[Lab] yellow jackets and electricity

Mon Aug 29 11:31:05 EDT 2011

I don't think the Squirrels are reading my blog so we should be okay.

I've already got some parts on order (including a disposable camera to get a
zapper out).

I'm a little concerned about how I will detect when they are in contact with
the mesh. Perhaps just a motion detector.

I just took some video of the little buggers:
http://mambohead.com/2011/08/arduino-bug-zapper-yellow-jacket-removal/

As you can see, they're going up a hole in the ceiling.

The chemical idea might work but can it go uphill into the ceiling? I guess
I have to seal the hole after I get rid of them.

On Mon, Aug 29, 2011 at 10:02 AM, Tom Burns <tom.i.burns at gmail.com> wrote:

> An Arduino-powered stun gun is not something I would want to fall into the
> hands of a species as devious as the squirrels ;)
>
> If it's not high powered enough, and you're not against using chemicals, I
> dealt with a nasty bee (my fiancee is allergic) problem in my backyard using
> Raid "One Shot" wasp killer.
>
> Tom
>
> On Mon, Aug 29, 2011 at 12:19 AM, Darcy Whyte <darcy at siteware.com> wrote:
>
>> Hi Richard,
>>
>> Thanks for the note.
>>
>> I figured keeping a coil charged might be expensive on the batteries.
>> Seems the next place to go is keeping a capacitor charged. As I mentioned in
>> the blog post, a disposable camera may have enough hardware to do this. May
>> not be as high a voltage but it might work.
>>
>> So it just comes down to triggering the high voltage thing.
>>
>> I'm all ears on how to trigger it but I figured I could just use an
>> arduino because the labor content may be lower. There might be something
>> that can save some pennies but I think for the pain a community of yellow
>> jackets causes, it's okay if it uses an arduino for a couple days.
>>
>> Even if the Squirrels steal it.
>>
>> Darcy
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Sat, Aug 27, 2011 at 8:59 PM, Richard Guy Briggs <rgb at tricolour.net>wrote:
>>
>>> On Sat, Aug 27, 2011 at 01:32:19PM -0700, Darcy Whyte wrote:
>>> > What about this angle:
>>> >
>>> > A motion detector of some sort.
>>> > a coil
>>> > a relay
>>> > a 6v battery
>>> > a wire grid over the opening
>>> >
>>> > When a yellow jacket is detected we charge the coil and then let it
>>> > discharge through the grid.
>>>
>>> I think the idea is to keep it charged so that it does its work on
>>> contact.
>>>
>>> > The relay is to isolate an arduino from the coil charging action...
>>> >
>>> > What sort of coil would I need?
>>> >
>>> > If this will work at all....
>>> >
>>> > Also, what about detecting the bug when it touches the grid? I suppose
>>> the
>>> > problem with that is I'd need to isolate it from the arduino somehow
>>> since
>>> > the high voltage will zap the arduino too....
>>>
>>> Does it really need an arduino, or just a wired power supply and a way
>>> of forcing all entering and exiting wasps of touching the charged wires?
>>>
>>> > On Sat, Aug 27, 2011 at 12:58 PM, Darcy Whyte <darcy at siteware.com>
>>> wrote:
>>> > > Perhaps this can be DIYed:
>>> > > http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page1421.html
>>> > >
>>> > > I could then just hang the thing near the hole and place some
>>> electrodes
>>> > > right there.
>>>
>>> I've seen one of those at a friend's cottage.  It is only $10, so it
>>> might be worth just buying one to find out how it works and adapt it for
>>> automatic use with your wasp nest.  We had one in the floor of our
>>> balcony.  It was a nuisance...
>>>
>>> You might want to adapt it with very fine wires brushing around the hole
>>> (but if the wire is too fine, it might fuse instead of delivering the
>>> intended shock to an insect...)
>>>
>>> > > On Sat, Aug 27, 2011 at 12:54 PM, Darcy Whyte <darcy at siteware.com>
>>> wrote:
>>> > >> Let's say I have a nasty yellow jacket nest that's starting to cause
>>> > >> problems.
>>> > >>
>>> > >> I've dealt with these in the past when the next is very exposed but
>>> this
>>> > >> time I only have access to an opening about an inch where they are
>>> coming
>>> > >> and going.
>>> > >>
>>> > >> Has anybody ever tried to put some sort of zapper near an entrance?
>>> Seems
>>> > >> that should be an easy way to get them.
>>> > >>
>>> > >> A trap seems to take long because they only go into it once in a
>>> while so
>>> > >> it takes a long while.
>>> > >>
>>> > >> I figure if I put a couple of electrodes near the hole, they could
>>> > >> complete the gap.
>>> > >>
>>> > >> If this would work, I wonder how many bugs a couple of D-cells could
>>> zap?
>>>
>>>
>>>         slainte mhath, RGB
>>>
>>> --
>>> Richard Guy Briggs               --  ~\    -- ~\            <
>>> hpv.tricolour.net>
>>> <www.TriColour.net>                --  \___   o \@       @       Ride
>>> yer bike!
>>> Ottawa, ON, CANADA                  --  Lo_>__M__\\/\%__\\/\%
>>> Vote! -- <greenparty.ca
>>> >_____GTVS6#790__(*)__(*)________(*)(*)_________________
>>>
>>
>>
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