Barn - wasp nests and cobwebs

[Jlblake]

Good morning!

I bought my property last year. Pretty sure the previous owner never cleaned the barn. I am pulling everything out, putting in some new shelving and then putting everything back. I intend to use a blower and pressure washer to clean up all of the wasp nests, dirt dobber nests and cobwebs. I'm not necessarily opposed to the various bugs but I don't like the number of them and I don't like that dirt constantly falls on my tractor, tools and equipment.

Once I blow and spray everything off and out, are there any tricks to keeping the barn relatively clean? I know it's a barn but I just want to minimize the critters without too much complication and without creating a different problem. Any suggestions?

Thanks y'all!

 

[Deere Dude]

Once I had problems with spiders and carpenter bees all over the old 40x60 barn. I sprayed everything from shelving to walls and ceilings joists and basically anything made out of wood with Bifen IT. 2 oz per gallon of water in a tank sprayer. I can do the barn using about 25-30 gallons of water and bifen IT mixed.
I did it in the spring and fall for a couple years but now once in the spring.

 

[shooterdon]

Not sure if you have mice down there....but put in a bucket trap and check it every few days. Mice are a bigger issue for me.

 

[Jlblake]

I do have mice but I put some poison blocks out and that seems to have taken care of them. The wasps and spiders aren't that bad, they're just messy. My guess is that it's 20 years of accumulation due to the previous owner not cleaning. I'm going to try the Bifen IT after using my blower and then pressure washing.

 

[ponytug]

Nope. I clean the barn once a year and live with it, mainly to remove dust and droppings. I figure that it is a barn.

Mud Dauber wasps are going to use it unless you spray with persistent insecticides, and I prefer not to have them around. (Risk of neurological disorders) I figure it is a small price to pay, and the wasps help keep other insects down.

We no longer have oat hay, so mice aren't much of a problem. (They used to come in with the bales.)

All the best,

Peter

 

[oosik]

A word of caution on using a blower. There will be mouse dropping & urine. Mice can carry Hantavirus. Either don't use the blower or make sure you have the appropriate face mask. This is a pulmonary (respiratory) virus and nothing to fool around with.

There is no specific cure, vaccine or treatment. It can be a lifelong debilitating respiratory disease with many associated side effects.

 

[Gem99ultra]

As Deere Dude mentioned, Bifen IT is very good, as is Demon WP. I've used both as well as Permethrin. I prefer the Demon WP or the Demon Max for longer lasting effect. The Demon tends to keep working for 6 months or longer. In fact, after using it twice in one year I had no bugs for several years.

Thanks for your post though. It reminds me that it's time for me to spray again. Like you, I hate cobwebs and won't tolerate wasps, dirt dobbers and other non-friendlies!

 

[ponytug]

A word of caution on using a blower. There will be mouse dropping & urine. Mice can carry Hantavirus. Either don't use the blower or make sure you have the appropriate face mask. This is a pulmonary (respiratory) virus and nothing to fool around with.

There is no specific cure, vaccine or treatment. It can be a lifelong debilitating respiratory disease with many associated side effects.

I agree.

Hanta virus is a big deal for us as well. I don't mind curable diseases, but incurable ones, I will go a long way to avoid. A long way. We are really fastidious about mice (the prime vector) around the property.

I am really, really careful. I do wear a N100 respirator for this, and have the shop vac position to blow out the door at all times. Mostly, it is just dust, and hay pieces, as we haven't had mice since moving away from oat hay. Once every 7-8 years we will have a rat for a few weeks, and we won't clean it for months afterwards out of hanta virus concerns. Rats aren't supposed to be a carrier, but I don't want to find out the hard way.

All the best,

Peter

 

[Jlblake]

is the N100 the best protection? I don't know anything about masks or respirators. My dumb butt would have just started spraying. Thanks for the words of caution guys!

 

[ponytug]

Short of biohazard suits, or positive pressure hoods, yes they are the best, N100s are supposed to remove at least 99.97 of Non-oil particles larger than 0.3 microns. (N="Non-oil", R="oil Resistant", P="oilProof" for whether the filters have resistance to oil or not)

More here: N95, N99, N100: What's the Difference Between Each Mask?

The positive pressure versions are better because they are less likely to leak.

FWIW: I use the Honeywell Sperian half face respirators; they fit my face well and stay on no matter what. I have glasses, so the full face version are a nonstarter for me. I do have a hood system for spraying isocyanate paints.

All the best,

Peter