what alien life form is this???

[mamita]

I call them all 'bees'. hate them all, too. I confess, obviously we seldom look up. lol we're all pleased with ourselves for buying the paint to finally clean/paint the dormers. (yes..they do need it BAD) today I look up. don't know why. and this bee spaceship has landed. I need to call hub to buy something I guess. a spray? spray at night? run for the hills? oh...I find this to be indeed high on my ICK list.

That is a hornet's nest. I believe they are called "bald-faced hornets"
ETA: When I was a kid, we threw rocks at them and run. Unless you can run faster than a 7 year old kid, that is NOT going to work.

[Alice In TX/MO]

http://www.unexco.com/gallery/hornets.html

If you are allergic to bug stings, do NOT deal with these on your own.

[Shrek]

its a hornets nest. Our local critter getter takes ones like that down after dark when the nest is asleep and seals it in a plastic container so he can exterminate the hornets and donate the nest to a science teacher. He does an easy removal as that one for a fee of about $40 here.

[mamita]

oh dear. having to get a critter getter wasn't what I wanted to hear. (ok..to be honest, I want them just to vanish and be gone next time I go outside) we're not allergic, but do have this desire not to be attacked by evil stinging creatures. Shrek, is your guy all suited up in armor to do the job, or are they really passive at night anyway?

[mamita]

Originally Posted by Wind in Her Hair

wait til winter after a few freezes -thats what we do.

that would be my best plan, but we sure do want to get the dormers painted.

[pcwerk]

or if you wait until winter they will vacate the premises, and then you can knock
it down. be warned, their sting stings!

[NickieL]

yup, they will die with winter. neat one!!!

[foxtrapper]

Wasps. Possibly the sub-species hornet, but not necessarily.

In any case, if they aren't bothering you, you don't need to do anything. Do understand that come September, they will become more aggressive.

If you're game, you can do the job yourself. I use the Spectracide spray when I'm hired to do wasp erradication jobs. I like it. Works well. Do the job at night when they are all in the nest. Blast the nest, starting at the entrance, and empty the whole can into the nest. Don't do a little squirt and then run.

[mamita]

Originally Posted by foxtrapper

Wasps. Possibly the sub-species hornet, but not necessarily.

In any case, if they aren't bothering you, you don't need to do anything. Do understand that come September, they will become more aggressive.

If you're game, you can do the job yourself. I use the Spectracide spray when I'm hired to do wasp erradication jobs. I like it. Works well. Do the job at night when they are all in the nest. Blast the nest, starting at the entrance, and empty the whole can into the nest. Don't do a little squirt and then run.

ok..this is what we'll try. is Spectracide the brand name I should tell hubby to look for then? they aren't bothering us a bit, which is why I never noticed it. (besides never looking up) but we do really, really want to get the house painting done. we do a big project every summer, and if we let the painting go again......we'll be feeling overwhelmed next year. I KNOW hubs is nevahhhh going up the big ladder with this thing there.

[Rickstir]

Billy the Exterminator!

[Cabin Fever]

What's everone looking at? All I see is a white ghost or zombie looking through the dormer window!

[motdaugrnds]

That does look like a hornet's nest. The way we get rid of them is to wait until it is dark; then take a can of "Raid Wasp & Hornet Spray" and spray a lot of this spray directly into the hole that is usually at or very near the bottom. Make sure you are not standing where that spray could fall back into your face!

[mamita]

hahahaha! CF..I saw it, too! ok..so I called hub. told him to stop at the store and ask for whatever big guns they have. he tells me he invited his mom for dinner. hey..the day keeps getting better. (don't ask me about how I walked out on the porch. breathing in fresh air after rain. coffee in hand. sip..sip..ahhh..done...bug in bottom of cup) yes, I do adore his mom, just wasn't planning on the big oven meal deal in bazillion degree heat. I was sort of thinking....toast for dinner. anyway....I feel like I should just go back up with the ghost in the window and go back to bed.....and let the spaceship do whatever it is they came here to do.

[ace admirer]

Not bees, But they are great to have around to keep the pesky insect population down....lucky you.

[Reb]

Originally Posted by Cabin Fever

What's everone looking at? All I see is a white ghost or zombie looking through the dormer window!

OMG CF, I see it! Looks like that painting of the sceaming/moaning ghost on the bridge,,,, forget who painted it. Bizarre.... LOL Reb

[mamita]

come on, now. stop talking ghostie talk. you're creeping me out.

[foxtrapper]

Spectracide is the brand name, it's a green can. Has the strongest knockdown power of anything I've tried on the retail market.

Since you say you're going to do it, lets make sure you're ready, able and understand the risks.

First. It's quite possible you'll get stung. Maybe a lot. Some hives are gentle, some are hot. Also has to do with how good your aim is. If you cannot handle this, don't spray the nest.

Second. You mentioned a ladder. How high up are you going? Standing on a ladder, while getting stung, trying to spray a nest is a darn good way to fall.

Third. Do not stand where the spray will be coming back into your face, and do not stand under the nest where the falling wasps or hornets will be landing on you. People make this mistake a lot. Especially when up a ladder.

Fourth. Setting a ladder up tends to irritate a nest like that. They see the ladder and feel the vibrations of it clanking around. You tend to end up with a bunch of wasps or hornets flying around as a result. Though with a flag tied onto the end of the ladder, I've had good luck distracting them with it, having them attack the flag, not me. In your case, set the ladder up well in advance of taking them on.

Otherwise, consider painting the rest of the house, and leaving that until after a few good cold days in the fall. You can paint in the fall, and the wasps or hornets will be dead and gone then. No excitement, no risk of stings or falls.

[AuntKitty]

Hot Shot makes a new "instant kill" wasp & hornet spray in a silver can and man, it really is instant kill. Works on flying cockroaches too. Sprayed one on the ceiling the other night and that sucker didn't even twitch once it hit the porch floor! Usually they flop around and waive their legs for awhile.

Kitty

[mamita]

Originally Posted by foxtrapper

Spectracide is the brand name, it's a green can. Has the strongest knockdown power of anything I've tried on the retail market.

Since you say you're going to do it, lets make sure you're ready, able and understand the risks.

First. It's quite possible you'll get stung. Maybe a lot. Some hives are gentle, some are hot. Also has to do with how good your aim is. If you cannot handle this, don't spray the nest.

Second. You mentioned a ladder. How high up are you going? Standing on a ladder, while getting stung, trying to spray a nest is a darn good way to fall.

Third. Do not stand where the spray will be coming back into your face, and do not stand under the nest where the falling wasps or hornets will be landing on you. People make this mistake a lot. Especially when up a ladder.

Fourth. Setting a ladder up tends to irritate a nest like that. They see the ladder and feel the vibrations of it clanking around. You tend to end up with a bunch of wasps or hornets flying around as a result. Though with a flag tied onto the end of the ladder, I've had good luck distracting them with it, having them attack the flag, not me. In your case, set the ladder up well in advance of taking them on.

Otherwise, consider painting the rest of the house, and leaving that until after a few good cold days in the fall. You can paint in the fall, and the wasps or hornets will be dead and gone then. No excitement, no risk of stings or falls.

thanks! no..not going up on the ladder to spray, was just saying he's not going up on the ladder to paint while they are there. I doubt we can paint after a freeze or 'good cold days in fall', as we usually have snow starting then. so...we're going for it. just told him what you said to buy. wish us luck! I'm hoping he has good aim from below...hits the mark of the opening. then keeps hitting, and maybe even redoing it tomorrow. this spaceship has to come down...now.