40 THE BOOK OF PEARS AND PLUMS 



Their nests often hold many thousands. Large numbers 

 may be destroyed thus : place a hand-light upon bricks, 

 make a small hole in the top of this, and over it put a 

 sound and closely-fitting one. Fruit cut open should be 

 thrown beneath the lower light. The wasps often go up 

 through the hole, and do not return. Their buzzing 

 attracts others. Destroy by burning sulphur beneath, or 

 by drowning. A glass destroyer on a similar principle is 

 sold in china-shops. Open-mouthed bottles filled with 

 beer sweetened or water sweetened with treacle will lure 

 many to destruction. Queen wasps in spring and wasp- 

 nests must be noticed and destroyed. Fasten a piece of 

 cloth soaked in a solution of cyanide of potassium (a small 

 quantity dissolved in hot water), and put it in the nest; 

 all the wasps will be killed. Dig out the grubs. 

 This is a deadly poison, and should be handled only 

 by an expert. The emanation from the solution must 

 not be breathed. Tar does almost as well. A nest 

 may be partly dug and flooded at night. A clean wine 

 bottle (half-filled with water) inserted in the place of 

 the nest (the top of the neck level with the surface 

 of the ground) will probably capture all stragglers. 

 Some make a heap of injured fruit and syringe the 

 wasps with nicotine soap, eight ounces to a gallon of 

 hot or cold water. This plan kills quickly, but the 

 fruit no longer attracts. Squibs a half-inch in diameter, 

 three inches long, made of gunpowder moistened with 

 water, one-fourth of flowers of sulphur added, mixed 

 into a paste, wrapped in brown paper, and tied at one 

 end, are good for the work. After dark, light the 

 squib, push the lighted end into the hole, put a sod 

 over, and ram it in to confine the fumes. In a few 

 minutes dig up and destroy the grubs, then fill up the 

 hole. If the nest is high up, attach the squib to a stick, 

 light, and keep it close (while burning) to the entrance. 

 Young gardeners enjoy this squibbing process. 



