– at Yellow Jackets – I think they are Yellow Jackets… they are some kind of wasp anyway and they are yellow and black and attracted to sweet stuff as in my glass of wine, tea, my hair (spray or shampoo??).  I am pretty good at not swatting at bee type things and letting them figure out that I am not a flower (food) and they then go away.  But these guys – actually I guess it is the girls that go out for food – not giving up!  First sting on the back of my arm just walking and I assume she got caught between arm and the edge of my blouse – oww! but then not too bad until next day when swollen, hard, hot and red to nearly my elbow!  So looked around and found a nest – a ha! – next morning I sprayed it well and knocked it down. Mission accomplished I thought…

But then, standing in the yard – stung twice more on the leg!  Oh – maybe the first nest I saw was not the only nest so did a really good look around and found 7 more! 

Most are small like the first, but 2 fairly large (photo left) and naturally in the peak of the roof.. requiring the extension ladder.  It is not a seriously high peak on my little cabin-house but still I don’t want to fall and it has required some serious psyching up – dealing with the anxiety of possibly missing a few of them and having to remember to take my time on the ladder.  I so BADLY want them gone!

And it is not just me – before tackling the 7 nests, I needed more spray.  I stopped at the home and ranch supply place – none… the cashier said they had a run on it.  Funny, I thought – I’ll stop at the hardware – none – same story… I go to a grocery and then thinking I’m being sneaky to a nursery and 2 convenience stores – None.  And there are other people looking also – we are kind of following each other around chasing after Wasp Killer spray. 

Apparently it is the summer of the wasps and no one can enjoy their decks or porches and lots of stinging.  Yesterday, I even received an email from the fire department warning about them and reminding everyone where the Epi-pens were located in the medical kits – Yikes! – not quite Hitchcock but…

The hardware told me that a truck would be delivering about 1:00 yesterday – I phoned at 1:05 and was told that 95 cans were being unloaded.  I wasted no time – hopped in the Jeep and went – grabbed up 4 cans and came home where they made me so anxious sitting on the counter that I had to hide them in a closet.

This morning, I donned my “outfit” – jeans tucked into boots, long sleeve denim shirt buttoned to the chin and wrists, raingear over with the hood cinched tight – ski goggles, gloves – no, I am not getting out the tripod to get a photo!  I was nearly poached by the time I got to the ladder armed with 2 cans of spray which I had tested briefly.  A little anti-climatic – it went well. I saturated the nests and didn’t fall off the ladder.  I knocked down all but the 2 nests in the peak – those I will give another dose of spray tomorrow morning before I knock them down. 

I’m sitting here dripping wet – it was 65 when I went out but still too warm for the amount of stuff I had on and it was closed down so tight nothing got in – not even air. 

Now – whether getting rid of these nests will allow me back on the front porch – that I don’t know … Killer frost, that’s what we need!  And believe me, I am not the only one saying that – the grumbling, whining and general misery with the heat wave is getting to everyone – I feel better not being the only grump!   From inside the house until further notice…