4 days ago
How to get rid of wasp nests and unwelcome bees
In summer, wasps always make an appearance when we're eating in our garden. I've tried various gimmicks but they don't seem to work. What could we put on the table or nearby to minimise their impact?Kerry Piears, Godalming
Wasp nests are remarkably common, but because the wasps are so busy in their earnest social activities — collecting wood pulp to build their nest, hunting insect prey for their grubs and tending their multitudinous brood — they barely interact with humans, so we hardly notice them.
At the end of summer, though, the nest function changes and rather than more workers, a new generation of queens and males is produced. Once these hatch the workers have nothing to do other than forage aimlessly for sweet things like those on offer at your table.
The bad news is that wasps are numerous and persistent. They can smell your food and will come looking. The good news is that this phase soon passes and all workers die off during autumn.
Although you haven't seen it, a nest may be close, so you might try moving the table where you eat. Don't bother with wasp traps, these simply drown a few of the wasps — but there will be many hundreds more. And I'm sceptical of marketing claims that nest-shaped bags dangling from trees trick them into thinking another colony of ruthless competitors is nearby. Generally foraging wasps are not aggressive, they save that for attacks on the nest. However, do not be complacent. Cover your food and do not allow wasps to traipse over it — wasps also visit carrion and animal dung, and will transfer bacteria to your welcoming Jones is the author of House Guests, House Pests: A Natural History of Animals in the Home (Bloomsbury £18.99),
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How can we prevent bees from entering the eaves of our conservatory lantern, where they become trapped and die?Jane Smyth
You've highlighted an important aspect of insect behaviour here. When trapped against some sort of impermeable barrier, insects have a tendency to walk or fly upwards, thinking they will eventually reach the top of the obstacle and be able to fly off.
However, insect evolution has not had time to reckon with the very modern human behaviour of making enclosed, sheltered spaces to live in. Bees, wasps, flies and other insects taking a wrong turn at your conservatory will start to bump their way upwards against the glass and eventually reach the lantern. Then, that most dangerous of insect vulnerabilities will hit them — water loss, a deadly peril for a small organism.
It's all to do with relatively high surface area compared with low volume. Flying is metabolically expensive and although insects don't sweat like us, they cool by water evaporation from inside their bodies. Unfortunately, their hardwired instinctive behaviour is unwavering, and they are incapable of learning that they have made a mistake. You might try fitting gauze or net screens across all points of ingress. Otherwise you will have to fit an escape vent for them, or go in each day with a net and capture them for release away from the Jones
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Any tips on how to get encrusted limescale off a bathroom tap as it has now affected the full flow of water?Margaret Simpson
I found that dampening a two-pence piece and gradually scraping at the limescale causes it to just drop Furniss, Chesham
Attach half a lemon using rubber bands to the tap spout, and leave for an hour or so. Remove the softened limescale and Grace
Soak a J Cloth (or similar) in white vinegar and place directly on the affected area. Pop a plastic bag over the tap and secure with an elastic band. Leave for a few hours. Heavy deposits may require multiple rounds but this method shouldn't damage any metal finishes on your Leicester
I buy food-grade citric acid (available on Amazon, etc). Run tap briefly, sprinkle dry citric acid onto a paper towel, then place directly on the encrusted (now wet) spout using an elastic band or old hair tie to attach. Let this sit for at least an hour. Works wonders for Kirk
Viakal spray is great at destroying limescale. Be careful because it is strong stuff and can damage certain surfaces (which I discovered the hard way). Veronica, Leyton
I've had dark grey limestone paving laid on my new terrace. I left a tree in the middle of the terrace for the birds to enjoy. However, the birds are seriously disrespecting my new paving — even a low-pressure hose used daily doesn't remove their mess completely.
I've tried hanging reflective deterrent rods in the tree, and also photos of birds of prey, but they haven't worked. Short of removing the tree, do readers have any tips for cleaning the bird mess effectively without damaging the paving?SB
A chair fell onto our wood-patterned vinyl flooring and left a one-inch crescent-shaped dent. The chair broke the vinyl's surface, and the dent is white. Is there anything I can do to improve its appearance?Hannah
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