WD 40

skeets

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Equipment
BX 2360 /B2601
Oct 2, 2009
14,550
3,298
113
SW Pa
I just found a new to me use for WD 40,, I moved some things around my one little raised bed and got hammered but, wasp, hornets, or some kind of flying stinging bug. And the only thing close by was wd 40,, knocked them right out of the air and soaked the nest any that came out dropped,,,, yeahhhhh
 
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Daren Todd

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Massey Ferguson 1825E, Kubota Z121S, Box blade, Rotary Cutter
May 18, 2014
10,145
6,568
113
Vilonia, Arkansas
I just found a new to me use for WD 40,, I moved some things around my one little raised bed and got hammered but, wasp, hornets, or some kind of flying stinging bug. And the only thing close by was wd 40,, knocked them right out of the air and soaked the nest any that came out dropped,,,, yeahhhhh
I use brake cleaner quite often at work.

As well as the occasional contact cleaner.

Whatever is handy 😁
 

mcmxi

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***Current*** M6060HDC, MX6000HSTC & GL7000 ***Sold*** MX6000HST & BX25DLB
Feb 9, 2021
5,296
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NW Montana
I just found a new to me use for WD 40,, I moved some things around my one little raised bed and got hammered but, wasp, hornets, or some kind of flying stinging bug. And the only thing close by was wd 40,, knocked them right out of the air and soaked the nest any that came out dropped,,,, yeahhhhh
Soapy water is effective and cheap too! Wasps and the like breathe through their "skin" and soapy water suffocates them, surprisingly quickly.
 
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Botamon

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M7060HDC12, John Deere 2020 diesel
Mar 26, 2018
283
512
93
Winnemucca, Nevada
This time of year black widow spiders begin showing up in my garage and basement. A quick squirt of WD40 from a distance kills them dead. They manage to run a short distance and then just stop. Permanently.
 

KKBL

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L2501 HST QA 525 loader, 42" forks, brush hog, grader/box/back blades
Jan 5, 2022
95
103
33
Girard, PA
A chimney sweep and repair guy we have used for 30+ years told us that he found spray adhesive (like 3M super 77) knocks them down instantly, because their wings become unusable as soon as it hits them. He learned it when, as skeets said, it was the only thing close by at the time. Hard to get away from them fast if you are up on a ladder.
 

lugbolt

Well-known member

Equipment
ZG127S-54
Oct 15, 2015
5,203
1,889
113
Mid, South, USA
my old boss has a run-in with them

he was a deer hunter, hunted with some older folks down in the southern part of the state, on a lease.

August, they start 'getting things ready'. Had a bunch of box stands out there and they typically run out there a couple weekends in august to clean up and such.

His friend (about 77 as I remember at the time) went down to do some cleanup, during the week. His wife called me on Friday wanting to know if he'd been by here. I ain't seen him, why? She said he went to camp and ain't nobody heard from him. My boss was out at a meeting at the time and when he came back I told him that the wife of the man called trying to find him. Boss said "he's at deer camp". He tried to call the people who live in the area and they were in Florida, so my boss just left to go check on him. Well aparently the man got up in the box stand and got into a bunch of red wasps, that swarmed him and killed him. That would have been on Tuesday, so his stung body was in the stand for 3 or 4 days in August, so you can imagine.

I don't mess with wasps of any kind and I despise red wasps. I will kill every single one of them. Always have, but I've been stung a bunch of times as a youn'n, to the point where I'm allergic to those and hornets and yellowjackets. I get bad swollen in the neck where it's hard to breathe so I have to keep one of those epi pen things with me most times.

In my front yard I have some bushes, kinda close to the house. One of the bushes has a bunch of those little wasp-looking things that go in and out of it all the time during the day. Never been stung by one but I am gonna find a way to get rid of them one way or another without killing the bush.

Then in my shop I have dirt dobbers. They build the nest along the door jambs and they set off the alarm and cameras. I can't get rid of them either, the more I kill the more show up and build more nests. They will sting as well if you smack them or something. BUT I also understand that they have a purpose, and they eat spiders and I TRY my best to get along with them for that reason. I have lots and lots of widows and recluses in the shop. Seen a recluse earlier and mashed it with my shoe and then burnt it with the propane torch. I hate them. And I hate tarantulas too, which we have plenty of around here.
 

jyoutz

Well-known member

Equipment
MX6000 HST open station, FEL, 6’ cutter, forks, 8’ rear blade, 7’ cultivator
Jan 14, 2019
2,972
2,015
113
Edgewood, New Mexico
my old boss has a run-in with them

he was a deer hunter, hunted with some older folks down in the southern part of the state, on a lease.

August, they start 'getting things ready'. Had a bunch of box stands out there and they typically run out there a couple weekends in august to clean up and such.

His friend (about 77 as I remember at the time) went down to do some cleanup, during the week. His wife called me on Friday wanting to know if he'd been by here. I ain't seen him, why? She said he went to camp and ain't nobody heard from him. My boss was out at a meeting at the time and when he came back I told him that the wife of the man called trying to find him. Boss said "he's at deer camp". He tried to call the people who live in the area and they were in Florida, so my boss just left to go check on him. Well aparently the man got up in the box stand and got into a bunch of red wasps, that swarmed him and killed him. That would have been on Tuesday, so his stung body was in the stand for 3 or 4 days in August, so you can imagine.

I don't mess with wasps of any kind and I despise red wasps. I will kill every single one of them. Always have, but I've been stung a bunch of times as a youn'n, to the point where I'm allergic to those and hornets and yellowjackets. I get bad swollen in the neck where it's hard to breathe so I have to keep one of those epi pen things with me most times.

In my front yard I have some bushes, kinda close to the house. One of the bushes has a bunch of those little wasp-looking things that go in and out of it all the time during the day. Never been stung by one but I am gonna find a way to get rid of them one way or another without killing the bush.

Then in my shop I have dirt dobbers. They build the nest along the door jambs and they set off the alarm and cameras. I can't get rid of them either, the more I kill the more show up and build more nests. They will sting as well if you smack them or something. BUT I also understand that they have a purpose, and they eat spiders and I TRY my best to get along with them for that reason. I have lots and lots of widows and recluses in the shop. Seen a recluse earlier and mashed it with my shoe and then burnt it with the propane torch. I hate them. And I hate tarantulas too, which we have plenty of around here.
Spray Sevin on the bush. This is used in gardens to kill squash bugs and other insects. It won’t hurt the bush. You’ll have to mix it with water in a pump up garden sprayer.
 

D2Cat

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Lifetime Member

Equipment
L305DT, B7100HST, TG1860, TG1860D, L4240
Mar 27, 2014
13,810
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40 miles south of Kansas City
I keep wasp out from under the lid to the propane tank by putting a bag of moth ball under there. Nothing else likes it there either!
 
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hagrid

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K1600GTL, ZX-14R
Jun 11, 2018
930
1,196
93
Pittsburgh
For a long time one of the ingredients of RAID Wasp Killer was petroleum distillate.

The water based version should be labeled RAID Wasp Motivator or Invigorator.

"Reenergizes lazy, drowsy wasps and other stinging insects."
 
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Speed25

Active member

Equipment
L2501(sold) - BX25D
Apr 23, 2024
137
188
43
NC
Usually I've had good luck with my usual foaming bee spray on yellow jacket nests in the ground. Had one a month ago that the spray had no effect on. Carb cleaner into their hole didn't do anything either. I read that dish soap was good, so I went out after dark, dumped a half container of Dawn into the hole, followed by a water hose and never saw any more of those little suckers. With the price of bee spray and all these other chemicals so high, I'll probably just start using the cheaper dish soap.

Ironically, we had a tropical storm come through and dump a bunch of rain on us shortly after, and I fully expected to see a mound of soapy suds in the yard, but sadly, there were none.
 

lugbolt

Well-known member

Equipment
ZG127S-54
Oct 15, 2015
5,203
1,889
113
Mid, South, USA
Jumped on the tractor yesterday at dusk, almost too dark to see. Was going to move the trailer out so I can load the car on it. Got stung 4 times that I can count. Suckers must have a nest up under the seat. Got real sick too. Was a little hard to breathe this morning. Looks like I have work to do. Again.
 
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DustyRusty

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Equipment
2020 BX23S, BX2822 Snowblower, Curtis Deluxe Cab,
Nov 8, 2015
6,237
4,814
113
North East CT
Jumped on the tractor yesterday at dusk, almost too dark to see. Was going to move the trailer out so I can load the car on it. Got stung 4 times that I can count. Suckers must have a nest up under the seat. Got real sick too. Was a little hard to breathe this morning. Looks like I have work to do. Again.
When you get stung, dab some Adolph's meat tenderizer moistened with warm water on the sting. The meat tenderizer breaks down the proteins in the venom. Use your epi pen and replace it. That is better than going to sleep and passing away in bed. If you had gone to the hospital they would have put a 24 hour heart monitor on you as a precaution.
 
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Lil Foot

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1979 B7100DT Gear, Nissan Hanix N150-2 Excavator
May 19, 2011
7,515
2,545
113
Peoria, AZ
Had an acquaintance who found a large hornet's nest in his pole barn.
He grabbed a large shop vac and sucked 'em all up, then capped the vacuum hose.
He let it sit for a week.
When he opened it up to clean out the bodies, several came out & stung the crap out of him.
About 20 stings if I remember correctly.
If not for his EPI pen, they said he would have died.
He spent 2 days in the hospital.

I've always been a big fan of brake cleaner for such incidents.