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Most insects (cockroaches would be an exception) can't survive more
than a couple of days without food and water, so turn on the vacuum,
disconnect the suction hose from brush part that sweeps the carpet,
stuff a sock in the end of the suction tube, then turn the vac off.
Now the wasps are still angry but can't get out. Leave outside a
couple of days. As they have been bounced around with dust clouds
inside the vacuum, they may die more quickly than that because their
spiracles ('breathing holes' on the side of the body) are now partly
blocked with dust particles. With vac enclosed inside a large black
sealed-up garbage bag left to heat up in direct sunlight (if there is
any), they may croak more quickly through heat stress than in the
'cold' as Dave has suggested, which would be only, say, 15-17°C at
night these days, not that cold for a wasp.
Better still, if she or a neighbour has a long enough partly empty
freezer, put the whole vacuum in it, maybe again inside a large garbage
bag for cleanliness sake, and leave it in there for a couple of hours
or even overnight. Nearly all insects including cockroaches don't
survive even a short period of freezing, just as they don't survive
prolonged overheating (temperatures over 40-ish should do it).
Most people who work with insects use either temporary cooling or else
a quick burst of carbon dioxide gas (supplied from a gas cylinder +
reduction valve) as an anaesthetic for them. The latter would greatly
simplify dealing with this, but it's a trifle unlikely that your niece
would have access to such a gas supply.
Steve, Halifax
On 17-Aug-11, at 6:46 PM, David & Alison Webster wrote:
> I would suggest the following; turn vacuum off (just supplying O2 and
> stirring things up), put vacuum outdoors on east or north side of
> house (so it will start cooling off soon), go out at first light, open
> it quietly and put sodium bicarbonate paste on the stings (if any).
> Yt, DW
> ----- Original Message ----- From: <duartess@ns.sympatico.ca>
> To: "Naturelist" <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
> Sent: Wednesday, August 17, 2011 6:26 PM
> Subject: [NatureNS] Accidental Vacuuming Up Of Large # Wasps: ALIVE &
> Angry.
>
>
>> Hello All,
>>
>> To anyone who might have any advice.
>>
>> My neice who lives in Toronto just accidentally vacuumed up a number
>> of wasps/hornets. They are still very much alive and she says they
>> sound enraged. Keeping the vacuum going (has had it going for almost
>> an hour!) doesn't seem to be killing them.
>>
>> Any quick thoughts from anyone?
>>
>> I told her to put the whole machine outside & leave it there & call a
>> pest control company for quick advice.
>>
>> Thanks for any thoughts.
>>
>> Gayle MacLean
>> Dartmouth
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