Deb, did you happen to see Ranedie's Doc Bonner's thread? I see that the formula is toxic to wasps, though, but at least it would not harm your furry friends. The thread is here:
The thread "Insect Identification" in
Pests and Diseases forum
and it is post 54 (near the bottom of the page). I have not tried it personally but it sounds interesting.
I agree with you absolutely - I have no desire to try to move a nest - none whatsoever. One thing that I do recall when dealing with wasps, though, is that it is recommended that, if you use any type of spray, do it later in the evening after all of the wasps are bedded down for the night. They are less active and less inclined to go on the the attack but I still would be really careful..Many years ago I had a severe outcropping of paper wasps attached to my home but was able to dispatch most of them in one night. Although there were a few survivors who tried to rebuild, it only took one more round of late night spraying to convince them that there were more hospitable environs available to them other than my home. If I remember correctly (and this can be a big if depending on the day
), I stayed about 8 feet away when I sprayed them. They were very sluggish late at night and I did not feel vulnerable to stings at all.
Please, let me know what you think about the Doc's and what you decide
Kind of off topic but as I was replying to you, I was suddenly curious about what the difference was between a hornet and a wasp. I don't know if everyone already knows this already (and I am just late to the party) but I found out that hornets are a type of wasp and, as is true with all wasps, it is only the females that sting.
Also, time may be on your side here. According to Colorado State University, wasps only form annual colonies that are abandoned in the later part of autumn. All but the fertilized queen then die off. The fertilized queen then attempts to form a new colony the following season which makes me wonder - if you were to remove the nest after it has been abandoned and are diligent about not allowing the queen to re-establish a nest next year - perhaps this is a long-term solution? But, again, please let us know what you decide. Hopefully, other people will have suggestions, too.
