Wasp nightmare comes to life. Help me wake up.

October 8, 2012 9:06 AM

Nightmare Filter: After arriving home Saturday night I noticed a bee/wasp in the house. I mentioned to my partner that I was worried about a nest. Sunday morning I awoke to my nightmare. Our small half bath right off the master bedroom was filled with up to 70 or so wasps. I think they were paper wasps. Help.

We bought some pretty serious wasp/hornet/yellow jacket spray and that killed all of the ones that were in the room yesterday. My partner sprayed into all the crevices where they could be coming from.

This morning there's a few more. I'm not sure where they are coming from/where the nest is but I'm pretty sure they are in the wall. Likely from some sort of hole in the exterior fascia or something. Any suggestions on how to deal with this so we don't have a repeat of this situation and such that we can eliminate the chances of them building another nest elsewhere in the house in the spring? I'd prefer to handle this ourselves, but if I have to call the exterminator I will - any idea what something like that might cost though?

posted by FlamingBore to home & garden (8 answers total)

Is there a fan? Where does the air it sucks out of the bathroom go? Rooftop vent cover still in place?
posted by Mr. Yuck at 9:46 AM on October 8, 2012

Orion just came to my SOs this AM to wrangle bees in the siding working their way into the house. The bill was around $300 and the solution nearly immediate after treatment. We have been treating outdoor wasps in another area of the yard with a can of hornet killer spray and those, after fully emptying a can into the nest are still alive.

Recommendation, call exterminator.
posted by countrymod at 10:10 AM on October 8, 2012

No fan. there are windows with screens. No idea about roof vent. I've given up. There are another couple dozen. I'm frantically calling exterminators right now.
posted by FlamingBore at 10:10 AM on October 8, 2012 [1 favorite]

I lived in your bathroom for a year before I figured out where they were coming from. If I get stung by a wasp now I don't get a welt.

I ended up wrapping myself in coats/scarves/duct tape and emptying a can or two of wasp spray into the opening in the siding that I finally tracked them to. Stand outside at dusk and watch where they go. This is where you will attack.

An exterminator will charge upwards of $500 for this, which is why i had to become an expert myself.
posted by cmoj at 10:53 AM on October 8, 2012 [2 favorites]

As many wasps as you've had in just the last couple days, oh heck YES on the exterminator! The things is, sure you've killed Sunday's horde, but if they're still coming inside by the dozens?!? You've got a serious infestation, and you NEED a pro. Good luck!
posted by easily confused at 11:56 AM on October 8, 2012

If the visit from the exterminator works it'll be the best $100 I've ever spent.

He found where they were getting in and it was terrifying. He shot some powdered substance into the crevices of the brick work. Which immediately stopped additional wasps from entering the house and started driving some out. It took him about an hour of continued application before he felt confident he got all the way to the nest.

Just prior to his starting this I remembered that there were to weird vent cutouts in that wall and quickly grabbed packing tape to seal them off. I'm so glad I did. You too can no live my nightmare curtesy of Youtube. The buzzing and knocking, yes knocking, on the walls/ceiling in the laundry room is maddening.

I will now be leaving my home to drink copious amounts of alcohol. Thanks Hivemind, er Ask.Me.
posted by FlamingBore at 1:27 PM on October 8, 2012 [8 favorites]

Please next time Just say No.

Sorry I just saw this today and it fit in too well with the above video.
posted by koolkat at 9:57 AM on October 9, 2012

My gawd..... thank goodness that packing tape was handy! Just to be sure, maybe have the exterminator check back in, oh, say a week or so, to be sure all the eggs/larvae/etc. were also killed? That's one nightmare it's worth checking to avoid recurring!
posted by easily confused at 6:05 PM on October 9, 2012