Tiger Wasps

[UKJASE]

hey guys, we have an ever increasing wasps nest in the garden. it is only 3 metres from the house, and is stuffed full of very active wasps. it has been there for a few months now, but is up to the size of a small football now. i regularly work in the garden near to it, and the wasps have never stung me or buzzed near me or anything, but today the wife was looking the wasps up on the net, and she says they are tiger wasps, and can be dangerous. but she also says, the wasps build the nest, rear the young, then after 6 months or so of residing in our tree, will move on.

is she right? will they just pack up and move on? should i do anything to hurry them up a little? i could lean out the window with a big stick, prod the nest several times and quickly shut the window. or even get a catapult and fire ball bearings at the nest until i smash it. or smoke them out......

would any of these ideas be advisable, or should i just leave it, carry on as if it wasnt there, and hope they move on? i have to admit though, now i know they are called tiger wasps, it does make me feel even more nervous. i mean tigers are bad.... and wasps are bad..... so tiger wasps sound like real bad asses

[Foreverford]

here you go and do the math

http://www.phuketword.com/18247/

This happened just a few kilometers from our farm after i had been attacked by several dozen and took several dozen bites. In Thailand they say one bite to the hospital and three to the Wat for cremation. There is no reason why I survived but I ended up looking like th e Michelin Man after getting out of the hospital after being pumped full of Eppi and morphine. The body goes through necrosis where every bite was. It took a good couple of years to get over it as my entire immune system was compromised (I got a chance to read a lot of good books). If these in fact are truly Tiger Wasps I would recommend you pay whoever asap to get rid of them if you can find anyone who wants to tackle them and i would assume some tyoe of flame thrower of nuclear capacity would be advisable.

They are not a joke and you better be very careful. I ended up driving my tractor off a levee and into a muddy muck Klong that was about 15-20 deep and if the old Ford didn't stick like an arrow i would have gone over and not needed the flame of the temple as they could have buried me there after i drowned. Flying with the Ford Forever

[UKJASE]

Geeh Foreverford, that sounds terrible! sounds like you were very lucky to live to tell this tale! was there any reason you knew of why they attacked you?

i have just googled "tiger wasps thailand" and this image is exactly the same as the nest we have in our tree

http://img1.photographersdirect.com/img/26318/wm/pd2716966.jpg

this is the picture of the wasps, also from google

http://www.malaeng.com/blog/tmp/2012/01/wasp3-trat104n.jpg

so, i guess i need to know, are these the dreaded tiger wasps, are they likely to move on on their own accord before they seriously hurt someone, and what action should we take if any?

PS the wife has just said we are not allowed to kill them

[rice555]

Hello All, we had them here in Korat and had some county workers with a cherry picker remove them.

They waited till about 9PM, bundled up and raise the bucket and burnt them, nest removed and the larva

removed and eaten.

The pic were from and old Moto with no flash.

rice555

[drtreelove]

I've never had to endure what Ford did, but saw the aggressiveness of these wasps once. I've been nailed by California yellow jackets so many times doing tree work that I just take it as a nasty occupational hazard, uncomfortable but they're not going to kill me.

Tiger wasps are a different critter and have a reputation as killers. They will attack if their nest is disturbed or receives vibration through the structure the nest is attached to. We contracted a Thai tree crew for a crane assisted large dead tree removal at a site in Chiang Mai. That removal went smoothly, but there was time remaining and a big 300 year old Raintree on the site which also needed some pruning to clear a roof of overhanging/rubbing branches where a new roof was being installed. I couldn't understand why the normally fearless climbers wouldn't go up the raintree. There was a huge tiger wasp nest high up in the tree, but on the opposite side of the spreading foliar canopy, at least 20 meters from the limb where the pruning was required. I encouraged the crew to complete the job, so one climber nervously went up a vine on the tree trunk and worked his way out the limb. All was okay until he started cutting with a handsaw. The wasps got agitated and started shooting in on him like bullets, hitting him one at a time. He bailed out of the tree and ran out of the yard. He avoided a full on colony attack by getting out of there early, but he got real sick and was taken to hospital for a few stings.

[UKJASE]

I've never had to endure what Ford did, but saw the aggressiveness of these wasps once. I've been nailed by California yellow jackets so many times doing tree work that I just take it as a nasty occupational hazard, uncomfortable but they're not going to kill me.

Tiger wasps are a different critter and have a reputation as killers. They will attack if their nest is disturbed or receives vibration through the structure the nest is attached to. We contracted a Thai tree crew for a crane assisted large dead tree removal at a site in Chiang Mai. That removal went smoothly, but there was time remaining and a big 300 year old Raintree on the site which also needed some pruning to clear a roof of overhanging/rubbing branches where a new roof was being installed. I couldn't understand why the normally fearless climbers wouldn't go up the raintree. There was a huge tiger wasp nest high up in the tree, but on the opposite side of the spreading foliar canopy, at least 20 meters from the limb where the pruning was required. I encouraged the crew to complete the job, so one climber nervously went up a vine on the tree trunk and worked his way out the limb. All was okay until he started cutting with a handsaw. The wasps got agitated and started shooting in on him like bullets, hitting him one at a time. He bailed out of the tree and ran out of the yard. He avoided a full on colony attack by getting out of there early, but he got real sick and was taken to hospital for a few stings.

Gee guys, i am starting to wish i never started this thread! i am starting to get very nervous, and still no one has offered any positive comment, or constructive advice......

but i am least now 100% sure that these guys are as bad as the name Tiger Wasp suggests!!

so, we have ascertained that these guys are real bad, now what should i do?

the wife says we wait and they will move on, but the nest is getting bigger all the time, and the wasps look pretty settled to me. Should i go and talk with the local pest control people and ask them to come and remove it (whilst i make them coffees from within the secured house), or should i shoot at it with ball bearings from my well used catapult, from the window, until i destroy the nest? or what do you think?? big fire at the base of the tree, causing massive amounts of smoke (the nest is only 5 feet off the ground)..... Come on TVF - i am getting nervous here.....

[NickJ]

Just be careful....do the right thing and get a person who knows what there doing.

Unlike the time I decided to remove a nest with the power and speed that six cans of Leo gives you.

My ankle and foot were swollen for weeks. One of the bites left a hole in my lower leg that looked like a cigarette burn but deep.

They have venom like a snake. My stupid antics should have been put up on YouTube.

[UKJASE]

Just be careful....do the right thing and get a person who knows what there doing.

Unlike the time I decided to remove a nest with the power and speed that six cans of Leo gives you.

My ankle and foot were swollen for weeks. One of the bites left a hole in my lower leg that looked like a cigarette burn but deep.

They have venom like a snake. My stupid antics should have been put up on YouTube.

i have just had a quote from the local pest control guys, of 2000 baht, to poison it.

but then i spoke with a neighbour and he said they used fire on a stick........ so i have a plan........ i will wear 3 pairs of jeans, 3 hooded tops zipped up, thick leather gloves, boots and a motorbike helmet with visor (plus maybe a few leo)......

then get my six metre bamboo pole with a big burning rag on the end of it, ignited with petrol. i can reach the nest with this bamboo pole from the edge of our balcony....... any flaws in my plan that you guys can see?

[goldfinger]

You will kill a lot of them, but not all....and these will be very angry....and attack you.

I would use some kind of "Fire thrower" with gas, like they use when they repair holes on the street to heat up the tarmac.

Thats more powerfull than the burning rag on the bamboo pole.

Also, when you destroyed it, there will be some which survived and searching for the nest,maybe start building a new one nearby.

Good Luck.

[UKJASE]

You will kill a lot of them, but not all....and these will be very angry....and attack you.

I would use some kind of "Fire thrower" with gas, like they use when they repair holes on the street to heat up the tarmac.

Thats more powerfull than the burning rag on the bamboo pole.

Also, when you destroyed it, there will be some which survived and searching for the nest,maybe start building a new one nearby.

Good Luck.

Thanks Goldfinger.

when i approached the guys from pest control, he said he would poison them. do you think the poison method would kill off all the wasps, so then i wouldn't have to worry about a few angry ones coming to sting us, or the survivors building another nest nearby?

i have just had a look at the nest and it is quiet at this time of night. i think if i do try to exterminate them, then a night time attack whilst they are napping, is the most favourable

[LRCombs]

Having wasps round your home is quite an unpleasant situation. You should get a professional pest control in your area. We had once flea infestation in our home and they were simply nuisance. We tried many household methods to rmove them but of no use. Then one my friend recommendation we called flea exterminator NYC for their extermination.

[drtreelove]

It might take repeat spraying to eradicate, unless they are removing the nest after spraying it, so get an assurance from the pest control company that their obligation and price quote is to eradicate the colony, not just to spray it externally once.

Or to do it yourself: I would try to find some 'fipronil' insecticide (I don't remember brand name, but Toppo comes to mind) and a small hand held pump up sprayer. (Fipronil is usually labeled as a termiticide and is very effective, with a long residual life, and low toxicity for people.) Spray the nest thoroughly at night, (I don't think they will come out after you at night but I can't guarantee that.) Observe nest activity during the day for a week to assess. Repeat as needed until eradication is complete.

At least they are not Asian Giant Hornets, -- yet.

http://www.animalplanet.com/tv-shows/monster-week/videos/giant-killer-hornet-populations-exploding-faster-than-ever/

[UKJASE]

It might take repeat spraying to eradicate, unless they are removing the nest after spraying it, so get an assurance from the pest control company that their obligation and price quote is to eradicate the colony, not just to spray it externally once.

Or to do it yourself: I would try to find some 'fipronil' insecticide (I don't remember brand name, but Toppo comes to mind) and a small hand held pump up sprayer. (Fipronil is usually labeled as a termiticide and is very effective, with a long residual life, and low toxicity for people.) Spray the nest thoroughly at night, (I don't think they will come out after you at night but I can't guarantee that.) Observe nest activity during the day for a week to assess. Repeat as needed until eradication is complete.

At least they are not Asian Giant Hornets, -- yet.

http://www.animalplanet.com/tv-shows/monster-week/videos/giant-killer-hornet-populations-exploding-faster-than-ever/

Thanks for advice Dr. So you think i can approach the nest at say 9pm, put the outside light on so i can see, and then spray from close range directly into the nest, and they wont smell / sense the poison coming in, and all coming charging out? i know nothing about wasps, but i would have thought they would be woken by such activity from me, and with poison going into the nest, the first thing they would want to do, is get out the nest and see who is attacking them. do you not think this would be the case mate? have you used this method yourself, or know of others who have?

i would of course wear protective clothing, but it still sounds like a dangerous approach.

the reason i liked the sound of fireball approach, is that the fireball can be delivered from a distance, on the end of my 6 metre bamboo pole, plus any wasps trying to get out would probably be fried and their wings would burn off before they could attack me (i am assuming here there is no back entrance that the wasps can use to escape - it is hard to tell,as the nest is nestled into the hedge).

[drtreelove]

I've used it with other wasps but not tiger wasps. I have used it early morning before they become active and I'm in and out as quickly as possible before they get aroused. The problem is with the fire approach, I would be afraid if I did get attacked I might panic, drop the burning torch and burn the house down. The usual approach is not to fire the outside of the nest but that the smoke suppresses the activity so you can get in and tear the nest down and apart. But you should suit up with a bee keeper outfit. Also, the fire will have no residual effect, and will only affect the surface, the fipronil will coat the surfaces and be picked up and taken deeper into the nest by any surviving wasps.

[BLACKJACK2]

Don't hold your breathe waiting for them to move on, we had this in our garden for ages. Kept going on about having it removed then one time I came back and it was hanging outside the front door. Asked the wife how they did it, just says they sprayed it. Work of art when you see it close up.

Edited June 27, 2015 by BLACKJACK2

[vogie]

Just be careful....do the right thing and get a person who knows what there doing.

Unlike the time I decided to remove a nest with the power and speed that six cans of Leo gives you.

My ankle and foot were swollen for weeks. One of the bites left a hole in my lower leg that looked like a cigarette burn but deep.

They have venom like a snake. My stupid antics should have been put up on YouTube.

i have just had a quote from the local pest control guys, of 2000 baht, to poison it.

but then i spoke with a neighbour and he said they used fire on a stick........ so i have a plan........ i will wear 3 pairs of jeans, 3 hooded tops zipped up, thick leather gloves, boots and a motorbike helmet with visor (plus maybe a few leo)......

then get my six metre bamboo pole with a big burning rag on the end of it, ignited with petrol. i can reach the nest with this bamboo pole from the edge of our balcony....... any flaws in my plan that you guys can see?

So the general consensus is to get rid, if its worth risking your life for the sake of 2000฿, go ahead.

[UKJASE]

I've used it with other wasps but not tiger wasps. I have used it early morning before they become active and I'm in and out as quickly as possible before they get aroused. The problem is with the fire approach, I would be afraid if I did get attacked I might panic, drop the burning torch and burn the house down. The usual approach is not to fire the outside of the nest but that the smoke suppresses the activity so you can get in and tear the nest down and apart. But you should suit up with a bee keeper outfit. Also, the fire will have no residual effect, and will only affect the surface, the fipronil will coat the surfaces and be picked up and taken deeper into the nest by any surviving wasps.

So would a 5 second squirt of this Fipronil into the doorway of the nest be enough you think Dr, using one of those pump and spray bottles?

[jonnit]

I don't know if you can purchase it in Big C or somewhere similar, but I use Raid Wasp & Hornet spray in the US. It sprays up to 22 feet and I've never seen a wasp, or hornet that did not drop immediately to the ground and die after contact. I would still be extra careful with this particular species. Even though I would attempt it myself, I would still do it during the night when they are all nested. The active ingredients are Tetramethrin 0.20% and Permethrin 0.20%.

[UKJASE]

Happy days - the wasps have gone to the holy nest in the sky (or at least that is what i tell my mrs).

the wifey went to speak to the issan builders today, who are working just a little way from our house, and they came to check out the nest, and then said they would return at sunset. 6 of them came over, but it only took one of them really, to light a small stick with a petrol soaked rag on the end. this was simply held near to the entrance to the nest for a minute or two. i think some smoke was present within the nest, and maybe this stopped any wasps coming out to attack. my wife and i watched from within the house, but we were watching out the open windows, and i could not see any wasps appear at all. no one was stung, and after a couple of minutes, most of the nest was still intact, any flames were extinguished from the nest, and it was cut away from the tree and taken away to make a tasty issan salad. the guys seemed very happy anyway, and no money changed hands.

tasty tiger wasps toasties all round

[drtreelove]

Good news! (for you and family, not for the wasps).

[UKJASE]

it seems like my celebrations may have been a bit premature. we have woken today to find lots of stunned tiger wasps strewn across the lawn, starting to wake from what must have been the effects of the smoke.

they are waking up to find that there nest has been destroyed. some are already hard at building the nest again, and some are crawling round on the lawn. i imagine their state of mind will not be very good and they may be quite unpredictable! revenge may be on their mind!

i think i best get to the poison shop now and spray the remnants of the nest before they get the chance to rebuild and fortify.

[Thian]

One day i was cleaning my pond and suddenly my finger hurt a lot. I couldn't find out what happened but then i noticed some hornets flying around.

I backed off because they were all coming to me and then i noticed a small nest in a tree next to the pond.

Then i took my gardenhose, sprayed the nest very hard untill they came out and i went hiding behind the house. Few hours later they were coming back to the tree so i had to spray them again. Also next day they were coming back and i sprayed them a few times. Then with a long stick i hit the nest out of the tree and sprayed it so hard that it fell in pieces.

After that they were gone. I never knew they were so agressiv. The sting hurt for a few hours.

[BSJ]

The Thai guy next door to us uses a bee keepers outfit but wears a motor cycle helmet under the bee keeper hood. They really love the larvae after it's been steamed....but it's got no taste! put a bit of salt and pepper on and it still got no taste!

[jvs]

We just removed a nest again,every year we seem to have them

We use a nest from the large red ants with the occupants inside and place that against the hornets nest,war is on!

The ants kill all of them and eat whatever is inside,a plus is the hornets are not flying away from the nest .

Place the ants nest in a plastic bag at the end of a long pole,before sending it up make a hole in the bag and the ants will do the rest.

[UKJASE]

We just removed a nest again,every year we seem to have them

We use a nest from the large red ants with the occupants inside and place that against the hornets nest,war is on!

The ants kill all of them and eat whatever is inside,a plus is the hornets are not flying away from the nest .

Place the ants nest in a plastic bag at the end of a long pole,before sending it up make a hole in the bag and the ants will do the rest.

A lot better method than using lots of chemicals, for sure

[Thian]

That's a perfect idea about the red ants.

My neighbours are scared to death for those big red weaver ants. They have never bitten me, i can do whatever i like with their nests. Did they bite you?

[jvs]

A few did latch onto me but it does not really hurt,the little ones hurt a lot more!

We checked the hornets nest today,all gone!