Invasion of the Wasps

So what if it this fall. We have been inundated with wasps. They swarm all around the house and yard. It does not feel safe to enjoy the nice fall weather. The wasps are in the landscape blocks looking for hoes to get inside and build nests. I used mortar mix in the tube and tried to seal up as many of the holes as I can find. The wasps are determined and manage to reopen some of the holes.

S.S. was stung twice last month as he inadvertently went too close to a wasp next in some cement blocks. I have been lucky and they have not stung me, yet. I try and do my hole sealing in the morning before the sun hits the hole. The wasps are sleepy and not active.

I am not talking about a few wasps, we have hundreds that buzz around the house all day looking for holes I guess. I even had to use silicone between some deck boards as they seemed to have built a nest somewhere between the boards. Probably in the dry rotten wood.  I will say that the wasp spray works great and from far away.

I have just finished painting the exterior of our house and I had to really think about how and when to paint to try and cut down the the wasp issue.   Early morning was best as they are not active yet. Boy when the sun hits where they are, they just start their buzzing all around. Nothing like being up on a ladder, holding your paint try and trying to dodge a wasp.

S.S. thought it was funny the way I painted. Of course he is afraid of heights.  The other side of the house is even taller as the previous owner dug for a new basement but never finished it, so we just have a big hole and a living room door with one big step to the ground.
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S.S.  took this picture and wrote a funny caption...

Is your ladder TOO SHORT for those hard-to-reach paint jobs? Don’t stand on that unsafe top step! But don’t spend $$$$ on a bigger ladder! Get the new Laddr-Xtender! Yes, Laddr-Xtender increases ANY ladders height nearly three full feet.

Stable, safe and secure! Less than one fifth the cost of a clumsy, hard-to-store bigger ladder. Get one today! (OSHA approval pending.) (Auxiliary ladder for climbing up to Xtender-ed ladder not included.)


You have to admit he's a good writer.


Oh, but I digress from the wasps.


One problem I know is that the previous owner set up an automatic water system for the birds and animals.  It too is surrounded by wasps all day all summer. I feel bad for the birds and animals like the bunnies, though they do not seem to have been stung.  Still not fun to have to worry about that while trying to get some water.  Have not figured out a way to discourage the wasps from the water and I hate to take it away from all the critters.

The bobcat does not come by very often and if you are not looking outside at the right moment you will miss his visit.

With the good comes the bad I guess.

So tonight the hubby was out  putting the glass bottles in the back of the vehicle to take to the recycling center - the plastic garbage can had split and as he moved a bag to remove it - you guessed it wasps attacked - they were making a nest inside the can - as he flailed his hands to protect himself (you remember he was stung twice last month) his wedding ring flew off.  He could not find it - but like a good wife I found it -  he was very relieved - I was happy he was not stung.