everhopeful Posted September 20, 2008 Share Posted September 20, 2008 Whenever there are wasps on a site they seem to find a way into my van. With the Hehi rooflight and all windows shut, but with the normal pop-up rooflight open with flyscreen shut, the devils still come in. I've found some floor vents that have bigger than necessary grilles, and am thinking of adding some mesh to these, but a bigger concern is the Heki rooflight. Even when shut I can't see how it is fully sealed against bugs - but is it?. The pull-across flyscreen doesn't seal completely at the roll-up end either. The normal pop-up rooflight looks ok but is it? Can things come in through the cab vents (new-style Peugeot Boxer)? Has anyone else suffered this kind of problem and maybe found a solution? Am I being unrealistic expecting things to be sealed up? Should I be looking at repellants instead? Having a dog that tries hard to eat the wasps is causing me great concern as this can easily be fatal. :'( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted September 20, 2008 Share Posted September 20, 2008 The only problem we have had is midges, wasp sized insects only get in a open door. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GJH Posted September 20, 2008 Share Posted September 20, 2008 We tend not to have many problems so long as we remember to deploy the screens. For the odd one or two that do get in, buy one of those tennis bat zappers from the pound shop. Wasps can take a couple of zaps but they are effective. Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
libby Posted September 20, 2008 Share Posted September 20, 2008 Sounds like you're a travelling sweet shop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brambles Posted September 21, 2008 Share Posted September 21, 2008 If you are having a persistant problem with wasps I would have a good check under the van and around you are not carryng your own personal wasps bike around with you. Look around the vent for the heater if you have one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
libby Posted September 21, 2008 Share Posted September 21, 2008 Brambles, that's a good thought, there's likely a travelling nest inside the bodywork somewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
everhopeful Posted September 21, 2008 Author Share Posted September 21, 2008 Thanks for your responses. I don't think I've a nest because the problem comes and goes as I move sites, but it's an important point and I'll have a good look underneath etc just in case. The sweetshop suggestion is interesting - I'll have a good look at what is in the cupboards! It's reassuring that no-one mentions a common problem area so I'm thinking maybe I've got an oddball situation, or maybe I've just been unlucky. I'll double check everything and invest in a tennis bat zapper as suggested. Even if they still come in it'll hopefully get them before the dog does and make me feel better too for giving them a good hiding! :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
libby Posted September 21, 2008 Share Posted September 21, 2008 You say the wasps 'come and go' so here's a thought. If your M/H was standing at home for a while in the spring when queen wasps were looking for a suitable nest, one decided on your M/H, remember they only need a small opening for one! Lets assume there is a nest and they are active, you then drive off to a new site and 90% of the invaders are lost because they're out seeking food. You arrive at a new site and within a short time there's wasps around, a few may have travelled with you plus a few have since hatched out so there's an increase of them, when you change site again the same happens, none at first then several. Could be you have a travelling nest, quite unique and worth going into the Guiness B of Records? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
libby Posted September 21, 2008 Share Posted September 21, 2008 Reading your original post again I reckon you do have a travelling nest! Some years ago I was an assistant to a wasp catcher (in the days when we used cyanide, bought over the counter from the chemist, it looked like white lump sugar in odd shapes) Its easy to find the source of a nest outdoors as they will fly 'straight' to it. In your instance if you have one on board just sit outside and watch if any are looking around the van for their entry point, they will be dancing all around the joints looking for a way in, and they may have many entry points. Remember when they are inside (the nest) in the dark, any source of light will attract them to find an exit, even via the van interior. I doubt they would normaly enter your vehicle unless there was a door or window open. Wasps are very intelligent, their mission in life is to serve their Queen. They either want food or nesting material. NOT YOU. PS Just had a further thought see how big they are, if they are 'very small' say half size to normal then they have just left the nest !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michele Posted September 22, 2008 Share Posted September 22, 2008 Never been stung in mylife. Just stepped outside the back door to turn off the power in the shed and got stung by a wasp on my little pinkie OMG it hurts my whole finger has swollen and it is throbbing like hell . I hope its dead now :-S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brambles Posted September 22, 2008 Share Posted September 22, 2008 Hope your pinkie is not dead Michele. I have found Autan Soothing Insect spray very good for wasp stings. Also put something cold on it like an Ice lolly, then when it feels better you eat the ice lolly and it cheers you up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michele Posted September 22, 2008 Share Posted September 22, 2008 feels like my whole arm is throbbing now I know what it feels like . Thank god I am not a Box jelly Fish collector for research or something :D Brambles to be honest I think I was a bit stunned I immediately dipped it in cold water and sucked like hell to see if I could get the sting out . I put on me new specs and couldnt see anything untoward perhaps the blighter didnt leave one . Anyway its half 5 nd its still throbbing :'( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randonneur Posted September 22, 2008 Share Posted September 22, 2008 Michele, we use vinegar for wasp stings, seems to do the trick. It will be sore though. Sylvia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michele Posted September 22, 2008 Share Posted September 22, 2008 Thanks guys I saw the vinegar and I am now off to try it this is painful especially my little pinkie trust me . And last night i was only watching the jelly fish and they both got stung I was trying to imagine it oh dear thank god it was nothing bigger . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
everhopeful Posted September 22, 2008 Author Share Posted September 22, 2008 Oh Michele! I hope it wasn't one of my wasps!!! I haven't found a nest yet, but will be doing more looking soon. Sitting outside watching as suggested sounds a good ploy and I'll give that a go when the b******s appear next. When they're inside there doesn't seem to be any plan as to where they go - they just seem to be everywhere at once! 8-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minstrel Posted September 22, 2008 Share Posted September 22, 2008 Michele If your finger is still swollen several hours later, I suggest anti histamine as it's an excessive reaction. - And try not to be stung again. We had a wasps nest outside as big as a football before we found it. Chris went out at night with an insect spray and followed it up with some powder he had in the shedd. A few days later he repeated the treatment and all activity in the nest stopped. It was cheaper than the local council at £37!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maggyd Posted September 22, 2008 Share Posted September 22, 2008 We also had wasps going in and out of an air brick! I went to the D.I.Y. shop and bought a spray that was foam, O.H sprayed last thing at night for two nights and we counted about two dozen dead wasps on the path every morning, it did the trick and much cheaper than the Council. I would buy some and carry it with you incase you do find the nest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazza454 Posted September 22, 2008 Share Posted September 22, 2008 We had a nest in one of the old sheds a couple of years ago and a friend suggested spraying the nest with RAID which is easily available at most diy sheds.Within 12 hours the whole colony (is that the right word?) was no more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PetMice Posted September 23, 2008 Share Posted September 23, 2008 When small, my youngest brother ran home screaming, having been stung several times (we had accidentally trodden on a wasps' nest in a tree stump). Once he had stopped crying he sniffed his swollen hand and became convinced that wasp stings contain fish and chips; later he found out why - our mother had used vinegar to treat them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MelvynT Posted September 23, 2008 Share Posted September 23, 2008 One point to note, Wasps don't leave stings in and die like Bees do, each Wasp can sting you several times without it having any problems. Like the thought of a travelling nest. Don't block the gas drop outs from the gas locker, now there's a good site for a nest. You can mesh them, but use a largish hole size mesh. Wasps are very teritorial, if they see another wasp nest they leave the area before any inter wasp wars break out, check out "Waspinator" deterent, it only works if it's there before you get a proper wasp nest. But it will work for barbeques, awnings, gazebos etc. We used to get them entering the air bricks in the house, and nesting under the floor. Every year at this time I go round and squirt insect powder in, no problems for the last 6 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
libby Posted September 23, 2008 Share Posted September 23, 2008 Everhopefull, it does seem even more that you have a travelling nest! The queen keeps laying eggs so at each spell of them occuring there's a greater number. I'm surprised you don't have an answer yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IHTIOR Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 :-D Hi, we were out in the van a few weeks back and I opened the Heki, put the flyscreen across and minutes later, saw a wasp flying above, within seconds it flew above the flyscreen and then it was in the van, I ran out of the van to hubby who was outside with the dogs, I held the dogs and hubby got the wasp out. At the time we were parked under a tree and there were several wasps there, but I was quite annoyed, as my flyscreen is not doing its job!! Anyone got any suggestions to correcting this problem as I am terrified of wasps. :-( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 IHTIOR - 2008-09-24 4:10 PM Anyone got any suggestions to correcting this problem as I am terrified of wasps. :-( Hypnothrapy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
everhopeful Posted September 24, 2008 Author Share Posted September 24, 2008 Well, I've been under the van, inside every place I can get to and even poked around under the bonnet - not a wasp or nest in sight! Certainly there are dozens of places a wasp could access that I will never see the other side of (I hope), so I can't be 100% sure, but at the moment I can't find a thing. All the time I've been poking around I've not seen a single wasp so either they are not in/on the van or they are just playing games. The van has no food in it at all at the moment so maybe things will change when I next go away. That will hopefully be in a couple of weeks so maybe things will develop then. I'm better prepared now though. I've got my fancy new tennis bat zapper, which is a great gadget, and a pile of swatters and catchers! Regarding the Heki, I think it's a very poor design because the mesh doesn't properly seal the hole at the roll-up end. I've slightly improved mine by pulling the material to one side to centralise it in the hole, but it's still not bug-proof by a long way. Who tests these things? I can't see a way to fully seal it without a complete redesign - anyone got any ideas? :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 Do you shut the heater air vent off on site? We always do at night if for no other reason than a blast of cold air comes in when it's windy if you don't! Just slide the air control to the recirculation position and that will seal off the air flow. If the little buzzers are anywhere under the bonnet that should stop them from getting in? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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