Wasps in the air duct

zepherin

As the title says I have wasps coming through my HVAC duct work and out my vents into my apartment. We believe there is a wasp nest on the roof. However when we tell the apartment management they of course spray and remove the nests, but within a day of them doing it a couple of intrepid wasps running from death end up in the apartment, which is bad too. Is there anything I can put on the inside of my vents to keep the wasps out, but won't unbalance my HVAC system.

Xaquin

In theory there should already be a filter they shouldn't be able to get through.

I'd ask the apartment manager to hire an actual bug killer.

zepherin

Xaquin wrote: »

In theory there should already be a filter they shouldn't be able to get through.

I'd ask the apartment manager to hire an actual bug killer.

They use Orkin, and they have, and they'll spray and remove the nests, and it will cause more wasps to flee into the house. It's kinda a cycle, I'm looking for a a mesh screen I can set on my vent cover so wasps won't drop in. Something that can't be seen. I don't know of a product like that, and google is less than helpful.

There is a grill on the roof intake and roof exhaust, but they are not very small. There is a filter on the return side, but the supply side does not have a filter, with an apartment stack, the bugs can move into it in reverse. I know where the wasps are coming from, because it's crazy shit to watch a wasp drop out of a vent and start flying around the apartment all pissed off, and to find dead ones in the towel bins under the bathroom vents.

So it's direct vented which is code, and the exhaust covers are big enough for wasps to come in.

Enc

Assuming your landlord remains non-useful, get a window bug screen and cut it about 5inches wider than your AC vents and put them inside, using the extra distance to give you purchase for ducttape to hold them.

But really, wasps in your AC is probably against tenant law in your state more likely than not.

zepherin

Enc wrote: »

Assuming your landlord remains non-useful, get a window bug screen and cut it about 5inches wider than your AC vents and put them inside, using the extra distance to give you purchase for ducttape to hold them.

But really, wasps in your AC is probably against tenant law in your state more likely than not.

They are trying, but it is a weird problem. I was hoping I wouldn't have to cut up a bunch of screens, but it looks like I will, 5 inches is a lot though. I was going to cut them exact and put them between the registers and the ceiling.

bowen

There should be a screen in the actual central air unit itself so that wasps cannot crawl in.

But yeah that's about the only other thing you can do.

zepherin

bowen wrote: »

There should be a screen in the actual central air unit itself so that wasps cannot crawl in.

But yeah that's about the only other thing you can do.

Because of the apartment design I can't safely access that I have to do it at the register

If it were a house I would have fixed it myself and brought death upon all invaders.

mts

just buy a roll of screen at a home improvement store. it is cheaper

Pinfeldorf

bowen wrote: »

There should be a screen in the actual central air unit itself so that wasps cannot crawl in.

But yeah that's about the only other thing you can do.

Not only this, but if there isn't a screen in your AC vent to catch dust and other particulates, I think your landlord isn't doing their due diligence for upkeep, although that may vary from state to state.



That is a standard AC filter. It is what we use here at home and at work. A fart couldn't get through the thing, much less a wasp, and they should be changed (or cleaned, if you have a reusable variety) every 60 or so days. I'd check your lease agreement to see if keeping these clean/changed is your responsibility or your landlord's, but at the very least, they should exist on every vent in your living space. They're like $4, so it's not an incredible expense.

zepherin

Pinfeldorf wrote: »

bowen wrote: »

There should be a screen in the actual central air unit itself so that wasps cannot crawl in.

But yeah that's about the only other thing you can do.

Not only this, but if there isn't a screen in your AC vent to catch dust and other particulates, I think your landlord isn't doing their due diligence for upkeep, although that may vary from state to state.



That is a standard AC filter. It is what we use here at home and at work. A fart couldn't get through the thing, much less a wasp, and they should be changed (or cleaned, if you have a reusable variety) every 60 or so days. I'd check your lease agreement to see if keeping these clean/changed is your responsibility or your landlord's, but at the very least, they should exist on every vent in your living space. They're like $4, so it's not an incredible expense.

We have an AC filter, it is green changed monthly and looks similar, but an AC filter is on one part of the system. Because parts of the system pushes inside air outside (exhaust), you can have stuff come back through the exhaust, especially since it isn't pushing air out all the time, and because this isn't a high end commercial system, just a modular apartment system, it's hot air goes up, with a fan to assist.

Djeet

I don't think the wasps are entering the AC system thru the return (which is inside the domicile already, in that case kill the f-ing wasps), flying around in the ducts and air handler, and then flying or crawling out the vents. Putting some window screen on the inside of the vents is probably your best bet. You should be able to buy a roll at your local HD or Lowes, though if it's only one or two vents it may be cheaper to buy a framed screen and cut it up.

Enc

I'd almost expect there to be a hole in your ducts rather than something else. Unless your apartment system is way different from the norm the only thing that goes to the external unit is the coolant, not the air itself. The fan on your external unit is for cooling the heated coolant liquid before pumping it back to your compressor. The air moving should only be from your inside intake to your vents, not anything from outside the home.

Unless you have a window unit, which works totally differently.

Nija

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I think your going to have to nuke the whole planet complex. It's the only way to be sure.

zepherin

Enc wrote: »

I'd almost expect there to be a hole in your ducts rather than something else. Unless your apartment system is way different from the norm the only thing that goes to the external unit is the coolant, not the air itself. The fan on your external unit is for cooling the heated coolant liquid before pumping it back to your compressor. The air moving should only be from your inside intake to your vents, not anything from outside the home.

Unless you have a window unit, which works totally differently.

That is true, but the system also exhausts onto the roof because the furnace system also uses the same ductwork. Furnaces are direct vent per IBC.

ceres

You are describing a nightmare I didn't even know I had.

Morkath

Nija wrote: »

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I think your going to have to nuke the whole planet complex. It's the only way to be sure.

Agreed, sorry. You don't live there anymore, the wasps do now.

hsu

I had a wasp problem - here's how I solved it.

Take a can of tuna, remove the top, and drain it of water.
Mix liquid insecticide (available at Home Depot) into the can of tuna (use a plastic fork, so you can toss it afterwards).
Leave it out, somewhere that your pets/children/family cannot reach, but where the wasps like to go.
Wait two days and all those wasps will be dead.

Obviously, it's really important that your pets or children cannot reach it. My wasp problem was in the basement, so I replaced my basement doorknob with a keyed deadbolt and locked it, so no one could get in there.

I'd like to take credit for this idea, but it came from my firefighter friend, who once had a pest control job.

zepherin

hsu wrote: »

I had a wasp problem - here's how I solved it.

Take a can of tuna, remove the top, and drain it of water.
Mix liquid insecticide (available at Home Depot) into the can of tuna (use a plastic fork, so you can toss it afterwards).
Leave it out, somewhere that your pets/children/family cannot reach, but where the wasps like to go.
Wait two days and all those wasps will be dead.

Obviously, it's really important that your pets or children cannot reach it. My wasp problem was in the basement, so I replaced my basement doorknob with a keyed deadbolt and locked it, so no one could get in there.

I'd like to take credit for this idea, but it came from my firefighter friend, who once had a pest control job.

I think I'll use that in the future.

Madican

Easy way to kill wasps, that I used at a campground infested with them is to take a 2L bottle of soda, cut it about a third down from the top, and invert the top into the bottom so it forms a funnel. Pour some soda inside and sit back. The wasps fly in through the funnel but they can't get back out and will eventually drop into the soda, with the stickiness rendering their wings useless until they drown.

We had around ten of those traps around the campsite and they were just clogged with wasp corpses. Best part is you don't need to worry about pets or children disturbing it, since it's just soda.

bowen

Madican wrote: »

since it's just soda.

And a bunch of sticky pissed off wasps!

Madican

bowen wrote: »

Madican wrote: »

since it's just soda.

And a bunch of sticky pissed off wasps!

Who can't fly and then proceed to drown in the soda. Once they go through the funnel they don't come back out.

Arch

So, I'll cop to not understanding exactly what you mean when you describe how the wasps are getting into the house or the airduct, but I have a few solutions.

The first, as many have suggested, is to install some sort of screen. However, most of what people have suggested won't work. Wasps can chew through most everything, so you would definitely need to focus on some fine metal mesh. Regular window screen, and even commercial filters won't stop wasps.

The can of tuna idea is pretty good- but it is neither a permanent nor a quick-acting solution. You may kill one hive, but more will certainly show up. Plus, if you put it in your airducts, your house will probably smell of tuna....

What I recommend is some sort of metal or durable mesh, combined with one or two of these commercial wasp traps located either inside the house, where they are getting inside, or outside where you think they are entering.

If you can get a picture of the wasps I might be able to suggest more directed methods, but I recommend traps and a durable screen.

Arch

Two layers of this stuff should be small enough to be a good barrier, and tough enough to resist chewing.

zepherin

Arch wrote: »

Two layers of this stuff should be small enough to be a good barrier, and tough enough to resist chewing.

Sold

dinksterrr

Can someone help me with wasp in an outside vent. Idk where this vent leads to but it's in the front of my house and the wasp keep going in and out of it. I haven't seen them inside the house yet but I'm sure that's not far away