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As most of you may know I've got a little wrench turner on the way (in fact we find out boy or girl on Monday). We live in unrenovated housing at Fairchild AFB, WA. During the summer we get pretty bad Yellowjacket wasp infestations INSIDE the house. Last summer we killed 20 within w 2-3 week span. Called good old housing maintenance and found out they are coming in from the attic through the furnace vent (which is in a closet in our hallway near our bedrooms!)

My concern was that if my child get's stung, and is allergic, the nearest emergency facilities are about a 20-25 minute drive on a good day with little traffic. The base clinic tends to blow people off quite a bit (my wife didn't feel the baby move all day last week, freaked and asked them if they had a doppler so she could at least hear a heartbeat, they told her that they did but because it was 4 or 4:30 they weren't letting anyone else in!) and the fire department took 45 minutes when we called them (well SF called them 4 times) when our neighbors CO2 alarm was going off and we didn't know if they were home!).

Anyway long story shorter: Did everything housing asked me to, wrote a letter, got the Shirt to sign it, turned it in, now awaiting response. Well, I'm a little proactive about things like this so I find out the letter is at the Wing, so I go check on it and it turns out it hasn't been signed by the MSG/CC. So I look at it and it reads....

Disapproved to move to another on-base family houseing facility because we can't gaurantee it will be free of wasp infestation.
(OK no big deal there. We want to stay on base but oh well.)
Approved to move off base at members own expense.
(WTF mate! You can't provide me safe housing for my family so I have to pull a bunch of cash out of my butt, which ther hardly is any because I'm buying BABY FURNITURE!!!!!!)

End Rant.
Anyway, what's your take on the situation? Do you think it's ok for them to do this? If so why. Are they wrong and should at least pay to move me offbase? Should I call my congressman? Should I choke slam everyone involved! <------ I really like this option!

You might be a "Bulldog" if: You bend over and grab your ankles when you hear: "EXERCISE, EXERCISE, EXERCISE!"

_________________
3 Branches down... 2 to go!
Put on your tinfoil hats, the black choppers are coming, and I'm calling them in.
Former DCC OA-10A T/N 80-278

weasel as a father and paramedic I have some basic thoughts. Your right to be worried about allergies, but it is rare dont over panick. However, if the response times are so poor from the first responders all things considered I would serious consider moving on. The reason was because your wife is pregnant and you dont need to the worry. It is worth the peace of mind to pay the dollars.

Remember this also the insecticides commonly used to kill insects are not safe for pregnant women or infants. Infact organophosphate based poisons are basically nerve gas for bugs, make it a little stronger you get nerve gas for people. No one really knows the long term effects on pregnancy or infants in my mind you error on safety and dont expose your child.

Weasel,

Bro ,they telling you can move off base at your own expense,Does that mean"No BHA?"etc... I guess what I'm asking "They going to pay you more to help cover the rent and stuff off base?

If you really are set to stay on base then that vent can have a screen put around it or how ever its set-up to keep the bastards out.
Then upstairs in the Attic or even outside look at your eves, YellowJackets are sneaking little Bastards,but their getting in around some place on your Roof line or around your roof vents or around your foundation.
If you find a place that is a "Likey spot" get some expandable foam and give it a shot,Screw CE, they'll never know anyway.
If coming thru one of the roof vents, use screen door screen and fix it so they cant get in there either.
Screen doesnt hurt circlelation of air besides those things are pretty big anyway.
Last thing in your Attic go over to a Garden center,they have
YellowJacket/Wasp traps, they basically attract them to it and they Drowned,NO NASTY SPRAYS OR STUFF..
But do it early dont wait for them to show-up

I get them up here pretty bad in the summertime, the first year I went out in the spring filled up everything outside,and screened the roof vents to make sure.

Cheryl did get stung by one moving the grill cover and one had just started work and got her on her right hand BAD!
But here's a good cure for that
That an asprin crush it up,use a teaspoon of baking soda using water make a paste put it on the area,It'll take the pain and the swelling down pretty quick unless your allergic,
THEN GET HELP!

I've been nailed several times and that reicipe takes care of it,and
in a day you'll hardley even know where you got stung.

Goose

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.
Benjamin Franklin,
(1706 - 1790)

_________________
\"Live Free Or Die\"

Damned if you do, damned if you don't. Yup, sounds like it's time, if you can at all afford it to (pun intended) bug-out.

The Second Amendment: America's original homeland security.
Ya just can’t take life too seriously, because you aren’t going to get out of it alive anyway.

_________________
\"Those who hammer their guns into plows
will plow for those who do not.\"
- Thomas Jefferson

I plan to "bug out" ASAP. My issue is this, yes they will pay BAH, but I will not recieve any dislocation allowance and may wife and I cannot move anything ourselves (Wife is pregnant and I am on profile).

Goose,

There is no way into the attic at all! Pretty good engineering huh! I was told that the screen they have in the surnace closet won't allow the wasps into the house, but... When the maintenance guy opened the closet, what did he find!? Yep, yellowjacket. Guess that proved his theroy wrong huh!

I just think that they need to help move me because they cannot take care of this.

You might be a "Bulldog" if: You bend over and grab your ankles when you hear: "EXERCISE, EXERCISE, EXERCISE!"

Edited by - weasel_80-204 on Feb 22 2006 3:52 PM

_________________
3 Branches down... 2 to go!
Put on your tinfoil hats, the black choppers are coming, and I'm calling them in.
Former DCC OA-10A T/N 80-278

Weasel...

E-mail me at chadrewski@yahoo.com

I will give you my cell phone#

The Rearden area is part of my sales territory (12 miles west of Fairchild) I am up there every other Friday. Being in Ag chem sales, I can give you some stuff free of charge that will permantly solve your Yellow Jacket problem. I had the same problem last year...



Edited by - chadrewsky on Feb 22 2006 12:00 PM

E-mail sent!
If I can nip this before it starts again I'll stay here! As long as that's not black mold in my bathroom my wife found last night! LOL!

You might be a "Bulldog" if: You bend over and grab your ankles when you hear: "EXERCISE, EXERCISE, EXERCISE!"

_________________
3 Branches down... 2 to go!
Put on your tinfoil hats, the black choppers are coming, and I'm calling them in.
Former DCC OA-10A T/N 80-278

chad just make sure it is not an organophosphate based poison not good for pregnant women.

I'm going to make sure when I talk to him matt! Trust me!!!

And thanks everyone for your help. I really appreciate it.

You might be a "Bulldog" if: You bend over and grab your ankles when you hear: "EXERCISE, EXERCISE, EXERCISE!"

_________________
3 Branches down... 2 to go!
Put on your tinfoil hats, the black choppers are coming, and I'm calling them in.
Former DCC OA-10A T/N 80-278

lol Matt...My wife is currently pregnant as well, and organophosphates, as carbamates are not good for life in general, thus must be properly used.

Weasel you have mail...



Edited by - chadrewsky on Feb 22 2006 12:53 PM

well chad I was going to chaulk up the third eye and second head to the gene pool in your case lol. Good you know what I mean. I have seen a really bad organophosphate poisoning in the past, way cool to see--but would never have changed places with my patient. A true organophosphate poisoning is nasty.

Weasel Jr,

Chad will take care of you Bro.


Goose

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.
Benjamin Franklin,
(1706 - 1790)

_________________
\"Live Free Or Die\"

Roger that Goose! Check your inbox in a little while.

You might be a "Bulldog" if: You bend over and grab your ankles when you hear: "EXERCISE, EXERCISE, EXERCISE!"

_________________
3 Branches down... 2 to go!
Put on your tinfoil hats, the black choppers are coming, and I'm calling them in.
Former DCC OA-10A T/N 80-278

Matt,


Pesticide poisening is due to stupidity plain and simple. Back in the old days, we didn't know the acute, or even chronic effects of organophosphates, carbamates, nitrogen leaching etc...Mistakes were made, the industry as a whole didn't just didn't know what the future reprecussions were to be. When you look at the mistakes made in the agrichemical/fertilizer industry since the 1950's, the ownership the industry has taken for those mistakes, and the proper stewardship posture that was assumed to correct them, and prevent them in the future....Then compare it with the pharmaceutical/healthcare industry and the mistakes made, and then the ensuing cover ups and lack of action...The industry I represent has been much more trasparent and proactive.

People that live in metro areas do not realize the great pains that farmers take to make their product safe, even at the expense of their own economic livelehood(s). I know there was no pun intended with your comments, but thats exactly the type of thinking that comes from metro areas, and inflicts damage to what I do, and who I work with.

Trust me, if you saw the bacteria, and other bio hazards that are being used to produce "safe" organic crops, you would never touch, let alone consume an organic apple, or potato again.

I have will have no problem allowing my daughter eat commericaly grown United States Agriculture produce, in fact I will not let her eat anything organic, or even imported.

The plain simple truth is that the world would starve without commercial farmers & pesticides, we restrict our domestic producers with very extreme rules and regulations, yet we gladly import asparugus from Chile, that has had D.D.T sprayed on it for insect control, out of the sake of better world commerce & free trade.

I really just don't like remarks that slam on pesticides, or the consultants that make recomendations to use them. Trust me, the rigors that I have to go through to maintain my licensing, plus the scutinity that the industry as a whole is under right now, allows us ZERO margin for error. When you compound that with the sorry state of todays agricultural economics, there is absolutley no tolerance for error. I do not operate under the protective umbrella of malpractice insurance. And I am fine with that. If I am negligent its my ass, my customers ass and economic lifeblood. I am blackballed in the industry, fired, perhaps even imprisoned, with a career down the road of delivering pizza, working at a car wash, or packing groceries.

People just need to know what it feels like to be hungry again. Maybe then they will appreciate what the American Farmer does for them.



Edited by - chadrewsky on Feb 22 2006 4:34 PM

Chad I am not slamming I have seen first hand what these chemicals can do. You are right if properly used etc things are fine. But remember inutero(when a baby is in the womb) is when the most damage can be done, due to the active development of cells into specific organs etc.

you are right again we would all starve without pesticides. In africa the discontinuation of DDT has severe ramification due to insect born disease.

My comments were cautionary. As for malpractice insurance you bet I will practice with it. having seen first hand how people can be sued for not saving a patient who was dead before they got their. Unlike the pesticide industry we are in the public view much more with the bulls eye on our back because as one lawyer told me somebody has to pay.



Edited by - mattlott on Feb 22 2006 5:32 PM

Geeze what a difference a day makes.

First off, I am sorry that I hijacked your thread weasel in the name of my agriculture soap box.

Matt...I did not intend to come off condescending our defensive. I usually like to wait a bit before I respond to a message, for that reason.

No need to apologize. Expect a call from me later on today. I have to return a call from someone regarding my situation.

You might be a "Bulldog" if: You bend over and grab your ankles when you hear: "EXERCISE, EXERCISE, EXERCISE!"

_________________
3 Branches down... 2 to go!
Put on your tinfoil hats, the black choppers are coming, and I'm calling them in.
Former DCC OA-10A T/N 80-278

I hope things come to a satisfactory conclusion. There are a number of dirty little tricks you can play on yellowjackets, but with an established nest literally inside the walls or roof, about your only course of action is to tear that portion apart and extract it. They overwinter year after year, and not even spraying or fogging is all that effective because it's so well protected. You might suppress the nest, and even kill it for a year or two, but eventually, another queen will discover it and take-over for the rebuild. If you can identify the sources of entry into your living spaces, try and seal them off. During the summer, try to find their locations of entry from the outside, and seal them off, as well.

If you do decide to spray, really, REALLY review and follow the precautions recommended to prevent exposure to the missus, especially since pregnancy does change the rules.

Crushed under his own mental block...

Well, satisfactory isn't always good enough. But whaddya gonna do!

Good news and bad news today:
Good news: We're having a little girl!
Bad news: Took my EOC for my new job today. Needed a 65%. Got a 64%. I dunno what happend. We'll see what they say about it. I should get a second shot, but with the way things are going with Force Shaping you never know.

Chad,
It's been a long day so I'll call tomorrow afternoon and talk to you about the spray. Hopefully I can kill the nest (even if it is for 1-2 years).

You might be a "Bulldog" if: You bend over and grab your ankles when you hear: "EXERCISE, EXERCISE, EXERCISE!"

_________________
3 Branches down... 2 to go!
Put on your tinfoil hats, the black choppers are coming, and I'm calling them in.
Former DCC OA-10A T/N 80-278

Weasel, got a bang up eradication program for you. I serve on my communities Little League board of directors with a gentleman that specializes (owns a buisness) in home pest elimination. We had little league signups this evening, so I shared with him your situation with your wife being pregnant and the yellow jackets, he gave me some pretty good advice that I will pass your way. Give me a call tommorrow and we will get this taken care of for you.

BTW Horrido happends to be an entemology bug freak, if its an insect, arachnoid, or giant sandworm, he can idenditify or kill it. In fact the first time he visited my home about 5 yrs ago, he found a spider on my floor, picked it up and let him go free outside. I guess he has a soft spot for eight legged creatures, lol...



Edited by - chadrewsky on Feb 23 2006 8:39 PM

Oh, we're well aware of Horrido's love of multi-legged insects! In fact we've given him a "friend" we found here a few months back.

Sometime around 12 or 1pm sound good to you Chad?

You might be a "Bulldog" if: You bend over and grab your ankles when you hear: "EXERCISE, EXERCISE, EXERCISE!"

_________________
3 Branches down... 2 to go!
Put on your tinfoil hats, the black choppers are coming, and I'm calling them in.
Former DCC OA-10A T/N 80-278

Yeah, anytime tommorrow is fine.

Horrido and my oldest Daughter are the 2 biggest People I know.


Goose

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.
Benjamin Franklin,
(1706 - 1790)

_________________
\"Live Free Or Die\"