Wasps in our chimney!??

Tinypixi · #1 (**permalink**) 31-10-2007, 08:22 PM

Hi folks,
can anyone tell me why there seems to be lots of wasps coming down our chimney????
On a few occasions now, my other half has gone to light the stove we have in our cellar,and opens the stove doors to find a wasp buzzing around in the fire???
Weird!!!.....and he's scared of wasps....

juliejam · #2 (**permalink**) 31-10-2007, 08:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tinypixi

Hi folks,
can anyone tell me why there seems to be lots of wasps coming down our chimney????
On a few occasions now, my other half has gone to light the stove we have in our cellar,and opens the stove doors to find a wasp buzzing around in the fire???
Weird!!!.....and he's scared of wasps....

Sounds like you have a possible nest...At this time of year it wont be too long before the frosts will kill most of them off..Ive been waiting to clear an area in the garden where ive had a active nest all summer..their numbers have dropped but they are still some around at the moment ..

julie

demicav · #3 (**permalink**) 31-10-2007, 08:42 PM

This is also the time of the year when most stings occur. The old queen dies and the rest of them go a bit loopy.

Tinypixi · #4 (**permalink**) 31-10-2007, 08:53 PM

Would there really be a nest up there,even when the fire is lit most nights??...would a nest survive up there??

juliejam · #5 (**permalink**) 31-10-2007, 09:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by demicav

This is also the time of the year when most stings occur. The old queen dies and the rest of them go a bit loopy.

Reminds me of youngsters that have had a few Red bulls and act as if there drunk...

No really it has been at this time of year when over the years the children got stung..Im finding them walking around on the grass ...not flying very high at all..

Julie

coasty · #6 (**permalink**) 31-10-2007, 09:24 PM

if you live in an older house the chimney could have many littl;e places for a wasps nest...and they may be getting in through a crack in the masonry

petermcgain · #7 (**permalink**) 31-10-2007, 09:36 PM

For the last couple of weeks we've been getting one or two wasps in our living room most evenings and they seem to be looking for somewhere to hibernate - they particularly like the folds in the curtains. Maybe yours are doing the same. We also get the occasional hornet - their colours are beautiful.

AmandaLynch · #8 (**permalink**) 15-09-2010, 11:09 PM

Another approach is to embrace the natural heritage we've been given. I love wasps, and I encourage them to stay in my chimney by sending my partner up to the roof with healthy snacks for them. (He's a climber btw!!)

Wasps are social creatures and they won't sting you if you don't sting them x

Klaas Reißmann · #9 (**permalink**) 17-09-2010, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Wasps are social creatures and they won't sting you if you don't sting them x

Excuse me, but this is only half true. The wasps of Vespula vulgaris are very aggressiv when you are close to their nest and it is kind of similar to those of Vespula germanica but not as much as it is with V. vulgaris.

When they appear at this time of the year it can only be one of the two told species. All the nests of the Dolichovespula-species died in July/August. So, if you get close to the nest be careful.

Regards
Klaas

AmandaLynch · #10 (**permalink**) 22-09-2010, 12:32 AM

Thanks for telling us about your eurpean vulgaris wasps. I live in Wisconsin, and we don't got vulgaris wasps here. They're just kinda cute really. But sometimes they do sting my partner when he climbs up to the chimney, so it could be they're in a similar family or what-not. I tell him to be careful of course!