# Killing Wasps in New Zealand



## grozzie2 (Jun 3, 2011)

What was the gadget you were using, and what was it putting into the nest ?


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## Oldtimer (Jul 4, 2010)

Hi Grozzie it is a battery powered Makita blower with an attachment for holding the powder. It's in a shed now i won't see it till Friday, when i do I'll get a pic of it.

The powder was a locally made poroduct called Dust 2 Dust, it is just talcum powder embossed with Permethrin, I am sure there will be an equivalent powder available in the US.


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## Cloverdale (Mar 26, 2012)

YIKES! That looks like it belongs in a monster movie!


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## Litsinger (Jun 14, 2018)

Cloverdale said:


> YIKES! That looks like it belongs in a monster movie!


That's exactly what I was thinking- a cheap 'B' movie- 'Night of the Killer Zombie Wasps'...


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## Cloverdale (Mar 26, 2012)

Litsinger said:


> That's exactly what I was thinking- a cheap 'B' movie- 'Night of the Killer Zombie Wasps'...


Yes creepy! I have never seen any type of bee nest that big! OldTimer is brave (I guess that sounds a little corny but I can’t think of a better word) even with a bee suit on!


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## Oldtimer (Jul 4, 2010)

LOL thanks Cloverdale 

It's an issue we have over here because we are a small Island country with everywhere close to the sea, so we do not get extreme cold in the winter.

Which means that instead of the normal wasp cycle of the nest dying out each winter and producing a lot of queens that hibernate then start new nests next season, here, sometimes nests survive the winter then come through the following season with hundreds of queens and a big population, they then turn into monsters.

That nest was just a baby compared to some i have dealt with, the biggest one i did was huge, and just the noise from it was so intimidating i was filled with fear just going near it. Took a bit of nerve to kill it.


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## Cloverdale (Mar 26, 2012)

Maybe a flame-thrower for that type!


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## Oldtimer (Jul 4, 2010)

:thumbsup:


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## Oldtimer (Jul 4, 2010)

A few years have passed since that one but here's an interesting one because the nest is up a tree, these are ground dwelling wasps but they will sometimes start nests in the epiphytes that grow on this species of tree. Unfortunately the cameraman was not protected and had to leg it before really getting into the nest, so I made a second video showing the aftermath.

A few days later all wasps were gone, then a few weeks after that the nest started breaking up and falling down.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZrFA4BNwMI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WlmgJbTsrY


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## Jack Henry (Jun 11, 2020)

Nice dress of the man,
sad to hear the cameraman didn't wear this.


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## Oldtimer (Jul 4, 2010)

LOL true that.

I did offer him a suit but he is a big old Dutchman, and no way could he fit into my modest proportioned suit. 

So we thought maybe the nest was far enough away he would be OK, but some of those powdered wasps came spiralling down pretty quick.

What I didn't get a video of but should have, was a spectacular display a few minutes later as the air became full of disoriented powder coated wasps zooming around in all directions, and eventually the grass crawling with buzzing wasps in their death throws. The 2 small children of the house were given strict instructions no bare feet for the next few days!


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