Author Topic: Home Improvement Thread  (Read 29123 times)

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Offline mitlen

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Re: Home Improvement Thread
« Reply #100: July 07, 2015, 04:20:29 PM »
it was pretty satisfying to bury a couple half way into a fire ant nest then light them (hair spray and a lighter worked too, didn't get the nest, but it was usually fun)

Better to use a delay fuse.       Place the M80 in the hole.    Smoke an unfiltered cigarette, until you have a good ash (maybe 1/4 inch).    Place the cigarette upright on the fuse or 90 degrees from the charge.    Walk away.   About 5 minutes later, the cigarette will burn to the fuse, igniting.    Boom      Let's you get away from the blast and any pieces of dirt, etc. thrown out.    One night (as a kid), we had the bright idea to place Coke bottles on each end of the charge.    Don't do it.    :P

Online varoadking

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Re: Home Improvement Thread
« Reply #101: July 07, 2015, 04:39:34 PM »
Simply cover the entrance to the nest with a large, clear glass bowl.  They will fly out of the nest and into it.  Looks like like popcorn popping.  No chemicals needed.  I did this after failing in other various attempts, and it worked like a charm.  Remove the bowl when you see that activity has ceased.

Offline mitlen

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Re: Home Improvement Thread
« Reply #102: July 07, 2015, 04:42:14 PM »
Simply cover the entrance to the nest with a large, clear glass bowl.  They will fly out of the nest and into it.  Looks like like popcorn popping.  No chemicals needed.  I did this after failing in other various attempts, and it worked like a charm.  Remove the bowl when you see that activity has ceased.

A cover crossed my mind but I have no way to secure it.    The entrance sits right at the edge of the sidewalk.    Even if I place a brick on the cover at the entrance, the edge of the sidewalk gives them an escape route.    Maybe I could set up a claymore.   


Online varoadking

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Re: Home Improvement Thread
« Reply #103: July 07, 2015, 04:57:21 PM »
A cover crossed my mind but I have no way to secure it.    The entrance sits right at the edge of the sidewalk.    Even if I place a brick on the cover at the entrance, the edge of the sidewalk gives them an escape route.    Maybe I could set up a claymore.

Front towards enemy...

Offline mitlen

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Re: Home Improvement Thread
« Reply #104: July 07, 2015, 04:59:01 PM »
Front towards enemy...

Worked that way so far.    :)

Offline tomterp

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Re: Home Improvement Thread
« Reply #105: July 07, 2015, 09:37:52 PM »
I have a yellow jacket ground nest in my yard.    I need to get rid of it ....  I'm not quite ready to call a pest company at this point.    I bought a can of foaming aerosol and plan to spray it down the hole after dark/early morning (fully attired).    Anybody have any other remedies?    In Western PA, people pour gasoline down the whole.   Think I wanna stay away from that.   :)   

Just go out at dusk and empty about half a can of wasp or other bee spray. 

My son got stung a couple weeks ago from a new hole in our front yard, so this technique is verified.  I'd suggest filling the hole afterwards also.

Of course the gasoline technique works well too.    :twisted:

Offline tomterp

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Re: Home Improvement Thread
« Reply #106: July 07, 2015, 09:39:33 PM »
it was pretty satisfying to bury a couple half way into a fire ant nest then light them (hair spray and a lighter worked too, didn't get the nest, but it was usually fun)

Fire ant nest - where do you live?

Online HalfSmokes

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Re: Home Improvement Thread
« Reply #107: July 07, 2015, 09:45:34 PM »
Summerville sc at the time

Offline GburgNatsFan

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Re: Home Improvement Thread
« Reply #108: July 08, 2015, 08:39:08 AM »
Yep. I put one of those lawn flags in the hole and run like hell during daylight, then go back and unload a can of wasp spray in after dark.
Just go out at dusk and empty about half a can of wasp or other bee spray. 

My son got stung a couple weeks ago from a new hole in our front yard, so this technique is verified.  I'd suggest filling the hole afterwards also.

Of course the gasoline technique works well too.    :twisted:

Offline GburgNatsFan

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Re: Home Improvement Thread
« Reply #109: July 08, 2015, 08:40:02 AM »
And they die in the bowl?
Simply cover the entrance to the nest with a large, clear glass bowl.  They will fly out of the nest and into it.  Looks like like popcorn popping.  No chemicals needed.  I did this after failing in other various attempts, and it worked like a charm.  Remove the bowl when you see that activity has ceased.

Offline mitlen

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Re: Home Improvement Thread
« Reply #110: July 08, 2015, 08:47:24 AM »
Just go out at dusk and empty about half a can of wasp or other bee spray. 

My son got stung a couple weeks ago from a new hole in our front yard, so this technique is verified.  I'd suggest filling the hole afterwards also.

Of course the gasoline technique works well too.    :twisted:

I was gonna fire bomb 'em last night but chickened out.    Decided that I wanted it done right.    I called a pest company this morning.

Online varoadking

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Re: Home Improvement Thread
« Reply #111: July 08, 2015, 09:35:15 AM »

Offline dracnal

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Re: Home Improvement Thread
« Reply #112: July 08, 2015, 10:41:16 AM »
I had a ground hornet nest about 23 years back (was a teenager so I got drafted into lawn mowing detail).  Had no idea they were there (or how nasty hornets could be).  Felt a sharp stabbing pain in the back of both my knees, reached around, found a hornet and crushed it with my hand.  There were a couple more I swatted away. Between them all I got hit with seven individual stings, all in the back of the knee space.  Spent the night at a friends house flirting with what felt like an asthma attack (suspect I was close to anaphalactic issues, but I was 18 and stupid so didn't go to a hospital).  Used a poultice made of a baking soda, crushed up tobacco and spit to leech out what I could.

Went back the next day with WD40 and a zippo. Got the flying ones first and then fire in the hole. Was really not the brightest thing but as mentioned, 18 years old, and my folks were out of town. Felt damned good.

Offline mitlen

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Re: Home Improvement Thread
« Reply #113: July 08, 2015, 11:05:48 AM »
I had a ground hornet nest about 23 years back (was a teenager so I got drafted into lawn mowing detail).  Had no idea they were there (or how nasty hornets could be).  Felt a sharp stabbing pain in the back of both my knees, reached around, found a hornet and crushed it with my hand.  There were a couple more I swatted away. Between them all I got hit with seven individual stings, all in the back of the knee space.  Spent the night at a friends house flirting with what felt like an asthma attack (suspect I was close to anaphalactic issues, but I was 18 and stupid so didn't go to a hospital).  Used a poultice made of a baking soda, crushed up tobacco and spit to leech out what I could.

Went back the next day with WD40 and a zippo. Got the flying ones first and then fire in the hole. Was really not the brightest thing but as mentioned, 18 years old, and my folks were out of town. Felt damned good.

I live in a townhouse and the "nest" is by the front sidewalk.   Decided a "professional" ought to do it for 2 reasons:  1) I don't want the kids and/or pets in the neighborhood stung and 2) it's a townhouse.    If I had an acre or so, those suckers would have been firebombed last night.   I would have done the ol' gasoline ignition trick.

Offline tomterp

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Re: Home Improvement Thread
« Reply #114: July 10, 2015, 09:43:08 AM »
I had a ground hornet nest about 23 years back (was a teenager so I got drafted into lawn mowing detail).  Had no idea they were there (or how nasty hornets could be).  Felt a sharp stabbing pain in the back of both my knees, reached around, found a hornet and crushed it with my hand.  There were a couple more I swatted away. Between them all I got hit with seven individual stings, all in the back of the knee space.  Spent the night at a friends house flirting with what felt like an asthma attack (suspect I was close to anaphalactic issues, but I was 18 and stupid so didn't go to a hospital).  Used a poultice made of a baking soda, crushed up tobacco and spit to leech out what I could.

Went back the next day with WD40 and a zippo. Got the flying ones first and then fire in the hole. Was really not the brightest thing but as mentioned, 18 years old, and my folks were out of town. Felt damned good.

One hornet can sting multiple times, they have no barb in their stinger so they can pull it out and reuse.

Offline mitlen

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Re: Home Improvement Thread
« Reply #115: July 10, 2015, 09:51:04 AM »
One hornet can sting multiple times, they have no barb in their stinger so they can pull it out and reuse.

Tell me about it.   :)     The odd thing (to me) is after the ground yellowjackets sting quits hurting, the area will itch like crazy.

Follow-up.    The "professional" came over and sprayed some dust (hmmmmm) into the hole.   They're gone today.   No activity at all.   In fact, I cut the grass yesterday and didn't see any "jackets".

Offline dracnal

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Re: Home Improvement Thread
« Reply #116: July 10, 2015, 03:04:54 PM »
Yeah, the jerks also bite you first. They break a hole in your skin to sting into and make it penetrate further. It was only two or three hornets, but they got me -good-

Offline tomterp

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Re: Home Improvement Thread
« Reply #117: July 10, 2015, 03:15:51 PM »
Yeah, the jerks also bite you first. They break a hole in your skin to sting into and make it penetrate further. It was only two or three hornets, but they got me -good-

I've never heard of a hornet biting anyone. 

Offline dracnal

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Re: Home Improvement Thread
« Reply #118: July 11, 2015, 02:17:22 PM »
After a quick search on the web, I think I may have been told that by someone back in the pre-Internet days and just took it on faith. It seems that in some places people use bite and sting interchangeably. Some people insist that hornets can indeed bite and show pictures of how they are different from the stings.  There's enough evidence that I'm pretty sure they -can- bite, but the statement that they always bite first and sting in the hole seems really, really unlikely and I was wrong on that.

Offline Natsinpwc

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Re: Home Improvement Thread
« Reply #119: July 11, 2015, 02:23:38 PM »
I had a ground hornet nest about 23 years back (was a teenager so I got drafted into lawn mowing detail).  Had no idea they were there (or how nasty hornets could be).  Felt a sharp stabbing pain in the back of both my knees, reached around, found a hornet and crushed it with my hand.  There were a couple more I swatted away. Between them all I got hit with seven individual stings, all in the back of the knee space.  Spent the night at a friends house flirting with what felt like an asthma attack (suspect I was close to anaphalactic issues, but I was 18 and stupid so didn't go to a hospital).  Used a poultice made of a baking soda, crushed up tobacco and spit to leech out what I could.

Went back the next day with WD40 and a zippo. Got the flying ones first and then fire in the hole. Was really not the brightest thing but as mentioned, 18 years old, and my folks were out of town. Felt damned good.
I unknowingly ran over one with the mower a couple of years ago. Got stung several times.  I had tickets for a Nats game that night and went. Some swelling and itching. Got something for it he next day.  As noted it hurt and itched like hell. I was stung by anothe wasp or hornet later that year and it swelled like crazy the next day and had to get something injected to bring the swelling down.  So I think the first batch triggered something in my system that I am now allergic. They declined to give me an epi pen as they said it was not that bad!  Needless to say I am more cautious outside now.

Offline mitlen

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Re: Home Improvement Thread
« Reply #120: July 11, 2015, 02:51:20 PM »
I unknowingly ran over one with the mower a couple of years ago. Got stung several times.  I had tickets for a Nats game that night and went. Some swelling and itching. Got something for it he next day.  As noted it hurt and itched like hell. I was stung by anothe wasp or hornet later that year and it swelled like crazy the next day and had to get something injected to bring the swelling down.  So I think the first batch triggered something in my system that I am now allergic. They declined to give me an epi pen as they said it was not that bad!  Needless to say I am more cautious outside now.

My brother in law taught school.   In the summers, he cut grass.   He's told me a few stories about running over "nests".    He said one swarm chased him for blocks.

Offline tomterp

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Re: Home Improvement Thread
« Reply #121: July 11, 2015, 02:57:46 PM »
I unknowingly ran over one with the mower a couple of years ago. Got stung several times.  I had tickets for a Nats game that night and went. Some swelling and itching. Got something for it he next day.  As noted it hurt and itched like hell. I was stung by anothe wasp or hornet later that year and it swelled like crazy the next day and had to get something injected to bring the swelling down.  So I think the first batch triggered something in my system that I am now allergic. They declined to give me an epi pen as they said it was not that bad!  Needless to say I am more cautious outside now.

I think this is normal, the trigger for me was 13 fire ant stings I got during a fishing trip Texas.  Since then, yellow jacket stings really make me swell up. Supposedly, their venoms are similar.  Antihistamines (Benadryl) mitigate the impact.

Offline Natsinpwc

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Re: Home Improvement Thread
« Reply #122: July 11, 2015, 02:59:22 PM »
My brother in law taught school.   In the summers, he cut grass.   He's told me a few stories about running over "nests".    He said one swarm chased him for blocks.
They are mean buggers for sure.  I didn't mean them any harm I swear--they chased me to the front yard.  mostly bit on the legs but also a couple of times on the hands. 

 Did you get rid of the nest?  I just keep spraying ours early in the morning and in evening.  It was formed where we had a tree removed and where the roots had been; at the end of the season I just dug it all up and filled in with dirt so no more holes.  Haven't seen any evidence of new ones since then but keep an eye out. 

Offline mitlen

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Re: Home Improvement Thread
« Reply #123: July 11, 2015, 03:00:46 PM »
They are mean buggers for sure.  I didn't mean them any harm I swear--they chased me to the front yard.  mostly bit on the legs but also a couple of times on the hands. 

 Did you get rid of the nest?  I just keep spraying ours early in the morning and in evening.  It was formed where we had a tree removed and where the roots had been; at the end of the season I just dug it all up and filled in with dirt so no more holes.  Haven't seen any evidence of new ones since then but keep an eye out. 

 The "professional" came over and sprayed some dust (hmmmmm) into the hole.   They're gone today.   No activity at all.   

Offline Natsinpwc

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Re: Home Improvement Thread
« Reply #124: July 11, 2015, 03:01:23 PM »
I think this is normal, the trigger for me was 13 fire ant stings I got during a fishing trip Texas.  Since then, yellow jacket stings really make me swell up. Supposedly, their venoms are similar.  Antihistamines (Benadryl) mitigate the impact.
We have a place outside Myrtle Beach--first year we moved in wife was bitten by fire ants; had no idea what they were.  No flip flops in the yard and keep an eye out for them also.