Wasp Nest in top of Mast

[Dimitri-2000X-Tampa]

Well, I had meant to foam the top of the mast and seal it off sometime but I never got around to it, now I seem to have a significant wasp nest up there (presumably right in the top of the mast section). Anyone know any tricks to kill them other than dropping the mast or turning the boat upsidedown to drown them?

I thought about standing upwind and trying to shower them with wasp spray (along with the boat) but the cans I have say they shoot 20-22 feet and I don't think that is high enough to hit the top of the mast. Any ideas?

[baldbaby2000]

My Dad was a bee keeper. He always used smoke to control the bees. I wonder if you could inject smoke into the bottom and use the mast as a chimney and smoke them out? Plus it would look pretty cool having smoke come out top the mast!

[Sloop John B]

Dimitri, you're going to have to drop the mast and get your old track shoes on. I'd start out with 'hot shot' and run for my life. Really watch it when dropping the mast, they may swarm.

How about a wren's nest with chirping little fledglings in a tarped lowered mast? I figure I'll fog them out with some kind of insecticide, but the Mate wouldn't have it. Had to wait until everybody was out of the nest safe and sound. The mom moved everything quick after getting all the attention.

[kmclemore]

I'd take a couple of screws out of the bottom of the mast - maybe in one of the bails - and then use a room fogger type of insecticide to shoot into the mast... then get the heck out of dodge for a while... maybe go have a few beers... then go back and see if they're gone... like as not, they will be.

[Craig LaForce]

Disclaimer : For entertainment purposes only, do not do this.

Well, other than trying to attract a lighting strike, you could fill the inside of the mast with propane, then shoot a flaming arrow at the windex in the best English longbow tradition.

Or you could drill a hole in the side of the mast and shoot bottle rockets up the mast to discourage the insolent invaders.

Or how about an adaptor to spray the contents of a bug bomb into the mast wiring hole. Some wet rags would have to be stuffed around the mast base to make the poison go up.

Or, the mainsail halyard as a hoist of some sort of destructive device to the top.

Or a Hudson trombone sprayer would easily spray that high, but the poison would not turn the corner and go down inside of the mast.

Or you sail the boat in front of a navy destroyer and ask them to blast the top of the mast with their high powered radar set to stun.

Or maybe there is a boat hoist or crane at the marina, helpful for hoisting large masts into place. Maybe something could be hoisted up there to attack from above.

Or mad mike could shimmy up the mast with a bee keeper suit on and spray the little buggers. (sorry Mike, couldn't resist)

Or repeat the Macgregor video, where the boat is tipped on its side with the jib halyard and then spray into the nest when it gets in range?

Make Dale Gribble proud.

I left out trying to heat the mast to cherry red using inductive heating from a welding machine becuase that would sound... er, silly.

I didn't check to see if wasps had any natural enemies.

PS, do not do any of these things. Very hazardous. No warrantee is expressed or implied. Void in the state of Michigan. Closed course was used. This has only been a simulation. Discarded pizza boxes are an excellent source of discarded cheese.

This has been for enterntainment purposes only. Do not attempt any of these things as they are very hazardous. Could result in injury or death.

PHew. that should cover it.

[Catigale]

Dimitri - strategy really depends on the genus and the species...if they are aggressive guys like yellow jackets or bald faced be careful.

My guess is you could lash together three boat hooks, get a 1/4 inch ID Tygon tubing, fashion a J hook at the top, and use this to pump a spray can contents into the top of the mast. ONe good spray should get rid of them.

Catigale doesnt like flying stinging things due to a bad experience he had painting a farmhouse in college, finding a bald faced nest 50 feet up in the air on a ladder.

[playmaker]

Use an 8 ft ladder plus your height with boat in water on a low tide should be able to hit the top of the mast. The size of thoses wasps in Florida are huge. Be careful

[Rich Smith]

Why not just train them to attack sea-doos?

[Scott]

Why not just train them to attack sea-doos?

Wasps are like wolves, non domesticatable. Unlike fleas. (google flea circus) and dogs. Are ticks trainable?? Id like to train them to leave me alone.

We had great luck with moth balls. Wait for a week with no forecast of rain and little wind. Tie a reciever line to the main halyard, or did you have the loop halyard?? no that was dlt. Hoist the mothballs to the masthead and let it sit up there all wekk.

Something about neurotoxins in mothballs that wasps dot like.

[Divecoz]

Not a smart idea but how I removed a huge paper wasp nest/ball from a tree.
So my buddy says hey look at that paper wasp nest up in that tree. I say that's no good grandkids are coming over Saturday. He says get a big garbage can and a big black garbage bag . . . . . .while I get us a couple more beers. We meet back under the tree. He now says get the telescoping tree pruner . . .I get it . He cuts the nest from the tree , it hits dead center I tie the bag muy pronto... But now I have a bazillion very angry wasp in a thin plastic bag ???? Off I go to get gas-so-leno ! Tehehehehe! I pour about a gallon or so of gas all over the bag and of coarse down in the garbage can . Did I mention we had had a few . . . . . more beers by this time ? I now toss a match in / at the can and wooooooosh it propels everything up about 10 or 15 feet into the air in a big ball of fire Tada!
Oooooopppppsss fire has NOT KILLED THE WASP . . . . .RUN! Sitting in the kitchen my wife ask us . . . .So when was it you two geniuses figured this was a bad idea ? While we dabbed ammonia on a few stings I answer,. . . on the way here ???

[Scott]

OK OK OK I was like 12 (you were too Dive??)(wait you were haveing beer???) and my brother hands me a spaghetti strainer and a 2x12 and says "hey, go over there and trap those wasps" The rest is family history.

[Catigale]

I have paper wasps in my mast...trick with them is to leave them alone, they are docile...Ive even knocked down the small nests just by grabbing the stem by hand...

Yellows and bald-faceds....break out the Chemistry....

[Divecoz]

OK OK OK I was like 12 (you were too Dive??)(wait you were haveing beer???) and my brother hands me a spaghetti strainer and a 2x12 and says "hey, go over there and trap those wasps" The rest is family history.

Ah no make that about 45 and the paper wasp ball/nest was about the size of a basketball. and Yep they did get mad and we did get stung hahaha Less Beer. . . less laughing more thinking Steve and I had a lot of fun over the years putting each other up to stupid stuff . I do believe we put Tool Time Tim to shame and laughed till we hurt doing it all.
2 of my grandsons are like you and your brother, but Travis who is now 5 will every so often tell his brother . . ."No I gunna get hurt again!" hahahahahahaha My little guy's all six of them just crack me up .

[RandyMoon]

I would make some kind of simple koozie device that could attach to the halyard. Then I would put an indoor insect fogger in it, snap the trigger so it starts fogging, and hoist it up fast. If the wind was slow, you might whack some wasps. Hoist it up and run fast.




If this qualifies as a MOD that can be named, I'd call it the Wasp Whacker.

[Dan B]

My step-father was a beekeeper. Smoke will make them "docile" but won't chase them away. Instead of chasing them away, how about luring them away? What attracts these things? Put some on a neighbors ....

Sounds like you need to drop the mast enough to get access to the bottom, stick in a bug bomb, seal it up, then run. Make sure you warn your neighbors.