We’re finally seeing some progress on the Westacre renovation project. This is what has happened in the last week or so:

– Our house has been measured for new windows.
– Alex has started some demolition in the hall and dining room area.
– Some re-wiring was done, because the original was not exactly to spec.
– A sheet of asbestos was found to make up the ceiling in the porch.
- There was a wasps’ nest in the roof space above the asbestos.

A wasps’ nest, not unlike the one that was in our porch.

Trying to take asbestos down is bad enough without a colony of wasps getting all annoyed at you for threatening their home. And while we would love for all creatures to be able to live and thrive in their own way alongside us, wasps right inside an area where Alex needs to work is just not an option.

Clearly, we had to take drastic measures.

Alex found a couple of great resources on the internet, telling him exactly what to do about the wasps:

WikiHow Get rid of a wasps’ nest: a step by step guide on how to proceed.

And a how-to video:

Some pro tips:
– Wear protective clothing to protect your hands, face and neck.
– Do the procedure in the evening, when all the wasps are in the nest.
– If you have to use a light to see what you are doing, put it somewhere away from you. You don’t want the insects to get attracted by the light from the torch in your hand.

I’m glad, and sad at the same time, to report that the procedure was a success. The porch ceiling was dismantled without any wasp-related misadventures.

Do you know of a better way to remove a wasps’ nest? Something not involving nasty chemicals, perhaps? Please do share your insights below.