What caliber for wasps?

[Fosbery]

Us Brits say 84mm:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzmgXcJv9eQ&mode=related&search=

 

[PAshooter]

Excellent!

I hate wasps, yellow jackets, hornets... they're all evil, and serve no redeeming social purpose. Light 'em up

 

[woof]

Wasps and bees make fine targets for precision airguns.

 

[Mannlicher]

you scared me for a moment. I thought you meant White Anglo Saxon Protestants!!!

 

[trueblue1776]

yellow jackets are one of the greatest baits for creek trout.

 

[wally]

I used to spend hours plinking at them as a kid with my BB gun as they came and went from the nest.

If you just want to kill them quickly, I think RAID or other spray insecticide would be a better choice and not risk setting the place on fire!

--wally.

 

[ConstitutionCowboy]

Yeah, That's Great, But...

...Make sure they're all at home before you "fire" them. Those returning to the nest while you're at it won't take to kindly to your actions. Trust me, they know enough to connect the "cannon" to the hands holding it.

Woody

 

[Technosavant]

Guns are fun, but the wrong tool for that job.

http://www.spectracide.com/ProductCategories/OutdoorInsecticide/WaspHornet/

I've been having a few "conversations" with wasps. I find the above argument to be quite persuasive.

 

[sig226]

Marlin made a .22 smoothbore long arm a few years back. It was called the Garden Gun. It was designed to fire .22 rimfire ratshot cartridges. A group from one of the big gun magazines reviewed it and said that it was pretty much exactly as advertised, but since there were no rats around, they didn't get to use it for its intended purpose. They also wondered who would want to shoot rats with #12 shot when a bullet did the job for over a hundred years, so what was the point of it?

Then one of them discovered bee hunting, and they said it turned into one of the most enjoyable reviews they ever did. Marlin made thousands of these guns, and if you are having a problem with flying insects, you can probably get one for about $50. As far as I know, there is no closed season on bees and wasps and such.

 

[Cosmoline]

I've been chased by moose and run into bear, but by far the worst wildlife encounter I've had in AK was getting crosswise with a nest of enraged wasps. It was on a woodlot up in the Willow area just after an early freeze. It was rainy and muggy and I was going around doing a cleanup prior to winter, gathering dead wood, cutting down some iffy spruce, etc. I ran into a nest of these guys while just walking along and they went completely crazy. Thankfully I was wearing heavy carharts so they only got my hands and one or two on my face. I got stung over a dozen times and my hands swelled way up. They were completely insane. Everytime I crushed one he'd just turn and nail the palm of my hand in his death clutch. Everytime I looked down there were more and more on me, like killer bees or something. I guess the freezing temp and rain had upset them. I ran like crazy and splashed kerosene on myself, which seemed to help get them off. Though if I'd been near fire at that point I would have made the Darwin awards for sure.

So now, I RUN LIKE CRAZY from them. They scare me more than any bear. And the bear also run like crazy from them, BTW. Those ain't no honey bees.

 

[Novus Collectus]

Heck, forget the .22s and the gun powder torches, just fire a .50 AE near the nest and the concussion from the muzzle blast alone should to the job.

 

[Cosmoline]

just fire a .50 AE near the nest and the concussion from the muzzle blast alone should to the job.

I actually shot a nest to pieces after the above episode because I was unwilling to get close. It was on the side of a tree near the ground. We must have put a 200 rounds through there, from handguns to rifles and birdshot. It didn't make a dent in them. I think it extended underground or something. We finally isolated that tree, shot the top off with slugs and burned it in place. THAT did the trick.

 

[AntiqueCollector]

They can follow the heat trail back to a shooter. Trust me on that one...

But I'd just leave them alone unless they really pose a true threat to you. With the honeybee die offs and such, we need all the bees and wasps we can get to pollinate our crops. Wasps do have a purpose, as much as I dislike them...

 

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

Snake/Birdshot. .22 for single targets. Larger, like .45, for area targets.

 

[MudPuppy]

I used to shoot the yellow jacket nests off with a Daisy 880 from about 20 yards. That, btw, is too close.

I got stung on the nose.

...that hurt...a lot...

 

[Geno]

No, no. If it's hanging from a branch, wait until night. Place a burlap bag over the nest, tie it very secure, then snap the branch. Take it to the fire barrel (while burning good and hot), drop in and slam the mesh top tightly closed. At least that is how I saw it done by my grandfather who kept bees on his farm.

 

[Geronimo45]

Napalm.

 

[redranger1]

A can of carb cleaner(with straw inserted!) and a mini torch works great also!

 

[Selfdfenz]

Some wasp species are very beneficial in that they attack things like bag worms and other assorted PITA insects. I'm not sure that wasps ever catch black widow spiders but to the extent they might I would have to give them a pass also.

Jackets......kill’em all let the Devil sweep up the mess.

Best

S-

 

[Mannix]

My preferred method for flying insect eradication is 2 pumps in my Benjamin 392 and then dry firing at point blank range(4-5"). Basically vaporizes flies and bees(no smudges on my walls), you just have to make sure you hit... or have a plan bee .

 

[Shadow Shock]

My favorite is a high-powered, fully-automatic, 6mm airsoft gun like a Classic Army M16. Open up on full auto, empty the magazine (I use 100-rounders) and obliterate the wasps and the nest. Very fun!

 

[evan price]

What nobody saw this one coming??

Best to use is a:









.22 HORNET!!!!

 

[Zoogster]

Many of these are very unsafe not high road suggestions. One of the main reasons for using small shot is because such nests are in the air and firing bullets at them poses a safety risk where those bullets fall, which at that angle of fire can be far away.

People use ratshot for rats not because it is more effective than a bullet, but because it poses less of a safety risk and is less likely to damage property. Otherwise they would just use a .22 like one does in a location that is not a concern.

Heck, forget the .22s and the gun powder torches, just fire a .50 AE near the nest and the concussion from the muzzle blast alone should to the job.

Putting people far away at risk of serious injury or death from large heavy falling bullets so one can have some fun shooting at a nest is irresponsible.
Such encouragement is why people are deemed incapable of thinking for themselves and firearm discharge laws are in place in many locations, making it illegal to discharge any firearm while not in immediate danger.

We had some outdoor ranges closed because some people with rifles were shooting clays like they were using shotguns. Now while it might take skill, it had bullets falling into homes, damaging and killing animals outdoors, and damaging other property miles away. It was fortunate nobody was killed.

 

[zoom6zoom]

Best to use is a:

.22 HORNET!!!!

Or a .218 Bee, maybe?

 

[GlowinPontiac]

12ga loaded with dragons breath rounds!

oh and i hope that antitank rocket was just the empty tube! would be bad if some of that burning powder made it down the tube and ignited the rocket motor.....but it would sure get rid of the bees!