greybeard
Well-known member
I hate the red devils. Mean, fast and mobile. Sherman and Rommel had nothing compared to their capacity.
(sigh.. )
For years, I had a garden immediately beside my cowpen, with a 12' gate leading from cowpen into the garden. Rabbits and crows became a problem, and someone told me (erroneously) that one of those plastic owls mounted up high would keep both away from my vegetables. The one I got, had a round hole in the bottom, so I mounted it on a 1 1/2 x 1 1/2" square stick and a cross member to make it look like it was sitting on a perch (or as my wife said, sitting up there with a stick up his rectum.)
You can see it here, above the stock trailer, with the stick screwed to where a gate latches.
It did no good, as one day when my melons were nearly ripe, there were 2 crows sittin on the perch alongside their new friend Hooty, waiting to swoop down and start pecking while another bunch were already busy on the sweet corn. I quit the garden a couple of 3 years ago but the owl remained. The big problem was, that every year, a band of the red marauders would build a nest up inside the owl, and as it gets hot here a large portion of the wasps congregated on that vertical stick near the entrance hole to buzz their wings to provide ventilation to the rest of the colony and the nest. Every time I went to open that gate, or even went by the post in the now defunct garden to mow or use the weed eater, the winged hellions would attack me. I had tried unsuccessfully this summer, to mount counterattacks with wasp spray, but could never get enough of it up in Hooty's ass to kill them all. (Gravity was not my friend) After my 2nd failed chemical assault on them, I had enough. I knew to wait until the cover of darkness meant the long range reconnaissance patrols and airborne raiders had returned to their HQ to debrief and rest up for the next mornings sorties, so I found an old floor mop, tied it's strings up with wire into a ball and poured some diesel on it. I ignited it, walked up and held the flaming ball up below the hole and did see a lot fall out, wings singed but the diesel soaked mop strings quickly began to fall off and onto the creosoted cross tie the fence post was made of. Not wanting to have to dig another 4' posthole, I quickly extinguished the post fire with the water hose from a nearby cow trough. We (myself and the wasps) each retired from the field of battle for the night, but the next afternoon revealed I had done little damage. A draw at best. A good sized group was already on the upright stick fanning their wings, waiting for orders and a target to materialize.
After night fell, I decide that since I couldn't penetrate their owl shaped bunker, I would call in a fire mission. 3-4 quick rounds of 7 1/2 20ga from 15 ft and it was over. 900 bbs in a couple of seconds was pure carnage on the receiving end. They never knew what hit 'em.
Victorious at last, I picked up the empty shells and felt the deep satisfaction that such a complete mission warrants.
I often sit on the small back porch in the mornings, on a 3' wooden stepladder that is no longer safe to climb on, and drink my first couple cups of coffee, contemplating what (if anything) I will do for the day. (Retirement and 7 decades has it's perks) As the porch is small, the ladder sits right next to one of the railings. I happened to bend out over the rail, look up a few days after the destruction of the owl, and this is what I saw just 4' above my head.
Back to the dollar store armory for more chemical, as shotshell was out of the question at that location. I knew there was another nest on the front porch eave, but it was down on one end and not bothersome, but I intended to get both the same time.
Rain came so I waited a few days and then found the front porch nest had mysteriously fallen to the ground. The wasps tho, in very large numbers were still congregated where the nest had been a few days prior. All the cells on the fallen nest were open, so I assumed the new brood had emerged and joined the colony for a big meet and greet at the old home place. A pretty tight group, so I was sure I could get most if not all of them in one fell swope.
I waited for dark again.
I used my led headlight, but as I walked around the side of the front porch, the wasps were gone. Every single one.
To the back I went, and sprayed the whole can and killed them from 17' below. They fell in spiral fashion onto the railing and on to God's good Earth.
Next morning, tho you can't see it here, I noticed there were also dozens of maggoty looking larvae laying around too. The chemical in the spray had dissolved many of the cell caps and out they fell. (Gravity not so bad after all)
(sigh.. )
For years, I had a garden immediately beside my cowpen, with a 12' gate leading from cowpen into the garden. Rabbits and crows became a problem, and someone told me (erroneously) that one of those plastic owls mounted up high would keep both away from my vegetables. The one I got, had a round hole in the bottom, so I mounted it on a 1 1/2 x 1 1/2" square stick and a cross member to make it look like it was sitting on a perch (or as my wife said, sitting up there with a stick up his rectum.)
You can see it here, above the stock trailer, with the stick screwed to where a gate latches.
It did no good, as one day when my melons were nearly ripe, there were 2 crows sittin on the perch alongside their new friend Hooty, waiting to swoop down and start pecking while another bunch were already busy on the sweet corn. I quit the garden a couple of 3 years ago but the owl remained. The big problem was, that every year, a band of the red marauders would build a nest up inside the owl, and as it gets hot here a large portion of the wasps congregated on that vertical stick near the entrance hole to buzz their wings to provide ventilation to the rest of the colony and the nest. Every time I went to open that gate, or even went by the post in the now defunct garden to mow or use the weed eater, the winged hellions would attack me. I had tried unsuccessfully this summer, to mount counterattacks with wasp spray, but could never get enough of it up in Hooty's ass to kill them all. (Gravity was not my friend) After my 2nd failed chemical assault on them, I had enough. I knew to wait until the cover of darkness meant the long range reconnaissance patrols and airborne raiders had returned to their HQ to debrief and rest up for the next mornings sorties, so I found an old floor mop, tied it's strings up with wire into a ball and poured some diesel on it. I ignited it, walked up and held the flaming ball up below the hole and did see a lot fall out, wings singed but the diesel soaked mop strings quickly began to fall off and onto the creosoted cross tie the fence post was made of. Not wanting to have to dig another 4' posthole, I quickly extinguished the post fire with the water hose from a nearby cow trough. We (myself and the wasps) each retired from the field of battle for the night, but the next afternoon revealed I had done little damage. A draw at best. A good sized group was already on the upright stick fanning their wings, waiting for orders and a target to materialize.
After night fell, I decide that since I couldn't penetrate their owl shaped bunker, I would call in a fire mission. 3-4 quick rounds of 7 1/2 20ga from 15 ft and it was over. 900 bbs in a couple of seconds was pure carnage on the receiving end. They never knew what hit 'em.
Victorious at last, I picked up the empty shells and felt the deep satisfaction that such a complete mission warrants.
I often sit on the small back porch in the mornings, on a 3' wooden stepladder that is no longer safe to climb on, and drink my first couple cups of coffee, contemplating what (if anything) I will do for the day. (Retirement and 7 decades has it's perks) As the porch is small, the ladder sits right next to one of the railings. I happened to bend out over the rail, look up a few days after the destruction of the owl, and this is what I saw just 4' above my head.
Back to the dollar store armory for more chemical, as shotshell was out of the question at that location. I knew there was another nest on the front porch eave, but it was down on one end and not bothersome, but I intended to get both the same time.
Rain came so I waited a few days and then found the front porch nest had mysteriously fallen to the ground. The wasps tho, in very large numbers were still congregated where the nest had been a few days prior. All the cells on the fallen nest were open, so I assumed the new brood had emerged and joined the colony for a big meet and greet at the old home place. A pretty tight group, so I was sure I could get most if not all of them in one fell swope.
I waited for dark again.
I used my led headlight, but as I walked around the side of the front porch, the wasps were gone. Every single one.
To the back I went, and sprayed the whole can and killed them from 17' below. They fell in spiral fashion onto the railing and on to God's good Earth.
Next morning, tho you can't see it here, I noticed there were also dozens of maggoty looking larvae laying around too. The chemical in the spray had dissolved many of the cell caps and out they fell. (Gravity not so bad after all)
