Unconventional Wasp Nest Disposal

[Flying10uk]

HEALTH WARNING, please do not try replicating the following which is very dangerous and could result in serious injury to yourself or others. This was done before the invention of health and safety.

During the 1930s and 40s my Grandfather had a novel way of getting rid of ground wasp nests which I have never heard of anyone else doing anything similar. When my Grandfather had a problem wasp nest in the ground he would sprinkle a little gun powder over the top of the wasp nest and then "carefully" toss a lighted match into the gun powder. Because the gun powder was not in an enclosed vessel there was only a sudden flash then, presumably, a few flames and enough to kill the wasps. I have not personally witnessed this procedure but my father did and so I know it worked. Apparently you needed the sudden initial flash to kill the wasps instantly or the wasps may have had their revenge.

It is possible that my Grandfather learnt this trick in Australia where he spent a few years as a boy while his family attempted to make a living from sheep farming. I have mentioned this novel wasp disposal method to a number of people over the years but no-one has ever heard of anyone else doing anything similar. My Grandfather had access to the gun powder, I assume, because he was a shot gun and rifle owner for many years.

Information

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[WarPig1976]

Doesn't sound so crazy to me, in fact using explosives to rid oneself of an insect invasion is understandable. I do something similar only with a can of starting fluid and a lighter. Makes for a makeshift flamethrower that deals instant death to all would be Kamikaze insects and their demon spawn. Works well on a bug we call a Spricket around here too. They look like a cross between a spider and cricket, nasty little ....ers. Wife won't go in the basement to do laundry when they've invaded so they ALL gotta die.

[browningautorifle]

There are directional sprays available today that kill them dead without fail. You wait until evening, after dark preferably when they're all at rest and simply spray into the entrance, soaking the nest. No flames, no hazard...just dead pests.

[WarPig1976]

. No flames, no hazard

,no fun.

[jonnyc]

"Spricket"??? That must be a Delco thing........nothing like that up in Chester Cty!

[WarPig1976]

"Spricket"??? That must be a Delco thing........nothing like that up in Chester Cty!

Yup, apparently also called a Cave Cricket, yuck.....
Rhaphidophoridae - Wikipedia

[browningautorifle]

,no fun.

I had entertained the idea of a can of spray silicone and a lighter. The directional spray actually works better...

[Youngblood]

My maternal grandfather (my house is on the west side of his farm) taught me the gasoline-down-the-hole trick for yellow jackets (ground wasps) back in the 60s.

More recently, I use RAID Wasp & Hornet spray (the directional, high-volume stuff) ... knocks them down on contact.

When I locate a nest of the little buggers, I recon during the day to check for all of the entrances ... each will need a rock, which I locate and place nearby.

After dark I quickly seal all entrances but one, nuke it heavily and drop the last rock on it.

That usually solves the problem.

[browningautorifle]

More recently, I use RAID Wasp & Hornet spray (the directional, high-volume stuff) ... knocks them down on contact.

That's the stuff I like.

[belongabill1916]

Still use the petrol down the hole method mentioned by Bob