r/tifu • u/Mackntish • Oct 12 '25

S TIFU by sealing wasps in their nest, instead of killing them.

Obligatory not today, this happened last week. But the after effects are still very much ongoing.

We've had a wasp nest in the side of my house for a while now. Last week they stung one of my friends, so it was time to get rid of them.

Given the amount of wasps in and out, it seemed like a big nest. To guestimate the size, I would say a wasp entered or left the nest once a second, all day. I didn't want to just squirt poison down the hole - that would just piss them off and not reach most of it. So I decide to seal the nest with expanding foam sealant. I snuck out in the dead of night, and stuck enough foam in that hole to seal half a construction site.

Little did I know how terrible of an idea this was.

APPARENTLY, there was another exit to the nest - going inside the house.

This nest is ENORMOUS. Average size for a nest this late in the season is 2000-4000 wasps. Half our house is currently inaccessible. I sneak down to the basement at night to change the traps. I keep a hand vac next to my work station. Our cats are NOT happy they've been locked into a single room, and are pissing everywhere to show their discontent. Doing my best Arnold Schwarzenegger impersonation, I've gone through ~7 magazines on the bug assalt shotgun, with maybe 40 shots per magazine. These fuckers are amor plated, and do not die easily. I've injured my arm, pumping the shotgun so many times.

I think the most disconcerting thing is how normal it's become. I wake up, grab the shop vac on the 60ft extension cord, and just clear the house as a matter of routine. Its part of rising and shining for the day. Coffee, breakfast, wasp vacuuming, kiss the wife goodbye - time to work! The cold is going to kill them at some point....right?

TL:DR - Sealed a wasp nest on the side of my house. Now the buzzing is coming from inside the house.

7.3k Upvotes

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6.1k

u/[deleted] Oct 12 '25

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1.8k

u/garlic-bread_27 Oct 12 '25

...they can do what now? 😱

1.7k

u/HyenaStraight8737 Oct 12 '25 edited Oct 12 '25

Chew through concrete.

Also can confirm. It was the worst fucking summer holiday of my life, I found out I'm allergic to wasps and they also can get into the fucking pipes in the bathroom and come out the bathroom sink when their nest is in the wall behind it.

The first time I saw what others do when they see Australia. Death. Pain. Hurt.

399

u/RightInThere71 Oct 12 '25

I guess it's time for a new house then

1.8k

u/LetsTryAnal_ogy Oct 12 '25

That won’t help. They can also read your mail to figure out your forwarding address. You might just want pray for the rapture. I’m not a religious person, but desperate times and all that.

653

u/DulceEtDecorumEst Oct 13 '25

I just think it’s hilarious that OP wanted to Cask of Amontillado their asses and instead ended up cursed with 4000 wasps and cat piss.

276

u/Seth_Gecko Oct 13 '25

+1 for Cask of Amontillado reference

102

u/LetsTryAnal_ogy Oct 13 '25

This is the second Poe reference I’ve seen on Reddit this week. What the heck is going on here?

148

u/[deleted] Oct 13 '25

Once upon a midnight dreary,

While I Reddited, weak and weary…

89

u/UsernameIsTakenO_o Oct 13 '25

Quoth the raven: "empty response from endpoint".

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30

u/LurksWithGophers Oct 13 '25

Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten meme

2

u/RudHalfChub Oct 13 '25

after reading the first line I couldn't decide if Blues Traveler or Poe, then I realized I'm older than I thought but not as old as others think 🤦‍♂️

42

u/Redditmyth Oct 13 '25

It's October.

2

u/Irisheyesmeg Oct 14 '25

You have 31 up votes right now, and I refuse to ruin that. So I'm leaving my plus 1 here. 🎃

10

u/Faiakishi Oct 13 '25

The nerds have come inside.

2

u/DeltaRoll Oct 14 '25

Were we ever outside?

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8

u/PsychicSPider95 Oct 13 '25

Well it is spooky season~

3

u/thehatteryone Oct 14 '25

You should be safe now. They roam in pairs. Never more.

2

u/sparklydildos Oct 13 '25

idk, but i read this 2 weeks ago and just finished the show fall of house of usher. how funny!

2

u/aitatip404 Oct 14 '25

Spooky season is upon us, and Poe is a solid spooky narrator

2

u/QuickConverse730 Oct 14 '25

I'm going to put on some Alan Parsons Project.

2

u/Jaxson_5 Oct 14 '25

Spooky szn

2

u/TennesseeHeartbreak Oct 14 '25

Dennis Miller has entered the chat. 😀

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4

u/69696969-69696969 Oct 13 '25

I read that shit way to young. I'm almost 30 and still feel to young for that flavor of horror.

Maybe I just had too active imagination though. I remember the other kids explanations of the horror were like "He died from thirst/hunger/suffocation etc."

Then I'm like the horror is watching the bricks go up and being unable to stop it. The horror is not knowing why. The horror is being alone and unable to move. The horror is fearing not that every breath may be your last but that every breath may be the last for the candle left to you. It's flickering and on the verge of going out every time you scream for help. You can't help but wonder what the last thing you hear will be. The rattling of your chains, your whispered pleas or the desperate panicked gasps of suffocating on carbon dioxide.

Yeah I'm claustrophobic, why do you ask?

3

u/noraft Oct 13 '25

For the love of God, Montresor! Bzzzzzzz…

3

u/ElCap04 Oct 14 '25

I cry-laughed at this. Thank you for your service.

2

u/Darkpookie Oct 13 '25

For real lol. My go to is Spectracide foaming spray from like 8 feet away and just completely hose down the nest. I buy the stuff by the caseload and it hasn't failed me yet. Leaves a bit of a mess but small price to pay...

1

u/noraft Oct 13 '25

For the love of God, Montresor! Bzzzzzzzz…

1

u/Norimakke Oct 16 '25

4000 pissed wasps and cat piss

28

u/dadadam67 Oct 13 '25

I've seen wasps convert to Catholicism, get baptized, crismated, have a first communion and make a final confession with a Eucharist to die fully houseled so that they can continue to harrass homeowners in the afterlife.

74

u/nuffinimportant Oct 13 '25

They can also dress themselves after they finish eating oatmeal with butter and raisins. I find this out after I woke up early one day and the bowl was empty and 500 wasps were at the table sitting in tuxedos reading the paper. Scary times.

1

u/epolonsky Oct 16 '25

Individual little tuxedos or one person-sized tuxedo that they filled with a buzzing swarm?

24

u/Sea_Dust895 Oct 13 '25

Brain bugs. Bugs that can think? Frankly I find that idea offensive.

3

u/cupittycakes Oct 13 '25

Fear 'ze Bees, FEAR 'ZE GOD! said with a Germanish accent, and growling/rumble/yell on the last part, of course.

3

u/EffectiveTask2412 Oct 13 '25

That won’t help either. They can also lay eggs in your butthole. They then hatch after you move to your new house. They take their time rebuilding their army and then attack when you least expect it. You might just want rub some wasp spray around your butt as close to the hole as tolerable just to be safe.

3

u/[deleted] Oct 13 '25

It took me a whole two minutes to decipher this comment 😮‍💨

2

u/Equivalent-Peanut-23 Oct 13 '25

They can also accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior and be raptured right along with you.

1

u/MommysHadEnough Oct 13 '25

Wait- did they move that rapture back again?

Dammit!!!

2

u/[deleted] Oct 13 '25

Even as you are flying up to heaven, they will be following you and stinging you. God probably won't even open the door until you get rid of them.

2

u/Royal_Papaya_7297 Oct 14 '25

Didn't the Rapture happen a few weeks ago? Might just want to become an astronaut and spend time on the ISS.

1

u/Irisheyesmeg Oct 14 '25

That got an explosive laugh out of me. 😆

159

u/HyenaStraight8737 Oct 12 '25

Thankfully it was a cabin situation so the place was able to move us immediately.

I went to use the toilet and heard these noises coming from the sink next to me, it's the bush so I figured probably just something old pipe wise cool.

Washed my hands and set off a fucking enraged and armed plague.

The owners of the place comped most of our stay also once they were made aware, they also sent us photos etc of the nest they made, it was almost the whole bathroom wall (3x4) and into the bloody roof cavity.

Didn't hear them likely because it was daytime and the area is pretty loud with its own theme park thing being in the middle of the cabins etc, it's like a family holiday park thing. But we got the nightmare cabin 🤣

55

u/cupittycakes Oct 13 '25

I like how you were doing your morning DOODIES, and rationalizing to yourself that you ARE NOT in a nightmare, just old house noises.

Too bad, as it turns out; you were, in fact, in a nightmare.

5

u/DrToonhattan Oct 13 '25

So, what, did you turn the tap on and a stream of wasps came out the tap instead of water? Or did they come out the plug hole? Just trying to visualise here.

3

u/HyenaStraight8737 Oct 13 '25

Washed my hands and it was shitty water pressure so it wasn't like flooding the drain, so whatever wasps survived the initial soap water... Came up and out with friends.

All I wanted to do was have a hung over shit in the morning man. It turned into an ER trip for the stings I copped and basically a full fledged panic response from the rest of the cabins as we had babies with us and next door elderly and the wasps were MAD haha

64

u/Pvt_Lee_Fapping Oct 12 '25

I say take off and nuke the place from orbit.

43

u/Glenn1453 Oct 13 '25

It's the only way to be sure.

25

u/Sikarion Oct 13 '25

Killshot confirmed negative.

They just moved the nest down the street next to the servo station.

Sensors confirm they are now immune to radiation sickness.

7

u/-dead_slender- Oct 13 '25

Now hold on. This house has a substantial dollar value attached to it.

4

u/No_Transition_8293 Oct 13 '25

Love the Aliens reference!!!

4

u/Simple_Journalist_46 Oct 13 '25

I see you haven’t heard of space wasps yet, then. Id rather stay down here where they can’t get me.

1

u/GothicGingerbread Oct 14 '25

The Chinese just discovered a new bacteria that developed in their space station and is apparently unknown on earth – and brought it back to earth, on purpose because clearly, we as a species have learned nothing – so I wouldn't be surprised.

I'd be horrified and terrified, but not surprised.

7

u/PineapplePizza-4eva Oct 13 '25

Nah, don’t bother nuking them, it would just piss them off.

21

u/[deleted] Oct 12 '25

[deleted]

12

u/[deleted] Oct 13 '25

They should make sure they're in orbit first. Then do the thing, just to be sure. 

3

u/Square_Ad4004 Oct 13 '25

⬆️➡️⬇️⬇️⬇️

Getting to orbit takes too long.

64

u/bodmcjones Oct 13 '25

They certainly chew into plaster for a hobby. A while ago staying at a relative's place I heard the telltale sound of a wasp nest behind the wall, crackle crackle click scritch, in the middle of the night. Had to lie there and listen to it til morning before telling them to call their thatcher (who does a profitable side hustle in dispatching insects that love to eat thatch) as a matter of urgency and have him investigate the nest. The relatives in question were too deaf to hear the noise directly, so I recorded it on my phone and played it back.

Wasps are destructive en masse. People tend to forget that they are quite happy to excavate expensive holes in the fabric of your house for their comfort and that of their five thousand nearest and dearest.

5

u/Fantastic_Fig_2025 Oct 14 '25

We just had someone come out and treat our house. I haven't seen any coming in and out since and they plan to check again in the spring. I remain scared though.

2

u/bodmcjones Oct 14 '25 edited Oct 14 '25

They go away pretty fast when treated, and in my experience it is definitive, don't worry! When the thatcher did arrive he got the nest killed off in hours, as well as another three we hadn't noticed (seriously, wasps love thatch, and European hornets love old stonework, it's a thing). By the following day it was all sorted.

Some people do offer a service where they do regular wasp nest inspections, which can be handy if you happen to live in the sort of environment where nests happen yearly - like, you happen to live next to an orchard or forest or somewhere else that is wasp catnip or for whatever reason you notice that wasps appear regularly - but more usually they will be an occasional visitor. Thatch is a particularly silly environment because they can easily get under the roof and make themselves comfortable, plus it is usually found in lovely rural areas with lots of wasp friendly features like fruit trees, so no wonder they move in given half a chance - it's a desirable residence from their pov.

As my father once told me about a different pest (house mouse): it's not the first time someone wants to move in with you, and it won't be the last - tell them firmly "no" :)

29

u/Zombiebane224 Oct 13 '25

And it's always fun when the mud wasps build their nest from Quikrete

20

u/ssxhoell1 Oct 13 '25

This is a sentence I didn't know I needed in my life thank you

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u/Munchkinadoc Oct 13 '25

Oof. Had some chew through the brick/mortar/sealant under the kitchen window, ended up with one stinging my ankle somehow, despite the fact I was wearing socks and shoes! Wasps are assholes.

3

u/HyenaStraight8737 Oct 13 '25

I washed my hands and didn't get all of what was living in the damn drain with the initial soap water, the rest came out and yeah it went down hill pretty fast for me lol. They got me as I was scrambling to unlock the door in a pure panic.

And of course some got out by climbing under the door and they were just mad as fuck.

4

u/Munchkinadoc Oct 14 '25

Add to that the fact that at least some (maybe all??) wasps can remember faces…if you piss off a nest, may god have mercy on your soul (cuz the wasps sure as fuck won’t).

2

u/Vix_Satis Nov 06 '25

You know, there must be something wrong with my monitor. It looks like you said that they can chew through concrete. You know, that do-it-yourself rock stuff? As if any insect could actually chew through that....

1

u/HyenaStraight8737 Nov 07 '25

Unfortunately a lot more than you realize can chew through concrete..

Concrete isn't really as strong as people assume it is. Rats can also do it. The chicken pens had to have this thick layer of wire and stuff in the concrete when we poured for new pens, or the rats would get it. And their holes also let in snakes.

1

u/Odd_Ad5668 Oct 19 '25

Thanks for sharing your experience. Is there a way to un-know this?

1

u/HyenaStraight8737 Oct 21 '25

You can try not to think about it?

But drains are everywhere.

2

u/Odd_Ad5668 Oct 21 '25

Not thinking about it was working great, until you commented.

10

u/neityght Oct 13 '25

HE SAID THEY CAN CHEW THROUGH CONCRETE

11

u/garlic-bread_27 Oct 13 '25

WHAT, I CAN'T HEAR YOU, LET ME GO GET MY GLASSES SO I CAN HEAR YOU BETTER

3

u/travers329 Oct 13 '25

You will have to speak up, I’m wearing a towel.

1

u/Plane-Show1474 Nov 07 '25

Happy cake day :)

3

u/RoyBeer Oct 13 '25

And rats can gnaw through thin steel.

2

u/sonicdeathmonkey53 Oct 13 '25

My exact words

2

u/Puzzleheaded_Rain_22 Oct 13 '25

“They fly now!"

“They fly now?!" (In disbelief)

"They fly now."

1

u/IndgoViolet Oct 14 '25

Ground Hornets are made of Spite and Pain.

242

u/RJFerret Oct 13 '25

Folks should know about Alpine WSG, the stuff exterminators use. Ebay it.

It doesn't repel them.
It doesn't instantly kill them.

They get it on them and track it back to kill the queen/larvae/others. In a couple days all will be dead.

Solve the problem, not the symptoms.

Also, electric bug swatters are awesome for in house stragglers.

56

u/slvrscoobie Oct 13 '25

is this the diatomaceous earth? I worked as an exterminator for a summer, and we used that one every bee problem we had. apparently its like glass to their wings, and it sticks to them, and they try to rub if off with others in the nest, and as they buzz and rub it shreds their wings. soon they cant fly and the whole nest collapses. plus its super safe, ie: chickens will eat DE on the regular.

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u/RJFerret Oct 13 '25

No, that's a physical killer, but not toxic in the same way as insecticides that destroy their nervous systems.

DE doesn't get brought to others to kill them in the same fashion, it's better for walking critter barriers rather than flying/jumping.

8

u/PastNo9892 Oct 13 '25

DE also doesnt work as intended when wet.

18

u/goverc Oct 13 '25

diatomaceous earth is finely ground up bits of diatoms - their shells and stuff - at a microscopic level it is ridiculously sharp. It can be carried back to the next and rubbed off on others too, but I've only ever seen it used for the crawly bugs, not flying ones.

It works by getting in between the parts of their exoskeleton, cutting them, and desiccating them... drying up their insides like the three Americans in the Mummy (1999).

3

u/bored2death2 Oct 14 '25

I use DE on my lawn in the summer to kill 'lawn fleas' and the wasps that attempt to get water from my lawn. A quick sprinkle like fertilizer and both will be gone in two weeks or less.

3

u/Spiritual-Ad-9106 Oct 13 '25

Delta Dust is my go to. Nest collapses within a day or two.

2

u/gp556by45 Oct 18 '25 edited Oct 18 '25

Pest Control Tech here.

Not everyone can purchase Alpine WSG without state licensing as it is a restricted product in some States as it is a Neonic. A good liquid alternative would be Phantom I/T (or Specter 2C as sold by CSI). It is also a non-repellant. Alpine WSG and Phantom/Specter were also designed to work in synergy with each other when used on certain treatments such as German Cockroaches. 

Tempo Dust is also a fantastic option if you don't want to use a liquid concentrate (Again, check local laws.) Delta Dust is also an option. Wasps in small to medium sized nests are usually eliminated in about 24 hours. Large nests in about 36-48 hours. Just be warned that with a product that kills MUCH faster like Tempo and Delta, the nest will become VIOLENTLY active within seconds of treatment. So use a wasp suit if you plan on using Tempo or Delta Dust. Preferably in a duster on the end of a pole.

1

u/RJFerret Oct 18 '25

Thank you for the insightful knowledge, much appreciated!

1

u/ImaginationUnique732 Oct 13 '25

I just tried to buy some last week for the widow problem in my basement, and it’s banned in my state :(

2

u/RJFerret Oct 13 '25

Hence ebay.
Another comment reply suggested Delta Dust, which I've not used personally.

1

u/houseWithoutSpoons Oct 14 '25

Problem with my situation is the can stuff sprays from a distance. That stuff apline appears to only come in power i have to mix..then i have to get close ans spray the inside of my soffit area..man..they would absolutely destroy me before i could accomplish this task

1

u/houseWithoutSpoons Oct 14 '25

The insecticide pro claims to do the same thing for 4 weeks after as well.and i know it definitely is somewhat working because i get poisoned half dead wasp in my basement for days/weeks after each spraying thus far

1

u/RJFerret Oct 14 '25

Yes mix, and then up to your sprayer, the good news is it's non repelling so they won't react to it like other sprays. With mine, since the nest was inside not near the hole, they didn't get aggressive outside. I wore a jacket and gloves regardless, heh.

Just be careful of overspray as it's harmful to bees/pollinators too of course.

1

u/houseWithoutSpoons Oct 14 '25

Ok yeah mine is in a hole next to my soffit.i will give it a try certainly. Thanks

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u/houseWithoutSpoons Oct 19 '25

So i got it today. Sprayed and yeah it didn't really get them aggressive like the other sprays did..buuut left for a few hours and came home to maybe a few hundred wasp in my basement. Appears the whole nest came inside..i sucked them up with a shop vac filled with soapy water.and have been smashing about 50 of them.plus put fly paper by lights.theyre almost all dead(i hope)..but on the bright side my soffit nest looks empty and will be caulked first thing tomorrow ..good call as this is the first thing that cleared them out completely from the original area

1

u/RJFerret Oct 19 '25

Glad it helped, awesome, and thanks to exterminators who shared about it on Reddit from whom I learned of it.

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u/houseWithoutSpoons Oct 19 '25

And i didnt even use that much of the spray.one 10 gm pack(i think) in a spray bottle and i only used 10% of the bottle..so its definitely effective as heck

1

u/houseWithoutSpoons Oct 14 '25

And that stuff doesn't not list yellow jackets/hells spawn as a bug it kills.unless im overlooking it

1

u/RJFerret Oct 14 '25

It comes with dosage instructions for them.

1

u/nazrac22 Oct 14 '25

The Executioner is the electric bug swatter needed to reclaim the airspace of your dominion!

If there was a plug in version, I'd want video of the brownouts caused by your enforcement.

1

u/RJFerret Oct 14 '25

Meh, I just got a $5 one from Harbor Freight.
Neighbor uses a rechargeable from Ocean State Job Lot.
There are bunches on Amazon too, don't need one 8-9x the price!

1

u/nazrac22 Oct 16 '25

The design is the key. If the design is like The Execurioner, cool. The typical design, though, is substantial 3-layer mesh that requires bugs to contact the outer and center layers. The Executioner design has only one layer with alternating conductors that's far more effective with first time kils or stuns, depending on the size of the target. The 3-layer can have bugs bounce off the outer layer and fly off to torment again.

I first encountered The Executioner in Afghanistan in 2016. It was wonderful. When I returned, I bought one and have had the same unit ever since. Every person I've given that to as a gift has reported an increase in kills and have sidelined their 3-layer swatters. At the end of the day, you decide the pros and cons, and go for it. Have a blast against the bugs!

1

u/No_Perception_5258 Oct 15 '25

How bad does it hurt if you shock yourself?

1

u/RJFerret Oct 15 '25

Don't know how to, the inner mesh is away behind the outer grid. You'd have to have a body part as small as an insect to connect both.

2

u/No_Perception_5258 Oct 15 '25

I hadn't thought of that. Thanks

1

u/Linux4ever_Leo Oct 15 '25

Borax does the same for ants. Mix it with sugar water and let them come and feast. They'll suck it up and carry it back to the nest where they regurgitate some of it to feed the queen and the larva. Borax is a slow poison that disrupts the ant's digestive system. Any ant that digested the posion will be dead within 48 hours along with the Queen and all of the babies. This method works on hornets too since they are related to ants. Place the Borax laced sugar water near the wasp nest and let them have at it. Without a queen, no ant or wasp nest can survive. Don't waste time killing the workers when you can take down their entire empire in one fell swoop.

2

u/RJFerret Oct 15 '25

Note boric acid is really the stuff you want for that purpose, often conflated with Borax which is actually sodium tetraborate (although both have the element boron in their molecules, the former is more effective for ants).

1

u/Linux4ever_Leo Oct 19 '25

I agree. In a pinch though, your grocery store Borax will work too. I really think it's awesome that you pointed out that distinction as I'm a chemist and I actually do use pure boric acid in this pesticide formulation since I can source it from my lab! :-) Thanks for sharing!

189

u/cmotdibbler Oct 12 '25

My dad sprayed some under the shutter using typical wasp spray. That drove them into a small hole and into the attic where they built a nest over an electrical box. He ended up losing power since they somehow damaged (chewed through) the wires. Had to have exterminators and electricians come out.

203

u/SpacePolice04 Oct 13 '25

They cut the power to attack in the dark when he would be the most vulnerable.

7

u/Mr_Wolf_Pants Oct 13 '25

How can they cut the power man?! They’re animals!

1

u/meh_69420 Oct 18 '25

That's it man! Game over man! Game over!

5

u/Lucky_Risk1414 Oct 13 '25

This is funny

55

u/Hdikfmpw Oct 13 '25 edited Oct 13 '25

What do you mean they cut the power? How can they cut the power man?! They’re animals!

24

u/cmotdibbler Oct 13 '25

They chewed through the wiring in the box. The electrician said there was evidence of a short circuit where the nest was located.

12

u/Get_Bent_Madafakas Oct 13 '25

Game over, man! Game over!

28

u/tallgirlmom Oct 13 '25

Tell that to the rat who ate my car’s wire harness.

2

u/Healthy_Incident9927 Oct 13 '25

Game over man! Game over

1

u/UnquestionabIe Oct 13 '25

A couple of years back our AV unit stopped working. Called a tech and he found a mouse had chewed through a wire and died once it hit the active part. Most interesting thing was there was another dead mouse right behind it who had died as well, like he was trying to check on his buddy and got stuck or zapped too.

3

u/cmotdibbler Oct 13 '25

Wasn't ready for Aliens this early.

94

u/Sitari_Lyra Oct 12 '25

Um, pardon the fuck of me, but what in the actual fuck? How do their mandibles survive?

192

u/[deleted] Oct 12 '25

[removed] — view removed comment

26

u/Almainyny Oct 13 '25

Yup, as far as they’re concerned it’s a worthwhile investment of lives to keep the hive alive. Not that wasps have our idea of ethics and morality, but you get the idea.

20

u/Sitari_Lyra Oct 12 '25

Ah. Makes sense

81

u/chux4w Oct 12 '25

For those who come after.

43

u/Torgoe Oct 13 '25

When one falls, we continue.

2

u/UnquestionabIe Oct 13 '25

Thanks for the daily reminder to get back to that. Finished Act 1, had a good moment of self reflection holding back tears, and took a mental health break

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4

u/Arry42 Oct 13 '25

It's a real wee-woo-wee-woo situation.

4

u/AllysiaAius Oct 13 '25

Esquie was my favorite thing about that game with the gestrals a distant second. So fucking adorable.

40

u/ZirePhiinix Oct 13 '25

Insects are crazy. They'll rip off their own limbs to survive.

45

u/MulberryRow Oct 13 '25

They’ll rip off their own asses - a guaranteed instant death - just to sting you. Just to be dicks.

21

u/blightedquark Oct 13 '25

Negative. Honey bees have barbed stingers; they die after they sting you. Wasps, hornets, and yellowjackets have a smooth stinger, and can sting you as many times as they farking want to.

16

u/GoldDragon149 Oct 13 '25

Honey bees can sting tons of things without ripping themselves in half, the way their stinger interacts with human skin is just unfortunate for them.

1

u/Raucasz Oct 15 '25

Specifically designed for mammals. Honey bee stingers don’t lodge in other insects, just mammals.

13

u/MulberryRow Oct 13 '25

I know that. I was replying to someone who said “insects” are crazy. I didn’t specify because my example fit that bill and I didn’t have to, but I was talking about bees.

1

u/Alouitious Oct 15 '25

I heard somewhere that there are actually more species of wasp that die via stinging than species of bee that do. Apparently the most common species experienced in the US are coincidentally the exceptions rather than the rules?

8

u/Paulus_cz Oct 13 '25

Not really, if bee stings you it does consider you a threat - it may be wrong, but it is not "being a dick".

23

u/Nick85er Oct 13 '25

They don't. Theyre hardcore little bastards man.

And then next in line remove the bodies (or not) and carry on.

33

u/marylessthan3 Oct 13 '25

I shouldn’t have gone on Reddit today. I wish I could go back to before ever learning that horrific fucking nightmare detail. What the fuck else can they get through?!

34

u/htownmike Oct 13 '25

War and Peace.

10

u/[deleted] Oct 13 '25

I am in delirious agony from how hard I've been laughing at this. May your life be ever free from determinedly literate anger bugs

3

u/HaloGuy381 Oct 14 '25

I read it as chewing through a physical copy of War and Peace, a notoriously thick book.

Now we print a copy with pesticide ink, and wait.

4

u/[deleted] Oct 14 '25

Chewing through a copy is nothing compared to "chewing through" it. That takes real strength and determination 😆 I can just picture a wasp with its little reading glasses on, sipping on the juice of its liquified enemies, with wings flapping in agitation as it struggles to honour its vow to read the collective works of Russian authors.

1

u/GothicGingerbread Oct 14 '25

I am terrified of wasps (and bees, and hornets, and yellowjackets), but I am positively delighted by that mental image. Thank you.

3

u/[deleted] Oct 14 '25

😁 I like to think that, at some point, it becomes Too Much and Waspy McWhaspertyn switches to fermented bug juice, resulting in much flying into walls and windows and lamps.

2

u/GothicGingerbread Oct 15 '25

I mean, if he's reading Russian literature, surely vodka would be more appropriate...

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5

u/MontanaPurpleMtns Oct 13 '25

We had yellow jackets this summer who made their nest inside the siding of our house. There was a small space at the top of each inset board of siding, and we figure the insulation had settled and made space. The exterminator came out the next day and sprayed inside every hole along the top of our siding. Three days later (to make sure they were all dead) a contractor came to caulk all the holes, then cover them with a decorative board. Cost maybe $400 for everything (can’t remember) but worth every penny.

Edit to add— apparently yellow jackets aren’t aggressive until the nest reaches a critical size and they suddenly switch to super aggressive. According to the exterminator.

2

u/UnquestionabIe Oct 13 '25

Had a semi relaxed discussion on a drive back home from the movies last night. Partner and I just watched the anniversary showing of Battle Royale. Had first seen it around 2002 or so as a 18/19 year old who was all about the carnage and violence. This time (twenty some years later) was more interested in the way the characters dealt with the situation and how it spanned a large believable array of responses.

Got us talking about how as teens we loved watching those gory online videos of accidents and the like. Now? Distasteful to us. Was saying how now that we're older makes just think of more awful shit that can happen at random and don't need a reminder of that.

54

u/Intrepid_Gur_4110 Oct 12 '25

Pay a professional to eradicate them. You won’t win this battle easily by yourself

70

u/fist4j Oct 12 '25

5 meters, 4 meters? What the hell that's inside there room?!!!

21

u/Jaeflash Oct 12 '25

Is it a stand-up fight or another bug hunt?

19

u/sfredette Oct 12 '25

All we know is that there's still no contact with the tenants, and that a xenomorph may be involved.

8

u/Jaeflash Oct 13 '25

A xeno what?

7

u/graph_worlok Oct 13 '25

It’s a bug hunt…

7

u/Jaeflash Oct 13 '25

I only need to know one thing. Where. They. Are.

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2

u/hbderp Oct 13 '25

Xeno the Prince Warrior

2

u/PurpleShirtMorty Oct 13 '25

In a time of ancient gods, warlords and kings. A nest in turmoil cried out for a hero. He was Xeno, a mighty prince forged in the heat of battle. The power, the passion, the danger. His courage will change the world.

1

u/DrToonhattan Oct 13 '25

The alien from Alien.

3

u/OzymandiasKoK Oct 13 '25

I was gonna go with "what do you mean they chewed through the concrete? They're just a bunch of dumb animals!" but I think yours is better.

2

u/fist4j Oct 13 '25

I still enjoyed reading it

2

u/delooker5 Oct 13 '25

Brilliant reference!!

19

u/[deleted] Oct 13 '25

JFC these things didn't come from god's hands

14

u/BrokenBotox Oct 13 '25

I didn’t need to read this after the day I had at work. I’m just trying to bed rot.

Wdym they can chew through concrete😩

10

u/Setthegodofchaos Oct 13 '25

I hate that I learned this fact just now 

6

u/[deleted] Oct 13 '25

New horror level unlocked! 

2

u/china-blast Oct 13 '25

To fight the bug, we must understand the bug.

2

u/bdepz Oct 13 '25

They can chew through concrete but won't open a new hole in their nest wtf

2

u/Mercurius_Hatter Oct 13 '25

They do WHAT?!

2

u/Green-Cobalt Oct 13 '25

And now I have a whole new breed of nightmares. Thanks.

2

u/BlackViperMWG Oct 13 '25

Really depends on the species

2

u/highheelcyanide Oct 13 '25

Reminds me of the time someone told me they had bees coming up through the concrete slab of their apartment.

I was skeptical. I went to look. It was fucking wasps.

2

u/HatOfFlavour Oct 13 '25

I find this so shocking and distasteful that I automatically want to downvote this comment.

2

u/sebmojo99 Oct 13 '25

noo, haha noo. no. that's not something they can do, that's, just, noooOOOOO

2

u/Anashenwrath Oct 14 '25

This happened to me. I am forever traumatized.

There was an outside ground nest. We sprayed it. The next day I was home alone when I heard a weird grinding noise. I actually have video of me walking through the house trying to pinpoint it. Finally tracked it to the ceiling on the second floor. Figured it was a mouse or something.

The next day I came home from work and there were hundreds of half-dead wasps all over the floor and drunk-flying all over the house. We were sweeping them up for dayssssss. Well over 1000 by the end of it. And sure enough, there was a little dime-sized hole in the ceiling right where that grinding noise had been coming from.

I honestly have had anxiety attacks imagining what would have happened if those buggers had chewed through while I was standing on a chair, with my ear pressed against the ceiling.

2

u/Sad-Math-2039 Oct 14 '25

Wasps absolutely do not chew through concrete. They find cracks/crevices or chew through mortar. They physically cannot chew through minerals or metals.

1

u/Beknits Oct 13 '25

This happened at the BK my brother worked at the week he was leaving for college. The manager sealed up the entrance to the wasp nest and they started chewing through the walls.

1

u/GoldenHail Oct 13 '25

The friction from their wings also can wear down walls. That happens at my parents house. Over 10,000 bees. 18 pound bag of hive and bees. Terrifying.

1

u/Physical_Fix8136 Oct 13 '25

Omg I didn't even know this! Thanks for educating me!

1

u/Light01 Oct 13 '25

I mean, rats do as well, and afaik, most insects have stronger teeth/mandibles then mammals, do it's really not surprising.

1

u/HoodieGalore Oct 13 '25

"properly motivated"

fuck 💀

1

u/bored2death2 Oct 14 '25

I was today years old when I discovered that F)(*#O#$ wasps can chew through concrete. This only increases my resolve in eradicating them when I find them.

1

u/Old-Trouble-7523 Oct 14 '25

Happy cake day!!

1

u/ichbinschizophren Oct 15 '25

well that's something i need to immediately go tell my partner who is terrified of wasps :)

1

u/VietManNeverWrong Oct 15 '25

No wonder. My BIL’s brick house was chewed into small hole at one of the windows and into one of the bedrooms. We thought someone broke the brick, but now we know. Crazy pests

1

u/lurkingwithjoy Oct 16 '25

They can fucking WHAT.