die Fliegenwespe

(The Flying Wasp) - Blame it on the Babel Fish translation if this isn’t right. The first translated word there, “die” is great English for what is going to happen to those little wispy-winged, deranged annoyances with stiletto stingers that invite themselves into my home.

There is a lot of forest where we live and the wasps just love to visit the area. You would think that word would have gotten out that it is inhospitable over here, but it doesn’t happen. In any event, it is probably my own fault. When they check in, I make sure they don’t check out to live and tell about it.

Wasp sprays will work outside, but these buggers sneak inside and we aren’t willing to spray such harsh chemicals inside the house.

What is truly fortunate is that I have never gotten stung. My former favorite method was to wait until one landed on something and then cut them in half with a sharp scissor. That still left the problem of what to do with the still wiggling halves. If the one with the stinger on it fell into the rug and somebody stepped on it, it would have been the wasp’s revenge.

In order to prevent wasp revenge, the method has been updated. According to my unofficial survey, wasps prefer climbing on my windows. The windows are warmer and I am sure their little bug brains think they can get through them. We have devised the perfect method to put an end to them. Spray Wax. It works very well because they can’t use their wings to fly, although some have tried to swim in it.

A good heavy blast of the spray wax (or furniture polish) usually knocks them right off the window and onto the ledge where they are crushed with the bottom side of the can. The upside to this is that the ledge gets polished when I clean it off. That is also why my kitchen windows are always clean.