Do Wasps Damage Wood?

[The Bear]

Hi

I have hardwood sashes fitted. On the lower edge of the upper sash there is a small hole at either end, about 1/4 inch diameter. Not sure what this is for, drain holes prehaps?

Today I noticed in the space of an hour about 6 wasps enter one of the holes (might have been the same wasp 6 times, couldn't watch closely enough but didn't see any leave).

Are they likely to be causing damage? ( I have sprayed some "raid" up there in the meantime)


Mark

 

[toolsntat]

Yep could do if its this one, http://www.amentsoc.org/insects/fact-fi ... phyta.html

Did some repairs on some sash windows last year and there were that many larvae in there my chisel was covered in gunk :shock:

If there is another form of natural cavity then could be ordinary wasps moving in :evil:

Andy

 

[The Bear]

Thanks

They looked like "normal" wasps rather than the wood wasp you link to.

Anyone any idea what precautions I should take?


Mark

 

[devonwoody]

White anglo, saxon, protestants sometimes do. :wink:

 

[myturn]

Ordinary wasps use wood that they pulp to make their nests with so, yes, they can damage it.

 

[Lons]

Ordinary wasps use wood that they pulp to make their nests with so, yes, they can damage it.

+1

If you looked at my neighbours' gate it looks at if a very coarse rasp has been weilded in places. Several years an softwood but I've watched wasps chewing up the surface.

(Must have hard gums to tackle hardwood methinks though :lol: )

You don't want them nesting in your property as they can be very aggressive as I found in the past. Get some wasp nest destroyer (powder) and sqirt into the holes. Any that enter will carry it around and soon get rid of them.

Bob

 

[RogerS]

What the others have said.

At this time of year, wasps are chomping up any wood (and yes they are quite happy eating old oak) to make their nests from. The amount of wood that one wasp can consume is negligible TBH.

They usually feed on the surface though and so I think you have a nest.

I buy Nippon foam which can be squirted at the hole from quite a few metres away. To get close enough to get the powder in increase your chance of getting stung.

We had nine nests last year including one in a rotten wobbly old stump covered in that sticky grass. There was no way I could get the foam in without removing the sticky grass first. And there was no way I could remove the sticky grass without triggering the stormtroopers to attack me. Solution? Two pairs of thick trousers duck-taped to top of boots. Thick outer coat with hood, goggles and facemask - all duck tapes together so no holes. Thick gauntlets - duck taped. Check over by the wife for no holes. Then walk down with a rake, remove sticky grass from the nest opening, trying very hard to see through the misted goggles. Slow saunter back, stood outside the kitchen window while, from the safety of inside, SWMBO looked me all over or any wasps. Next night, Nippon foam.....result! Hate the bloody things.

 

[Pvt_Ryan]

We had a wasp nest in the ground in the garden. Petrol & Matches solved that...

 

[RogerS]

We had a wasp nest in the ground in the garden. Petrol & Matches solved that...

Not a good idea when the nest is up in the eaves!

 

[Pvt_Ryan]

We had a wasp nest in the ground in the garden. Petrol & Matches solved that...

Not a good idea when the nest is up in the eaves!

Depends if you like the owner or not... :roll: :roll:

 

[misterfish]

Our windows and doors are made from untreated oak and it is quite common to find the stripey ones chomping on the surface though they dont seem to cause any real damage. We also have a large green oak balcony/raised deck off of the bedroom and they also like chomping on the surface of that where they leave pale lines on the surface. However we had one 'attack' where a small pile of sawdust appeared overnight on one of the handrails of the balcony. We brushed it off and within half an hour there was another pile of sawdust so I flooded the area with Cuprinol 5 star and it immediately stopped. I then managed to extricate a dead sawfly from the hole which was right in the centre of a knot. I just cut an oak plug and glued it in the hole with PU glue and since then we have had no further problems.

With all these things you need to keep your eyes open - we had a decent sized nest in the loft a couple of years ago that we got an extermiator to deal with, but other small nests in the ground that are too near the house get treated with a couple of dosings of anti-waspnest spray foam and they are then no further problem. According to the bloke that did the nest in the loft the best thing is Nippon Ant Powder (permethrin).

Misterfish

 

[studders]

Two pairs of thick trousers duck-taped to top of boots. Thick outer coat with hood, goggles and facemask - all duck tapes together so no holes. Thick gauntlets - duck taped.

Pah!.. Wimp.

Everybody Kno the only way to attack a Wasps Nest is Totally Naked... Mano a Waspo, armed with nothing more than a Fly Swat.


:lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Benchwayze]

I hate wasps too, and seem to attract the ruddy things.

However, if you have a nest, then provided they are doing no damage, and you don't have to cross their flight path regularly, leave them be. They prey on flies and bluebottles, carving them up and taking them to the nest to feed their own larvae.

In the autumn the wasps will desert the nest and then you can dispose of it without problems.

If you really have to get rid of a nest, then okay, there are various products to assist you. But in my experience it is well worth £40.00 or so, to call in the experts.

When I am working in the shop, I put an empty jam jar, (with the scrapings of the jam therein), just outside the door. Put about three inches of water in the jar. The wasps go for the jam and drown in the water. So not too many wasps in the shop!


FWIW!

John

 

[Lons]

Everybody Kno the only way to attack a Wasps Nest is Totally Naked... Mano a Waspo, armed with nothing more than a Fly Swat.

:lol: :lol: :lol:

That'll be why your avatars' face looks as if it's been stung a hundred times then Studders?

 

[adidat]

is this any help?


adidat

 

[studders]

That'll be why your avatars' face looks as if it's been stung a hundred times then Studders?

Avatar? How very dare you, I paid £5 to have that photo taken.
And yes, one does suffer a few stings during the battle but, all part of the excitement.

 

[Eric The Viking]

I buy Nippon foam which can be squirted at the hole from quite a few metres away. To get close enough to get the powder in increase your chance of getting stung.

+1 That stuff worked really well for us.

To avoid getting stung, BTW, deal with wasps nests after dark, or if using the foaming spray, around dawn, so that it's carried into the nest. I think the lower the air temperature, the less aggressive and aerobatic they are too.

E.

 

[Eric The Viking]

That'll be why your avatars' face looks as if it's been stung a hundred times then Studders?

Avatar? How very dare you, I paid £5 to have that photo taken.

You were most definitely stung then...


... coat?

E.

 

[studders]

And Hat.

 

[The Bear]

Thanks for all the replies

I'll be buying some Nippon stuff and squirting it up the hole then

Mark