it outside with a Gin and Tonic, seersucker jacket, and mayo based snacks.

[Mugu]

55. There's always the possibility that it's one of these.

A member of the wasp family, they drill holes into whatever they can find and lay eggs which devour their host. Sleep tight.



Regards, Mugu

[huskerlaw]

57. GOOD LORD

That's absolutely horrifying. :scared:

However, our wasp definitely didn't have an ass like that. It was normal wasp-shaped, just had a long body. ;)

[Mugu]

60. Well these guys don't eat from the inside out,

but once even the smallest hole is started the whole clan shows up. Best to stay awake if these guys are in the house.



Hoping that you stay safe tonight, Mugu

[Lethe]

59. turn down the AC as cold as it can go

cause wasps are cold blooded and they can't fly if the temp goes too low

it will just sit there and you can deal with it then.

[Mugu]

61. Here you can see the incredible damage

that just one sting can do to tissue.



Regards, Mugu