Our Infestation of Bald Faced Wasps and why we are leaving them be for now.

About three weeks ago the wife (Yogaginns) left for work in the early morning at about 6 am and it was a dark and cold one.
We have two motion activated coach lights on the front of our detached garage and they go on when activated and turn off in
about 3 minutes.
So I am sitting in the living room after she left and the lights kept blinking on and off to the point I had to investigate what was causing
this.
I go to the kitchen window which is about 3 feet from the coach lights and I cannot believe my eyes for a second,
there had to be about 75 to 100 black and white wasps just swarming the light.

These guys and gals are big big bees, 3/4 of an inch long and making a real fuss. I shut off the lights from inside the house and then
proceeded to shine a flashlight on them from the open window but with a screen.

They went nuts and attacked the screen and I tell you I am legally deaf but the noise was quite incredible even for my hearing.
I recognized them as bald faced wasps, as when we had our pond they loved to nest close by for the water and insects,
These guys eat any insect they can get and yes even other bees.

They are extremely aggressive and more so in the fall (which it is here) when competing for food for the winter.
Anyways they have not yet bothered us so we intend to just leave them be and do their thing, however if they become a
major problem, as in we can't enjoy our yard that will force us to do something about them for sure.

We are getting some pressure from our neighbours to kill them but we are reluctant to do so as nobody or any pets have been stung yet.
No need to kill of a beneficial wasp colony that controls the local insect population.
We are concerned about the neighbours and pedestrians that are out front of our home, the nest is only about 20 feet from a well walked road.

Here is a video of a nest of Bald faced wasps that are a bit ticked off.

www.youtube.com...
Here is a run down on these wasps.....
en.wikipedia.org...

And here is a very good site regarding these wasps......
www.fcps.edu...

A note to the Mods, I figured this was the correct forum but move it / delete it as you see fit.

Regards, Iwinder

What would say your liability be should some child be stung perhaps even attacked by several of these brutes....(don't they carry rattlesnake toxin?)
Enough stings could be fatal to an allergenic person perhaps.....
Just asking since the neighbours have stepped in to bitch already.......

originally posted by: stirling
What would say your liability be should some child be stung perhaps even attacked by several of these brutes....(don't they carry rattlesnake toxin?)
Enough stings could be fatal to an allergenic person perhaps.....
Just asking since the neighbours have stepped in to bitch already.......

We have no idea if there is liability at all regarding bee's nest's I know they are everywhere around the world.
It's akin to trying to control ants I think its impossible in that aspect.

I could be wrong but we cannot possibly control where and when bees nest or fire ants dig in or a Grizzly Bear decides
to make a den.

Thanks for your input its a valid point.

Always appreciate your posts.

Regards, Iwinder

a reply to: Iwinder

We are getting some pressure from our neighbours to kill them but we are reluctant to do so as nobody or any pets have been stung yet.
No need to kill of a beneficial wasp colony that controls the local insect population.
We are concerned about the neighbours and pedestrians that are out front of our home, the nest is only about 20 feet from a well walked road.

You realize your "that guy" now.

I think your decision is painfully stupid. If someone gets stung I imagine you will be sued. You're taking a lot of risks for very little reward here.

I really can't get over that you're reluctant to do something until someone is stung.

Although severe allergic reactions are not that common, they can lead to shock, cardiac arrest, and unconsciousness in 10 minutes or less. This type of reaction can occur within minutes after a sting and can be fatal. Get emergency treatment as soon as possible.

Come on dude.

Hi I
hows the death toll so far...?
low to nil?
bought as dangerous as going to a sale at walmart on boxing day:
limited items in stock...

carry on me son

now if they was bold faced (f)lies
I'd be ( danger danger will robinson!) braking out the lasers

originally posted by: Iwinder

We have no idea if there is liability at all regarding bee's nest's I know they are everywhere around the world.

It's akin to trying to control ants I think its impossible in that aspect.

There's legal precidence that says you're wrong...
cehdclass.gmu.edu...

[W]hen plaintiff turned on a shower, a number of bees came from the direction of the
shower head, stinging him, causing him to slip in the tub and break his wrist. After this,
a beekeeper was called to, and in fact did, remove a beehive. The court found that
defendants breached their duty, both in failing to remove the bees and in failing to warn
plaintiff... [W]here plaintiff, employed by defendants at their residence as a house
painter, sustained injuries while fleeing a swarm of bees disturbed by defendant's
spraying in an enclosed basement area where he had been directed to store his paints,
the court held that viable causes of action in negligence... existed... [W]here plaintiffemployee
had warned his employers that a large concentration of bees in the grass and
brush of the railroad tracks made it unsafe, defendants had a duty to trim the brush and
undergrowth; having failed to do so, the railroad was held liable when plaintiff was
subsequently stung while working in the area.

In other words, once a neighbor pointed out the problem, you became legally culpable if you failed to correct it.

You realize your "that guy" now. I think your decision is painfully stupid. If someone gets stung I imagine you will be sued. You're taking a lot of risks for very little reward here. I really can't get over that you're reluctant to do something until someone is stung.

a reply to: Domo1

Well nobody has been stung yet and they have been there all summer and we or anyone else had no idea they were there.
Now are we supposed to go into Rambo mode every time we see a bee's nest?
If so there would be no edible plants available in the world.
Get out the pitch forks folks.....there is bees in that tree .....kill em all ....burn in hell .....then we starve...
We fell that a painfully stupid decision would be to eradicate the nest when they have bothered nobody.

Thanks for your post and thoughts.
Regards, Iwinder

You are brave. I see a random wasp flying on my porch and i have to get the 20' spray out. lol I have a severely irrational and unnatural fear of all bees and wasps, though I generally leave regular bees alone.

This past spring, we had a yellow jacket nest that bordered the fence between us and our neighbors. The main nest was on their property but the main entrance hole they used was on our side, just under the fence and our neighbor did come over to complain about him and his little dog getting stung several times. I wasn't even aware there was a nest out there until he came over, but we got rid of it that day. Yellow jackets are nasty but they don't sound as nasty as what you have there. Yikes.

Put on protective gear/suit, get a large trash can and fill it with water, put it under the nest, clip the nest at the top and let it fall into the water. Put the lid that came with the trash can on the trash can. Duct tape is handy to keep it sealed. Drowned wasps in a short period of time. Problem solved. It's Miller Time.

These wasps are cyclical. They die out every year leaving a queen or three to restart the colony. She/they could decide to move to the Hamptons and be gone for good.


Call a professional. Have them killed. Humans and bugs don't mix well at parties.

originally posted by: burdman30ott6

originally posted by: Iwinder

We have no idea if there is liability at all regarding bee's nest's I know they are everywhere around the world.

It's akin to trying to control ants I think its impossible in that aspect.

There's legal precidence that says you're wrong...
cehdclass.gmu.edu...

[W]hen plaintiff turned on a shower, a number of bees came from the direction of the
shower head, stinging him, causing him to slip in the tub and break his wrist. After this,
a beekeeper was called to, and in fact did, remove a beehive. The court found that
defendants breached their duty, both in failing to remove the bees and in failing to warn
plaintiff... [W]here plaintiff, employed by defendants at their residence as a house
painter, sustained injuries while fleeing a swarm of bees disturbed by defendant's
spraying in an enclosed basement area where he had been directed to store his paints,
the court held that viable causes of action in negligence... existed... [W]here plaintiffemployee
had warned his employers that a large concentration of bees in the grass and
brush of the railroad tracks made it unsafe, defendants had a duty to trim the brush and
undergrowth; having failed to do so, the railroad was held liable when plaintiff was
subsequently stung while working in the area.

In other words, once a neighbor pointed out the problem, you became legally culpable if you failed to correct it.

That is very interesting, maybe we are in for a problem and then again maybe not......I for one believe that if we get sued for a bees nest in our front tree then the end is near for humanity.

The question is......
"In other words, once a neighbor pointed out the problem, you became legally culpable if you failed to correct it"
Is there a problem when nothing has happened?
I can point to my neighbours Oak tree, its massive by the way.....and say that is a problem down the road.
Can I sue when we all know trees die sooner or later and bees sting sooner or later and the sun rises sooner or later?

Regards, Iwinder

originally posted by: Iwinder

originally posted by: burdman30ott6

originally posted by: Iwinder

We have no idea if there is liability at all regarding bee's nest's I know they are everywhere around the world.

It's akin to trying to control ants I think its impossible in that aspect.

There's legal precidence that says you're wrong...
cehdclass.gmu.edu...

[W]hen plaintiff turned on a shower, a number of bees came from the direction of the
shower head, stinging him, causing him to slip in the tub and break his wrist. After this,
a beekeeper was called to, and in fact did, remove a beehive. The court found that
defendants breached their duty, both in failing to remove the bees and in failing to warn
plaintiff... [W]here plaintiff, employed by defendants at their residence as a house
painter, sustained injuries while fleeing a swarm of bees disturbed by defendant's
spraying in an enclosed basement area where he had been directed to store his paints,
the court held that viable causes of action in negligence... existed... [W]here plaintiffemployee
had warned his employers that a large concentration of bees in the grass and
brush of the railroad tracks made it unsafe, defendants had a duty to trim the brush and
undergrowth; having failed to do so, the railroad was held liable when plaintiff was
subsequently stung while working in the area.

In other words, once a neighbor pointed out the problem, you became legally culpable if you failed to correct it.

That is very interesting, maybe we are in for a problem and then again maybe not......I for one believe that if we get sued for a bees nest in our front tree then the end is near for humanity.

The question is......
"In other words, once a neighbor pointed out the problem, you became legally culpable if you failed to correct it"
Is there a problem when nothing has happened?
I can point to my neighbours Oak tree, its massive by the way.....and say that is a problem down the road.
Can I sue when we all know trees die sooner or later and bees sting sooner or later and the sun rises sooner or later?

Regards, Iwinder

A lawyer would say "yes" and gladly bill you for his/her time.

a reply to: Iwinder
now, if a burghler was to get stung breaking in...
then you do have to drown that sucker in the garbage can
because if you don't:
then you will get sued and lose
sad to say

a reply to: Iwinder

Is there a problem when nothing has happened?

Yes. Same with having a big hole in your lawn. If you're aware of it and do nothing when something DOES happen you will be found negligent in court. Especially since your neighbors have already complained.

If the owner of the oak tree was aware that the tree was rotting and needed to be removed but left it up and it damaged property or injured someone then yes, the would be sued successfully.

Mulch facility sued for $500K over injuries in wasp attack


If a solicitor or mailman or neighbor comes to your door and is stung they will be able to sue you. Especially if something the stings are serious or result in more injury (falling off the porch for example).

If this was property far away from anyone I would say leave the thing up. You're taking a very large financial risk, not to mention risking having someone hurt.

Here is how I get rid of wasps without killing them. I spray them with a high pressure water nozzle. They get knocked to the ground and they are stunned. They don't come after you, they just walk around on the ground wondering what happened. If you see a nest, then spray that with water too until it gets knocked to the ground. Whenever I do this it gets rid of them for a couple years.

Sal

a reply to: Iwinder

originally posted by: wdkirk
Put on protective gear/suit, get a large trash can and fill it with water, put it under the nest, clip the nest at the top and let it fall into the water. Put the lid that came with the trash can on the trash can. Duct tape is handy to keep it sealed. Drowned wasps in a short period of time. Problem solved. It's Miller Time.

These wasps are cyclical. They die out every year leaving a queen or three to restart the colony. She/they could decide to move to the Hamptons and be gone for good.


Call a professional. Have them killed. Humans and bugs don't mix well at parties.

Right you are they will be gone come the first freeze and that will be very soon for us.
No need to eradicate the nest when we know its a goner in weeks at the most.

Thanks for your post
Regards, Iwinder

originally posted by: Danbones
a reply to: Iwinder
now, if a burghler was to get stung breaking in...
then you do have to drown that sucker in the garbage can
because if you don't:
then you will get sued and lose
sad to say

Agreed and Laughing about the Will Robinson comment up above too.
Thanks for posting Dan......always look forward to your wisdom and humor!
Regards, Iwinder

originally posted by: wdkirk

originally posted by: Iwinder

originally posted by: burdman30ott6

originally posted by: Iwinder

We have no idea if there is liability at all regarding bee's nest's I know they are everywhere around the world.

It's akin to trying to control ants I think its impossible in that aspect.

There's legal precidence that says you're wrong...
cehdclass.gmu.edu...

[W]hen plaintiff turned on a shower, a number of bees came from the direction of the
shower head, stinging him, causing him to slip in the tub and break his wrist. After this,
a beekeeper was called to, and in fact did, remove a beehive. The court found that
defendants breached their duty, both in failing to remove the bees and in failing to warn
plaintiff... [W]here plaintiff, employed by defendants at their residence as a house
painter, sustained injuries while fleeing a swarm of bees disturbed by defendant's
spraying in an enclosed basement area where he had been directed to store his paints,
the court held that viable causes of action in negligence... existed... [W]here plaintiffemployee
had warned his employers that a large concentration of bees in the grass and
brush of the railroad tracks made it unsafe, defendants had a duty to trim the brush and
undergrowth; having failed to do so, the railroad was held liable when plaintiff was
subsequently stung while working in the area.

In other words, once a neighbor pointed out the problem, you became legally culpable if you failed to correct it.

That is very interesting, maybe we are in for a problem and then again maybe not......I for one believe that if we get sued for a bees nest in our front tree then the end is near for humanity.

The question is......
"In other words, once a neighbor pointed out the problem, you became legally culpable if you failed to correct it"
Is there a problem when nothing has happened?
I can point to my neighbours Oak tree, its massive by the way.....and say that is a problem down the road.
Can I sue when we all know trees die sooner or later and bees sting sooner or later and the sun rises sooner or later?

Regards, Iwinder

A lawyer would say "yes" and gladly bill you for his/her time.

that is why lawyers are known as blood sucking parasites

A lawyer would say "yes" and gladly bill you for his/her time.

a reply to: wdkirk


Let em try, I mean they can't do anything until someone gets a bee sting.
Which I might add has not happened in the past 6 months or so that the nest has been in our tree.

Regards, Iwinder

a reply to: Iwinder

i respect the fact that you want to leave them because they are beneficial.... however, because they are so close to humans i think it's dangerous to leave them there. the lawsuit issue is a valid point too.

If this was property far away from anyone I would say leave the thing up. You're taking a very large financial risk, not to mention risking having someone hurt.

a reply to: Domo1

Well the nest is about 20 feet from the street as I already stated and it's a good 15/20 feet up in the tree.

What I am wondering is why all the fear of a lawsuit when In our city of 75k or so there has never to my knowledge been
a lawsuit.

I should clarify that we live in Canada and not the republic of law suits across the river from us.

We do live close enough to Detroit to pick up their stations including non stop commercials about legal actions that you may wish to pursue.
Christ they offer to sue the Firefighter who just saved your house because he tracked soot onto you carpet whilst saving your dog from certain death.

Regards, Iwinder