What are making these nests?
Sep 17th 2007, 12:00 am
#31
Lapine Member
Joined: Nov 2004
Location: Austin, Texas in my own little world
Posts: 21,691
Re: What are making these nests?
The mud daubers have never stung me despite living in Texas my whole life.... maybe the ones in Houston are more aggressive? 
They do control other insects, so I leave them be. Their nests look like organ pipes in a row.
Yellow and red wasps, OTOH, do sting and I knock their papery nests down the minute I see one under construction.
We had a 5' long snake on the driveway the other night.... my youngest discovered it. We checked that it wasn't a rattler (it'd crawled up into my car's engine to hide) and when we saw that it wasn't (no rattle, wrong head shape) we left it be.
Mothballs are a powerful deterrent but they are also highly toxic to plants and beneficial insects, Ray! I think I'd do more harm than good setting them out. Trap and release is better, if I had a problem I'd get a local herpetologist to come investigate.
They do control other insects, so I leave them be. Their nests look like organ pipes in a row.Yellow and red wasps, OTOH, do sting and I knock their papery nests down the minute I see one under construction.
We had a 5' long snake on the driveway the other night.... my youngest discovered it. We checked that it wasn't a rattler (it'd crawled up into my car's engine to hide) and when we saw that it wasn't (no rattle, wrong head shape) we left it be.
Mothballs are a powerful deterrent but they are also highly toxic to plants and beneficial insects, Ray! I think I'd do more harm than good setting them out. Trap and release is better, if I had a problem I'd get a local herpetologist to come investigate.
Sep 17th 2007, 12:06 am
#32
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Oct 2004
Location: Mother Land.
Posts: 14,858
I was in fit's of laughter when I last stayed at my Brother's juring mating season
Sep 17th 2007, 12:17 am
#34
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Sep 17th 2007, 12:58 am
#36
Account Closed
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 0
Re: What are making these nests?
The mud daubers have never stung me despite living in Texas my whole life.... maybe the ones in Houston are more aggressive? They do control other insects, so I leave them be. Their nests look like organ pipes in a row.
Yellow and red wasps, OTOH, do sting and I knock their papery nests down the minute I see one under construction.
We had a 5' long snake on the driveway the other night.... my youngest discovered it. We checked that it wasn't a rattler (it'd crawled up into my car's engine to hide) and when we saw that it wasn't (no rattle, wrong head shape) we left it be.
Mothballs are a powerful deterrent but they are also highly toxic to plants and beneficial insects, Ray! I think I'd do more harm than good setting them out. Trap and release is better, if I had a problem I'd get a local herpetologist to come investigate.
They do control other insects, so I leave them be. Their nests look like organ pipes in a row.Yellow and red wasps, OTOH, do sting and I knock their papery nests down the minute I see one under construction.
We had a 5' long snake on the driveway the other night.... my youngest discovered it. We checked that it wasn't a rattler (it'd crawled up into my car's engine to hide) and when we saw that it wasn't (no rattle, wrong head shape) we left it be.
Mothballs are a powerful deterrent but they are also highly toxic to plants and beneficial insects, Ray! I think I'd do more harm than good setting them out. Trap and release is better, if I had a problem I'd get a local herpetologist to come investigate.
As for snakes........I guess we look bad for killing them but having been a nurse for so long and seeing the damage some snake bites cause when people are not sure if they are poisonous or not I would rather be safe than sorry.
Sep 17th 2007, 1:00 am
#37
.
Joined: Nov 2002
Location: Where bad things rarely happen in movies
Posts: 8,933
Re: What are making these nests?
Blame it on I-10
We get the mud daubers, plus I take out hornets nests every couple of months....normally see when they are building a new one, and get it down early with a swift squirt of Raid and a broomstick. But I disturbed a big one the other night - we have a big pottery sun on the fence, and I was taking it down before hurricane Humberto flattened us (yeah, right) and as soon as I lifted it off its nails I realised I'd made a biiig mistake. Huge nest behind it and they were not amused at being disturbed. Reckon they must have been asleep though cos they were pretty slow - and Linford Christie wouldn't have caught me before I got inside the back door! Quick change into long trousers, teatowel on my head, Raid in right hand, broomstick in left. Sorted!
Been here 5 years and never seen a live snake, despite living pretty close to the Bayou and overlooking a lake. We use Cedarcide through the sprinklers to keep the mossies down (seemsto work too) and someone said told us the cedar smell also repels snakes, dunno if thats true or not, bt we've never had a visit.
We get the mud daubers, plus I take out hornets nests every couple of months....normally see when they are building a new one, and get it down early with a swift squirt of Raid and a broomstick. But I disturbed a big one the other night - we have a big pottery sun on the fence, and I was taking it down before hurricane Humberto flattened us (yeah, right) and as soon as I lifted it off its nails I realised I'd made a biiig mistake. Huge nest behind it and they were not amused at being disturbed. Reckon they must have been asleep though cos they were pretty slow - and Linford Christie wouldn't have caught me before I got inside the back door! Quick change into long trousers, teatowel on my head, Raid in right hand, broomstick in left. Sorted!
Been here 5 years and never seen a live snake, despite living pretty close to the Bayou and overlooking a lake. We use Cedarcide through the sprinklers to keep the mossies down (seemsto work too) and someone said told us the cedar smell also repels snakes, dunno if thats true or not, bt we've never had a visit.
Sep 17th 2007, 9:19 pm
#40
Sursum corda
Joined: Sep 2002
Location: Richmond Hill, GA USA
Posts: 38,860
Re: What are making these nests?
Did I ever tell you about my mother when she was a little girl? My grandparents, my uncle and my mother were on their way to visit my great grandmother. Mom piped up that she needed to attend to the call of nature. There were NO rest stops and it was in the boondocks, so no town to stop in. My grandfather pulled the car over and Mom flew out of the car, squatted and almost immediately started screaming. She had in her haste, straddled a wasp's nest.............. 
Sep 17th 2007, 9:35 pm
#41
Account Closed
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 0
Re: What are making these nests?
Did I ever tell you about my mother when she was a little girl? My grandparents, my uncle and my mother were on their way to visit my great grandmother. Mom piped up that she needed to attend to the call of nature. There were NO rest stops and it was in the boondocks, so no town to stop in. My grandfather pulled the car over and Mom flew out of the car, squatted and almost immediately started screaming. She had in her haste, straddled a wasp's nest..............
Sep 18th 2007, 1:45 am
#42
BE Enthusiast
Thread Starter
Joined: Jun 2007
Location: Houston, Tx
Posts: 939
Re: What are making these nests?
Well Terminix are coming on Thursday afternoon, so I'll be able to confirm exactly what the nests are.
Ants, wasps and nests from God knows what. I think we should move home!
Ants, wasps and nests from God knows what. I think we should move home!
Sep 18th 2007, 1:49 am
#43
SUPER MODERATOR
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 88,022
Re: What are making these nests?
I don't think I could ever live in the southern states...the bugs in NJ freak me out.
Sep 20th 2007, 9:22 pm
#44
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Location: Houston, Tx
Posts: 939
Re: What are making these nests?
UPDATE ...
They were dirt dobber nests according to the (over friendly) Terminix guy
So now we're free of them, and wasps and ants for the time being!
They were dirt dobber nests according to the (over friendly) Terminix guy
So now we're free of them, and wasps and ants for the time being!
Sep 20th 2007, 9:37 pm
#45
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Oct 2004
Location: Mother Land.
Posts: 14,858
come on spill the beans.