Dealing with Mud daubers

[slowrev]

I'll admit the make a mess, but I don't tear down the nest till they hatch. Opened up a few and found several black widow spiders in em. They are partial to black widows here and put them in there for the larvae to eat till they come out.

Ben

 

[jinman]

I've found that starting fluid... ( no zippo! ) works fine by itself.. get one with a straw. At work i used it, and it makes hornets drop off a nest without ever trying to fly.. drops them outta mid air too.

Soundguy

Hey Soundguy...since starting fluid is ether, are the wasps dead or just takin' a snooze?

I find that any small hose or metal tubing left inside our barn will likely be plugged by dirt daubers. Just last weekend I had a 3/8" id pressure washer hose that had 1/10" opening on one end. I also have yard sprinklers that won't work in the spring and find they are clogged up with ants. Everybody is lookin' for a home.

 

[wushaw]

In mid June I will set of three Raid foggers in my shop to kill all dirt dobbers and whatever else that flys or crawls, it is all I do for the summer in the shop, the residue from the foggers last for weeks.
Now outside I spray, swat or smash any dirt dobber I see, they are a pain to deal with.
All the paper wasp are sprayed with the was killer you can get at Wally World.

 

[Soundguy]

It killed them. I thought the same thing.. wondering if it just anesthetized them.. but they never moved after that...

I've found that I have to put a piece of masking tape over my fire extinguisher nozels as they will plug them up as well.

Soundguy

Hey Soundguy...since starting fluid is ether, are the wasps dead or just takin' a snooze?

I find that any small hose or metal tubing left inside our barn will likely be plugged by dirt daubers. Just last weekend I had a 3/8" id pressure washer hose that had 1/10" opening on one end. I also have yard sprinklers that won't work in the spring and find they are clogged up with ants. Everybody is lookin' for a home.

 

[johnk]

I like to use the wifes hair spray to get the flying insects. They look like kamakazees after a few seconds when sprayed. It works like a glue trap on a mouse.... If you have a lot of them get a large spray can. They may stick around but they won't hurt you. Have fun.

 

[CurlyDave]

After reading all the "home remedies" I am really amazed.

What has always worked for me is to spray thoroughly with the insecticide made for mud daubers, the one in the can that shoots a stream 25 feet or so.

Spray on, wait a day, spray again, wait another day, clean up with a strong water stream if possible, scraping off & wet rags if the hose is not practical due to electricity nearby or getting water in the attic.

Any of the other sprays mentioned are not really any cheaper & are less effective.

 

[Harvster]

One note about their nests. All those spiders in there are not dead. The wasps paralyze the spiders and they are simply waiting out there fate of being eating alive by the wasp larvae. If you take the spiders out of a nest you will notice that they are soft and you can move their legs around but they are certainly not dead and dried up like bugs on a windowsill. Makes it even more creepy knowing they're alive.

 

[SPYDERLK]

Over the years I have found that a mud dauber can nest in every conceivable spot imaginable – most of them places that cause me grief. I once even force landed my airplane after a mud daubar nest broke loose and blocked my carburator.
I have found (as previously stated) that WD40 will prevent them from nesting.
Personally I spend a few minutes every 2-3 months spraying electrical outlets, air fittings, equipment etc. to prevent them from creating their mess.
I have not had any problems sicnce.
Mark

I like this idea. Dont have to spray poison all over - just make the area repellant. I wonder if kroil works.
larry

 

[JoeR]

I usually spray the house to keep them off. You can go to [www.bugspray.com] and they have a nice write-up about insects and their habits.

Joe

 

[AlanB]

I can't get the link to work.

So are Mud daubers temp sensitive I gather, did not see any out today and it was much colder.

I had not noticed any before the warm temps in the last week or two, then they were overwhelming.