Inside a pipe gate is always a fun surprise.

First week working for USFS back in the mid- eighties I learned to light paper towels on fire and hold in the opening where the lock is on the pipe to get rid of the wasps.

I end up with one under the cowling of my boat every summer. I guess I should just use it more to avoid it.

Under my tractor hood hood

Inside the gate lock box where the "T" shaped slider goes down and then the lock is placed. 8 gates and 6 have nests so far.....j.k

Last year I had cans of the chicken mix out pretty much all summer. I don't believe I have seen a wasp or yellow jacket all this year, just lots of Bumble Bees. I am good with that.

If you find a tank that doesn’t have a wasp nest let me know, lol. Normally it’s those dang little Guinea Wasps too!!

I found this on my way in to check my lock-on stand the other day, lol.



I now have a new route to my stand!

In the door hinge pocket of a 1952 truck cab. I hauled it home from 50 miles away, but one of them hung on all the way to my house. Either that or it hatched out of the nest after a few days at my house. She was not happy with me nor my impact wrench on the a hinge bolts.
She stung me. I poisoned her right out of the air. I call it a draw.
How do I know she was a she? Male wasps are reasonable.
Female wasps are straight up 'you know whats', who can do 'you know what' to my 'you know what'.
I apologize for my strong language, but I am not a big fan of those creatures.

How about at a little building at a cell site…under the door.
Had a call out and drove over to the site and went to go in the building where all the equipment is and let the door come back against my leg (wearing shorts) as I was looking for the inside lights. As you can guess a wasp popped me on the back of the calf which made me take off running through the door with buzzing going on around me. Now these aren’t big buildings but in the complete darkness I still managed to get a good amount of momentum before running almost face first into the opposite wall!
It’s still dark…I still hear buzzing and still getting stung…and I can see just a hint of light from where the door is. With wasp stings and blood coming from my head I take off for where I’m sure the door is…only I run into a transformer in the dark which almost takes out a hip and my breath!
I finally get to the door and out and make my way back to my van. I called in and told them I have NO ACCESS and was heading home or the ER to take care of a little accident, lol.
I got home and walked through the door with blood and welps all over me and my wife thought I’d either gotten jumped or had a wreck!
So yeah, I hate those dang things!!

Dryer vent. Don't reach into one , I learned one day.

Had very small nests under and sometimes inside a standard metal mailbox.

Nothing like being on a ladder and looking down to see a swarm of hornets or yellow jackets around the base of ladder that's leaning into a rhododendron bush. Took 20 minutes for the hornets to calm down, another 10 to brave the decent. Made it down unscathed to find a softball sized nest.

Under a gutter guard is another surprise waiting to happen while on a ladder. I've been stung on the nose at least twice 20' up.

x2 ........ Them (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman) (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman) are every where this year! I get some enjoyment out of NUKING them anyway possible. Looking forward to a hard freeze.

Climbed into my hang on tree stand one October morning in the dark. Started getting a little light and I soon have a wasp buzzing around. Slapped him out of the air with my hat and got settled and still again. Wasn't long and here is another one, same beat down and back to watching.
When the third one showed up I decided that was enough, slapped him out of the air and stood up to see if I could locate the nest nearby. Turned out it was in the 1x2 tubing that made up the spine of the stand.
Hunting was done, bailed out and came back with wasp spray. Didn't get stung.

Had one come out of a gate post as I was opening gate, came down and popped me on the eyelid and nearly swole it shut. I spent the next few days with multiple cans of wasp spray looking in every crack and nook I thought might hold a nest and tried to put them on the endangered list.

Picked up my 3D pig target one day while mowing and hand instantly was on fire. Knew exactly what it was and had 2 guinea wasps on my hand. Got armed up and went back and there was a baseball size nest with probably 20 on it. Don't know how I only got stung twice but I killed every one of them and considered us even

Wolfie I can't even remember how many times we got stung as kids by wasps living in those valve covers.

Under a stack of magazines in the outhouse at camp.

Two years later I went to do my morning visit and saw a flicker of movement under the pile. I smacked the pile with my shoe. Next thing I knew the pile raised up and the buzzing started. Beautiful yellow phase timber rattler came out from under looking for a fight. I unloaded the shotgun about 10 times into the out house and then burnt it where it stood.

We got indoor plumbing that summer.

I have an outlet just outside the back door , every year it gets a nest
the aluminum weather hood is where they build the nest so you almost need a right angle sprayer on the can of wasp spray to get them.

if you're smart you set your alarm to go spray them at 5am

if your not you probably get hit doing it

the kids don't have the patients to wait till 0500 when the temp is 50 and they are all quiet

One thing that I have done that does seem to make a difference is spraying areas thoroughly that are prone to getting nests with mosquito repellent. I imagine the Deet is a deterrent to some extent. It does wear off over a time, but I have found that if I spray under lock box covers say once a month they don't build there.

Every year, there’s several new nests of wasps under the top railing lip on my above ground pool.

Propane guys here always approach the tank carefully and have cans of wasp spray at the ready, lol

I've had them there quite often, but last year I had them in an old refrigerator I use for a smoker. Got a surprise when I opened the door. They aren't like bees, they can sting you repeatedly.

the deet is really hard on plastic
and even metal is covered in plastic paint a lot now

I would be curios if the same would be true of Permethrin , it would cost less also and not hard on plastic
almost wonder if taking your used thermocell pads soaking them in permethrin concentrate and putting one in a lock box after they dry would give you good long protection.

might be worth experimenting