wasps nest in mineral feeders

[dieselbeef]

got stung twice soon as I touched the feeder..just went to check minerals and salt...

I don't do well with wasps bees..i swell like a hot air balloon..epeipen on the mule at all times

anyone else deal with this...kinda explains why it wasn't getting used much...must be a big nest I saw at least 20 flying as I was running away

 

[Bright Raven]

Yes sir. Thanks for bringing this forward. I have 2 barrel feeders on the back 30. I have had to tear down wasps nests all summer. Makes me wonder if it deters the cows from using them.

 

[MRRherefords]

Had that problem with one of my creep feeders this year. Finally sprayed them after killing a few with my hat and a tennis racket.

 

[kd4au]

Yes, I have wasp nest in my barrel mineral feeders. I spray them. Usually I only have trouble when I rotate pastures and the cows or not using the feeder for a few days. My cows eat a lot of mineral so I'm putting mineral in them on a regular basis.

 

[dieselbeef]

the spray don't keep the cows from using it..that why I didn't hose it down..its got a lot in it so I didn't wanna ruin it with spray

 

[TN Cattle Man]

Barrel feeders will attract wasps just due to the fact that there is such a large protected area of unused area in the barrel. We used to see this problem in our "shed" style of mineral feeders as well. Changing all feeders over to the ground style mineral feeders (the ones with the big rubber flaps on them) will solve this issue.

 

[Bright Raven]

Barrel feeders will attract wasps just due to the fact that there is such a large protected area of unused area in the barrel. We used to see this problem in our "shed" style of mineral feeders as well. Changing all feeders over to the ground style mineral feeders (the ones with the big rubber flaps on them) will solve this issue.

Brian,

I started out with the ground feeders with the flaps. I still use one in the facility holding pen. I now like the feeders with an above ground trough and low metal roof. Mine is made by the Amish and is constructed out of heavy ork

 

[kd4au]

the spray don't keep the cows from using it..that why I didn't hose it down..its got a lot in it so I didn't wanna ruin it with spray

Not sure if I ever sprayed with min. in the feeder and I don't spray but enough to get them. I have knocked them down with a stick and they usually leave if I have a lot of min. that I don't want to waste.

 

[Bright Raven]

the spray don't keep the cows from using it..that why I didn't hose it down..its got a lot in it so I didn't wanna ruin it with spray

Not sure if I ever sprayed with min. in the feeder and I don't spray but enough to get them. I have knocked them down with a stick and they usually leave if I have a lot of min. that I don't want to waste.

That is what I do. I put on my welding gloves and mash the nest and wasps. I would not spray over my minerals.

 

[cowgirl8]

You can just throw water with a tad of Dawn soap on them and it kills almost instantly.. We had a nest above our sawmill that we didn't notice (It was the size of a dinner plate, lol doh). We kept having wasp flying around our face. Started on a saw pass and I looked up and saw this nest and all the wasp looking at us. It was high up, about 15 ft so I couldn't throw soapy water at them. We used a spray made for wasp and it did almost nothing at first other than make them fly and took forever to kill the first one. We kept having to spray it and it made the sawmill area unusable for a while. I looked in one of our mineral feeders yesterday and there is a giant nest in there, but i'll use soapy water so that I kill them fast...I'll fill a coffee can up with warm water(warm water helps some but isn't that important)..i'll just squirt in a tad of dawn..It works amazing fast, its all I use except for the ones high up...

 

[Bright Raven]

You can just throw water with a tad of Dawn soap on them and it kills almost instantly.. We had a nest above our sawmill that we didn't notice (It was the size of a dinner plate, lol doh). We kept having wasp flying around our face. Started on a saw pass and I looked up and saw this nest and all the wasp looking at us. It was high up, about 15 ft so I couldn't throw soapy water at them. We used a spray made for wasp and it did almost nothing at first other than make them fly and took forever to kill the first one. We kept having to spray it and it made the sawmill area unusable for a while. I looked in one of our mineral feeders yesterday and there is a giant nest in there, but i'll use soapy water so that I kill them fast...I'll fill a coffee can up with warm water(warm water helps some but isn't that important)..i'll just squirt in a tad of dawn..It works amazing fast, its all I use except for the ones high up...

Agree. Oils or detergents block the small tubes called spiracles on each abdominal segment that exchanges air. Thus, they quickly suffocate.

 

[cowgirl8]

You can just throw water with a tad of Dawn soap on them and it kills almost instantly.. We had a nest above our sawmill that we didn't notice (It was the size of a dinner plate, lol doh). We kept having wasp flying around our face. Started on a saw pass and I looked up and saw this nest and all the wasp looking at us. It was high up, about 15 ft so I couldn't throw soapy water at them. We used a spray made for wasp and it did almost nothing at first other than make them fly and took forever to kill the first one. We kept having to spray it and it made the sawmill area unusable for a while. I looked in one of our mineral feeders yesterday and there is a giant nest in there, but i'll use soapy water so that I kill them fast...I'll fill a coffee can up with warm water(warm water helps some but isn't that important)..i'll just squirt in a tad of dawn..It works amazing fast, its all I use except for the ones high up...

Agree. Oils or detergents block the small tubes called spiracles on each abdominal segment that exchanges air. Thus, they quickly suffocate.

It takes so little too. I had a old guy long ago tell me they used their old dish water to kill them..now that's being frugal...

 

[True Grit Farms]

the spray don't keep the cows from using it..that why I didn't hose it down..its got a lot in it so I didn't wanna ruin it with spray

Not sure if I ever sprayed with min. in the feeder and I don't spray but enough to get them. I have knocked them down with a stick and they usually leave if I have a lot of min. that I don't want to waste.

That is what I do. I put on my welding gloves and mash the nest and wasps. I would not spray over my minerals.

Why? A little bit of wasp spray isn't going to hurt a cow. If it's approved for over the counter usage it can't be harmful. Starting fluid - brake kleen will kill wasp better than most sprays.

 

[skyhightree1]

I use a sprayer with permethrin and talstar in it just one lil shot and it takes care of them I would rather have to dump some mineral than getting ate up by them. It hits them they cant fly and fall start crawling then die.

 

[cowgirl8]

Why use anything other than soap?

 

[Bright Raven]

I use a sprayer with permethrin and talstar in it just one lil shot and it takes care of them I would rather have to dump some mineral than getting ate up by them. It hits them they cant fly and fall start crawling then die.

Sky, I use Vitaferm Conceptaid. Not cheap! Not going to dump my mineral if I can prevent it.

 

[dieselbeef]

since im very close to being allergic to em..I stay away mostly but yall think it keeps the cows out of the barrel. mine are hanging barrel types. they gotta stick their whole head inside I figure that's why they aren't using much minerals...salt barrel has no wasps...

 

[skyhightree1]

I use a sprayer with permethrin and talstar in it just one lil shot and it takes care of them I would rather have to dump some mineral than getting ate up by them. It hits them they cant fly and fall start crawling then die.

Sky, I use Vitaferm Conceptaid. Not cheap! Not going to dump my mineral if I can prevent it.

:lol: :lol: That's where we differ I hate bee stings and bees and all of that so I don't care if it was 200 worth of mineral in there id either dump it or just skim off the top that I think some overspray went :lol: I do not place money before my health and well being.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

Yes sir. Thanks for bringing this forward. I have 2 barrel feeders on the back 30. I have had to tear down wasps nests all summer. Makes me wonder if it deters the cows from using them.

nope,,they'll keep eating the minerals,regardless of the wasp....don't even think they bother one an other...

 

[cowgirl8]

We have a big mineral feeder, with a roof and all.. There is a huge nest at the end of it under the roof. I looked in on it yesterday and the wasp were all facing me...I slowly backed out and dashed off. Later today, i'll take a coffee can of soapy water and do them in.
I had a nest in a gate post. Every time i'd go through the gate, they'd come out and warn me. The crew who built the H section attempted to close off the pipe, but the piece they welded on had just enough room for the wasp to go through. One cold morning, I found a piece of paper and slid it in closing off their exit. There was no way to get soapy water on them or even spray.