The wasp-Calgacus speaks

I mentioned that wasps had taken up occupancy in the stone wall backing our garden, to the great peril of anyone putting out washing (that would be Clare).

Here's a close up from yesterday.

Grand Central Wasp Station

The Internet says you have to use powder, not spray. The insects coat themselves and then transfer it into the nest. Putting copious piles of powder at the entrance is best done at dusk, once the wasps have retired for the night.

I was checking at intervals during the evening: the wretched creatures were active until it was quite dark so it was quarter to ten before I was able to dress up as a wasp-ninja.

Please don't SWAT me!

That's the Nippon ant powder you see before you (it also explicitly targets wasp nests for the scoffers). I used the 'red torchlight' app on my phone to illuminate the nest entrance - white light gets them excited. In fact there was barely a wasp in sight as I sprayed and sprayed the powder into the entrance and onto adjacent landing sites.

I even had the hose set up nearby to provide a water-spray defence if I had been attacked by a swarm.

Preparedness is often called luck - I was lucky last night.

"... they make a wasteland, they call it peace"

This morning, there are a couple of corpses in the white snow and not a trace of wasp activity.

As Kinnock might have said, "We have our garden back."