Inelegant Solutions - The Bear and Badger

Moot_Geeza

monkey wrote:

I've still got a lot of questions about this wasp staircase.

They've always had holes (the presumably lead into or behind the outside cupboard they've got downstairs that may or may not have been a loo at some point), and I never questioned it. WHY DO THEY HAVE HOLES?

Lord_Griff

Because he keeps something under the stairs, which needs air.

[Deleted User]

Wasps. Duh.

monkey

Moot_Geeza wrote:

monkey wrote:

I've still got a lot of questions about this wasp staircase.

They've always had holes (the presumably lead into or behind the outside cupboard they've got downstairs that may or may not have been a loo at some point), and I never questioned it. WHY DO THEY HAVE HOLES?

The wasps have got an outside cupboard as well as the stairs? And these things can chew through cement apparenty. They're going to be pissed that you tried to imprison them. And insulted that you tried to do it with playdoh. Evacuate house immediately.

g.man

Ooooh! Lads! Playdoh! Bzzzzzzzzzz...

Diluted Dante

I'm even more confused now. Where are these stairs?

Moot_Geeza

I've just been outside to listen (I live on the upper floor of a maisonette); there's now a hook light on the stairs and I can hear a sound from under the door.

davyK

since I got major work done to the house 18 months ago, my cack handed attempts at solutions have been blown away...

Our fridge door wouldn't stay closed - it was an integrated one and for some reason it got into a state where the door simply wouldn't close properly.

After trying to reset the fridge within the kitchen carcass failed, and then tried various gadgets used to keep cupboards closed from a child safety range which also failed, I screwed on an industrial strength hook and eye fitting. It worked but I was the subject of ridicule. No pics sadly.

Lord_Griff

Should've wedged it at the front so it would lean backwards slightly.

Diluted Dante

Moot_Geeza wrote:

I've just been outside to listen (I live on the upper floor of a maisonette); there's now a hook light on the stairs and I can hear a sound from under the door.

So these are outside steps?

davyK

Lord_Griff wrote:

Should've wedged it at the front so it would lean backwards slightly.

tried that but couldn't get it right.

JonB

The door to the ice compartment in our fridge is busted. Whatever the mechanism is that keeps it closed broke a few years ago. No need to replace the part, though, when you can take a piece of kitchen roll, fold it up until it's a single thick strip, and wedge it in the gap at the side.

Moot_Geeza

Diluted Dante wrote:

Moot_Geeza wrote:

I've just been outside to listen (I live on the upper floor of a maisonette); there's now a hook light on the stairs and I can hear a sound from under the door.

So these are outside steps?

Yes. In recent years we've also had a wasps nest in my neighbour's roof, one in a bush next door, and another failed attempt in a crack in my roof (foiled by yours truly, natch).

Moot_Geeza

The PlayDoh wasps must be dead by now, assuming there were any in there during the hurried blocking up. They may have just been at the bring food for the queen stage. She might be in there I suppose...

acemuzzy

On the plus side, anyone bitten by said queen will be turned into PlayDoh Wasp Man/Woman/Dog, a beast of superhuman flexibility, and the ability to mimic, fly and entertain small children.

tin_robot

Yossarian wrote:

FWIW, when I was a kid, there was a wasp's nest in one of the ventilation bricks in my parent's house. They called an exterminator who turned up to deal with it, he cemented it up and me and my brother were firmly told to stay away from it as the cement was laced with poison to stop the wasps chewing their way out of it. But I'm sure that Play-Doh will be just as effective.

One of my earliest memories is of my Dad dealing with a wasp's nest in our garden. There was this big mound of earth in the back garden, and they'd somehow nested in that, creating this rather inviting hole in the centre. Whether this passing resemblance to a dormant volcano was what inspired my Dad I'm not sure, but his solution to the wasp's nest problem was to fill the entire thing with petrol and throw a match in.

To be fair, it did work, it got rid of the wasps (and his eyebrows). So, maybe try that on the staircase if the Playdoh doesn't work out?

Wookienopants

tin_robot wrote:

Yossarian wrote:

FWIW, when I was a kid, there was a wasp's nest in one of the ventilation bricks in my parent's house. They called an exterminator who turned up to deal with it, he cemented it up and me and my brother were firmly told to stay away from it as the cement was laced with poison to stop the wasps chewing their way out of it. But I'm sure that Play-Doh will be just as effective.

One of my earliest memories is of my Dad dealing with a wasp's nest in our garden. There was this big mound of earth in the back garden, and they'd somehow nested in that, creating this rather inviting hole in the centre. Whether this passing resemblance to a dormant volcano was what inspired my Dad I'm not sure, but his solution to the wasp's nest problem was to fill the entire thing with petrol and throw a match in.

To be fair, it did work, it got rid of the wasps (and his eyebrows). So, maybe try that on the staircase if the Playdoh doesn't work out?

We did this once. It was our go to solution for most infestations in our garden. Ants, wasps, spiders (especially spiders)
Fire knows no mercy and fire doesn't discriminate

davyK

We had wasps in the back garden that had seemingly taken up residence underground. We used to have rabbits and they made a real mess of the back lawn.

I filled the hole up with water and that seemed to do the trick.

However part of me was fascinated by the idea of filling the hole with petrol and then somehow safely dropping a lit match into it.