Dirt Daubers

[Nancy Howell]

After reading the feature article, I thought I would post this. Our farm is in N. E. Tx and the dirt daubers are a huge problem. They put nests everywhere and in EVERY opening they find. Can't tell you how many times we've had to clean their nests out of stuff or knock them off equipment. Water alone is useless. You have to use some kind of tool like a screw driver to break the nests up. We protect the air stacks on the tractors by putting old socks over them. It may look strange, but it works. We just pull the sock off when we get ready to crank up.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Thats right Ms Nancy. They will even fill up threaded bolt holes. You name it and those little varmits have been there.

 

[glennster]

they are a big problem with outboard motors too, they build nests up under the engine cowl and the dust gets sucked into the motor. what a lot of guys do is spray wd-40 on the motor and inside of engine hood, it keeps em out pretty good. maybe you could try that on some spots and see if it works for you. you"d prolly need to buy it by the gallon and put it in a pump sprayer.

 

[Nancy Howell]

Hubby has a vintage sickle mower anvil and a vintage pto air pump. Both were out in the shop and he got them down to look at them one day and nearly had a convulsion when he saw what the dirt daubers had done. I took them in the house, cleaned them up and fixed a "display" area on one of the shelves in the den.

 

[IH2444]

Yeah a pain, but I do not disturb them any more than I have to. Many of the spiders they put in the nest to feed their young are black widow spiders. At least around here...And I have never been stung by a dirt dauber.

 

[greygoat]

A drop of oil in the hole will usually keep them
out, but there's so may holes!

 

[tlak]

I put golf tees in the ends of my air tools when I'm not using them.

 

[Anonymous-0]

I,m just a back woods northerner, what's a dirt dauber? I've been to Texas And Louisiana but never heard of them.

 

[old]

Dirt or mud dauber is a type of wasp that makes there nests with mud and then it dries and turns to dirt so thats where the name come from. Very common wasp all over the U.S.A.
Hobby farm

 

[Anonymous-0]

They are around here too, although probably not as concentrated as in other warmer areas, they do like the quick coupler connection on the 20 lb. BBQ tank, got me twice so far on that, should have remembered to use the plastic plug on the valve. I find them on the side of the foundation, along masonry around the house and on things that sit too long. Those dark blue ones sure have a unique color, real nice gun metal blue, don't seem to be agressive like other wasps.

The old oil bath air cleaners with the pre-cleaner head and jar on top, like an old Donaldson, on the old caterpillars is a favorite place of paper wasps and probably the mud daubers to nest, although the paper wasps seem to win out on these locations, definitely have to cover those up tight, I take the top off and cover it with a tight fitting coffee can, the trick is to get any new nests early, kind of a short seasonal thing, after a certain time, no more new nests appear and when you get them early, only have to deal with the over winter survivors, takes awhile for the eggs, larvae to mature. There no shortage of those paper wasps here that is for sure.

 

[John S-B]

In Ohio, we have them, but they are nowhere near as bad as yellow jackets. They will built in larger holes and pipes or just under an overhang. But they get real aggresive in fall, so we have to constantly check around decks, furniture, propane tanks, sheds and equipment. I've never been stung by a mud dauber, but those yellow jackets will swarm you.

 

[JBruce]

What really sucks is when they build in a electric motor and you turn it on and demolish wires.

 

[Bill(Wis)]

I remember a case where dirt daubers had plugged the fuel tank vents on a T-6. Took off with full tank. Engine failed on takeoff due to fuel starvation. Plenty of fuel in the tank, just couldn't get to the engine. Pesky little things.

 

[MarkB_MI]

I had an extra sink supply tube on the shelf which I used to install a new faucet assembly. Turned it on and no cold water! Mud daubers had plugged the supply tube. Clearly water pressure is not enough to blow them out.

 

[2x4]

the sting is like a pinch. no lasting pain or itch. way less than a paper wasp.